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We North Americans Are Walking Corn Chips Essay

1046 Words5 Pages

When one thinks of the basis of American society, many imagine the working class, free market or even slave trade. But what most Americans do not understand about American society can be summarized by a quote from Michael Pollan: “We North Americans are walking corn chips”. Pollan was able to make this all-encompassing statement about America’s relationship with corn since corn’s high versatility as a crop has helped it become a major part of daily life without the vast majority of the populace being any wiser about it. However, with this major reliance on corn comes a massive amount of pressure placed on farmers, tying their hands in an almost impossible way as the need for corn grows exponentially with the growth of population and industries. Recognizing this issue is vital to …show more content…

Subsequently, the combination of the high supply and low demand caused farmer profits to reach an all-time low, thus leading to the government having to intervene in order to put an end to the economic meltdown the farmers were facing. This action ended up establishing subsidies surrounding agriculture, encouraging the growth of a select few crops and advocating for “mix[ing] corn-based ethanol into our gasoline”, not only protecting farmers from falling deeper into a cycle of debt but also revitalizing the entire agriculture industry. Now, corn production is one of the only ways that farmers can stay afloat in the economy despite their ever-increasing debt as they move forward with more improved technology. As affirmed by journalist Nathan F., “ethanol [among other corn-based products] has brought a lot of money into the farming economy”, and it would be reasonable to assume that a forced decline in corn’s prominence would be devastating to

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