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Food forum questions corporate influence in what we eat

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

That proved to be the theme of Tuesday’s public forum hosted by The Parr Center for Ethics, but the subject was not military dictators or monarchical tyranny.

It was the United States food industry.

A panel of experts at the forum, titled, “How Should We Eat? Policy and Ethics,” covered a wide variety of issues — everything from animal welfare, world hunger and genetic engineering to local food, personal health and farmer exploitation.

But what dominated the discussion was the overwhelming corporate influence on America’s food system and the ethical dilemma presented by these political and economic complexities.

“We wanted to focus on the interaction of food and ethics. We want people to think about food from a more academic and philosophical angle and to understand the multifaceted nature of this issue,” said Adam Sherwood, a member of the student group Fair, Local, Organic Food, which helped promote the event.

The discussion comes at a time when the move toward organic, local or sustainable food is gaining momentum, said Nancy Creamer, Director for the Center for Environmental Farming Systems at N.C. State University.

“Right now, people are seeing the connection with food from a lot of angles,” Creamer said.

Charles Thompson, curriculum and education director for the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, quoted Martin Luther King Jr. in his declaration in support of “noncooperation with evil.” He urged the audience to oppose systems that exploit people.

The panelists also asked audience members to find ways to make an impact.

“Supply and demand. The food industry is consumer-driven,” said Glen Almond, professor of pig health and production at N.C. State University.

The concept of the value of personal decisions on the economic direction of food production was discussed extensively by panelists.

“This is an ethical dilemma. None of us is omniscient and none of us is all-powerful, but I think we have to recognize our ability to vote with our food dollar. That is extremely powerful,” said Scott Marlow, farm sustainability program director for the Rural Advancement Foundation International.

The discussion comes in light of national announcements from the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Department of Agriculture regarding competition issues facing the agriculture industry.

The Justice Department and Department of Agriculture have announced a proposed joint effort to hold workshops for farmers, ranchers and consumer groups on these problems.

Additionally, the Monsanto Company, one of the agricultural corporations discussed at the forum, announced in January that the Justice Department had formally requested information on its seed business as part of an investigation into anti-competitive practices.

“The message was very positive,” sophomore Matt Jernigan said of the event. “This movement has started to reach a lot more people, and this panel made it relatable at a more personal level.”

Tuesday’s panel has framed the discussion for another public forum, “How Should We Eat as Students?” which will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Manning Hall, room 209. Thursday’s forum will focus on students’ role in the food system and will be co-sponsored by student groups.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.

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