- Capitalism and Alternatives -

How many things can you do with sugar and just one kind of grain?

In Reply to: I wanna talk about cereal posted by Samuel Day Fassbinder on September 01, 1999 at 11:19:03:

: SDF: I suspect that much of the similarities in cereal have to do with the conditions of monocrop agriculture under mass-market conditions. You don't see a lot of cereals using spelt, or triticale, for instance, because modern agriculture is one-crop, fertilized, tractor-plowed, and made to fetch a short-term profit on the grain exchange even if grain prices are absurdly low in good harvest years, even if harvesting grain is such a dicey business (given the role of weather conditions in determining production) that it has become a regular recipient of government emergency aid if nothing else. So they grow a lot, fertilize a lot, and get a lot of government subsidies. Also, check the # of corporations who are putting out cereal. Let's see, you have General Mills, Kellogg, Post... am I missing anyone?

DDN: The latter point seems rather redundant. How many things can you do with sugar and just one kind of grain? Probably only enough to support three mega companies. But this whole explanation only begs the question. Why is there just one grain pushing out the hundreds of other possibilities? Can't spelt be monocropped for example (not that I approve of monocropping)? Wouldn't harvesting other grains be dicey as well and thus warrant goverment subsidies and emergency funds? Assuming that this market is driven by consumer choice, why do U.S. consumers only want a cereal made by one type of grain?

And while we're harping on food, why are consumers fixated on one or two kinds of oranges and bananas? Don't they know that there are hundreds of varieties of these two fruits? Why don't they?

Follow Ups:

• Fruit thread Samuel Day Fassbinder Citizens for Mustard Greens USA September 03 1999 (0)
• Good question! Samuel Day Fassbinder Citizens for Mustard Greens USA September 03 1999 (0)