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The Omnivore's Dilemma

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The Omnivore's Dilemma 6 HumanEthologyBulletin,23(3),2008= TheOmnivore’sDilemma: unnatural. If we are what we eat, as Pollan says,wearemostlycorn. ANaturalHistoryofFourMeals = = Pollan describes the modern industrial food ByMichaelPollan chainbytracingthepathofcornfrom=farmerto feedlottofinishedproduct.Alongtheway,he PenguinPress,NewYork,NY.2006,450pp. explainshowthemodernfoodchainhascome ISBN1594200823[Hdbk.,$26.95] tobedominatedbycorn.Heexplainshowcorn = has evolved from= a= simple grass to the Reviewed by William F. McKibbin and Todd K. Shackelford dominant crop that it is today. Particularly Florida Atlantic University, Dept. of Psychology, interestingishisargumentthatcornexploitsus Davie, FL 33314 USA asmuchasweit.Humansexploitcornbyusing [E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]] it in everything from= whiskey to sweetener. = Corn exploits humans by becoming a= seemingly indispensable part of the modern The Omnivore’s Dilemma= is the latest book by food chain. Certainly, corn is a wildly Michael Pollan, best known for his previous successful species, and has become so by bestselling work, The Botany of Desire. Here, evolvingintosuchanattractivefoodcrop. Pollanhascrafteda=wellwrittenandenjoyable = exploration of humans’ relationship to food. Not surprisingly, Pollan is critical of the The book is written for a= lay audience, but is industrialfoodchain.Hearguesthatthevirtue appreciablebyall. of cheap food, particularly food derived from= = cheap corn, hides its cost. The true cost is Pollan begins by focusing on a seemingly insteadbornebyusallintheformoftaxesand simple question, “What should we have for corn subsidies, environmental damage, and dinner?”Theanswer,itseems,isnotsosimple health problems. Pollan describes striking foromnivoreslikeus.Pollanguidesthereader similarities between the modern obesity by examining the three major types of food epidemic and the rampant alcoholism of 19th= production and divides the book into these century America. Both are explicable by the threeareas:Industrial(focusingonthemodern need to use up an evergrowing surplus of food industry’s reliance on corn), Pastoral cheap corn. Further, he argues that we are (focusing on organic food production, both participating in an unsustainable system of “big” and “small” scale), and Personal foodproduction,andthatourdependenceona (focusingonpersonallyhuntingandgathering singlecropisaglaringweaknessthatmayhave one’sfood). seriousconsequencesforourhealthandforthe = environment. Next, Pollan examines the The first, Industrial, section of the book modern “alternative” to the industrial food demonstrates that nearly everything we chain. consume in Western society, particularly in = America, is in some way derived from= corn. ThePastoralsectionofTheOmnivore’sDilemma= The processed foods that seem a= staple of makesa=distinctionbetweenlargescaleorganic modern living are derived largely (if not production (“big organic” in Pollan’s words) wholly) from= corn. Even foods such as eggs, and smaller, local organic producers (“small chicken, fish, and beef are essentially derived organic”) Big organic is characterized by from=corn:cows,chickens,andfisharecoerced corporationssuchasWholeFoods.HerePollan to consume a food that to them is highly illustrates how the wellintentioned organic food movement has grown into a= slightly HumanEthologyBulletin,23(3),2008 7 modifiedversionofindustrialfoodproduction. unlikely to be adopted by the population as a Striking examples are provided, such as the whole. “freerange” chicken farm where chickens live = in nearly identical conditions to their non Finally,Pollanexaminesourmostancientfood organic counterparts. They are afforded access productionmethod:huntingandgathering.Of to the outdoors only after spending weeks course he recognizes that such a= system is no confined indoors. As a result, the chickens are longer a= viable one for many humans. But he tooafraidtoeverleavetheshedsinwhichthey arguesthatitisimportanttoparticipateinand spend their entire lives. Furthermore, because appreciate the shortest foodchain possible, by organic food production precludes the use of eating food hunted or gathered personally. In antibiotics,thechickensaresopronetodisease this way the true costs of food, such as that workers must wear sterile clothing and substantial time and energy investments, as masks to prevent mass infection and death. wellasthelossofanotherlivingbeing,maybe Other flaws in “big” organic are discussed, better appreciated. Here Pollan demonstrates paintinga=pictureofa=feelgoodmovementthat just how difficult hunting and gathering is, providesfewbenefits.Pollan’sfinalpositionon evenequippedwithmoderntoolssuchasrifles “big” organic is somewhat unclear. He clearly or GPS. Passages detailing the author’s shift perceivessubstantialflawsinthesystem,such into a= hunter’s mindset