Whole Food Advertising Essay

Whole Foods is by all accounts, a company with a positive standing in the world of grocery stores. However, the company has a problematic history of utilizing false advertising and marketing (Adams 2012). One such form of questionable advertising is Whole Foods’ tendency to fall into the health food store trap of promoting “superfoods”. A “superfood” can be defined as any food that is nutrient dense that provides benefits such as antioxidants to those who consume it (Rozin 2005). Good examples of “superfoods” that most individuals are familiar with include dark chocolate, pomegranates and quinoa. The impact of “superfood” marketing is far reaching, as the “superfood” market was said to double in 2011 (McNally 2007) and is still a large presence

By marketing certain foods as nutritional holy grails in Western cultures, increased demand is placed on the countries producing these foods, which can damage the physical geography of these areas (Sander & Jacobsen 2014). Local individuals also have a more difficult time consuming these dietary staples on their own terms (Ofstehage 2012). Additionally, in terms of climate change, most “superfoods” are produced out of North America. As such, these foods have to travel farther distances, increasing the amount of pollution in the form of carbon dioxide emissions that are released into the atmosphere (Wheeler & von Braun 2013). Moreover, in terms of food quality, increased demand for “superfoods” can lead to heightened levels of contamination. This is seen in rice production, wherein higher levels of arsenic are found in rice and its related products due to high demand on fields and their irrigation systems (Zhu et al 2008). Finally, in terms of worker exploitation, large-scale agricultural companies based in the North America fail to equally pass on their profits to South American farms supplying them with produce. This inequitable payment leaders to a higher degree of food insecurity for these farmers than what would occur if they were paid a living wage (Pauw 2007; Dixon et al