were particularly asthefactthatitisasnonsustainableastypical interesting. Even having never hunted before, industrial food production, but at the same Pollanquicklyandautomaticallyfoundhimself timeheseemstoarguethatitisatleasta=step attuned to the environment, aware of sights intherightdirection. and sounds that normally go unnoticed. He = writes“myattentiontoeverythingaroundme, Pollan’s position on “small” organic is much and deafness to everything else, is complete… lessequivocal.Hespendsa=substantialsection everything is amplified” (pp.334335). Pollan’s ofthebookdetailinghisvisittoasmallorganic hunting guide refers to this phenomenon as “grass”farm.AlthoughPollandoeshisbestto “hunter’seye.” maintain a journalistic, neutral view = throughout the book, it is clear that he was Scholars interested in the evolution of human captivatedbytheworkbeingdonebythegrass behavior may be somewhat disappointed by farmers.Pollanshowsthatthemostimportant therelativelackofattentionPollangivestothe crop to these farmers is in fact the numerous field. It is clear that Pollan understands the varietiesofgrass,whichformthefoundationof importance of evolution, yet his discussion of the life cycle on the farm. These farmers work evolved human psychology and behavior is to farm in a sustainable, natural way that minimal at best. Notably, Pollan devotes closely resembles the symbiosis of nature. In considerable time discussing the work of Paul this section,Pollanprovidesa=fascinatinglook Rozin, particularly his research on food at the evolved relationships between different selection behavior. Rozin postulated that the species of plants and animals, and how these “omnivoral problem” would explain much relationships can be utilized to create a= about human nature, and this seems to have sustainablefarmingsystem.AlthoughPollanis formed the basis of Pollan’s thinking and clearly enamored with such “small” grass writing. Little other empirical research is based farming, he also recognizes the near discussed. However, passages such as those impossibilityofimplementingsuchfarmingon mentioned above, detailing the emotions and a large scale. For example, the higher costs experiences of hunting and gathering, seem to associatedwiththisproductionmethodmakeit describetheoperationofevolvedmechanisms. = 8 HumanEthologyBulletin,23(3),2008= In summary, The Omnivore’s Dilemmais=an= outstanding book aimed at a wide audience. New Books Pollan provides a= fascinating look at how we choose what we eat. Scholars may be = disappointed by the little attention devoted to Any qualified individual interested in writing a review of evolved human psychology and behavior. one of the following books, or any other recent and However, Pollan still provides a= superbly relevant book, should contact the Editor or an Associate written book offering a= complex answer to a Editor. Publishers, authors, and others may call deceptively simple and increasingly important attention to recently published or forthcoming books by question. sending information to the Editor. = = = William F. McKibbin is a Ph.D. student in the Arp,R.ScenarioVisualization:AnEvolutionary Evolutionary Psychology Lab at Florida Atlantic AccountofCreativeProblemSolving.MIT University. His current research interests include Press,2008,208pp.ISBN:0262012448 conflict between the sexes, particularly with = Barber,N.TheMythofCulture:WhyWeNeeda regard to sexual behavior. GenuineNaturalScienceofSocieties. CambridgeScholarsPublishing,2008,315pp. Todd K. Shackelford received his Ph.D. in ISBN:184718619X Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin = in 1997. He is Professor of Psychology, Chair of Cartwright,J.EvolutionandHumanBehavior,2nd= the Evolutionary Psychology Graduate Program, Edition:DarwinianPerspectivesonHuman and Director of the Evolutionary Psychology Lab Nature.MITPress,2008,448pp.ISBN: (www.ToddKShackelford.com) at Florida Atlantic 0262533049 University. = = Duntley,J.,&Shackelford,T.K.Evolutionary ForensicPsychology.OxfordUniversity = Press,2008,328pp.ISBN:0195325184 = = Back Issues Frith,C.MakinguptheMind:HowtheBrain = CreatesOurMentalWorld.WileyBlackwell, Back issues of the quarterly Bulletin= can be 2007,248pp.ISBN:1405160225 ordered from the Editor as available.= = = Pricing = (US$)isasfollows: Gottschall,J.Literature,Science,andaNew = Humanities.PalgraveMacmillan,2008,224 $2/issueor$5/yearforelectroniccopies = pp.ISBN:0230609031 $6/issueor$20/yearforprintedcopies(U.S. = orders) Gottschall,J.TheRapeofTroy:Evolution, = Violence,andtheWorldofHomer. $8/issueor$22/yearforprintedcopies CambridgeUniversityPress,2008,236pp. mailed=outsidetheU.S.A.= = ISBN:0521690471 PaymentcanbemadetoeithertheTreasureror = the Editor. = Be sure to provide a= complete Grant,P.R.,&Grant,B.R.HowandWhySpecies mailing address and specify exactly which Multiply:TheRadiationofDarwin’sFinches. issuesyouareordering. PrincetonUniversityPress,2007,272pp. ISBN:0691133603 = = = =.
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