In reading Eric Schlosser’s introduction from his book Fast Food Nation: the dark side of the all-american meal, I was struck with the wealth of information that he provided in only 10 pages. Schlosser broke down the intricacies and complexities of the fast food system here in the United States. He emphasized the growth of the fast food movement throughout the years, and how McDonald’s is a prime example of this growth. Schlosser used a word in his piece that really resonated with me, and the word is “uniformity.” Schlosser uses this word to describe what businesses need to become successful, but I look at the same word in a different context. The same way McDonald’s continues to come together and control the food market is the same way that individuals throughout this country can work together to better understand where our food is coming from, because as Schlosser mentions in the article, we all our guilty of taking our plastic tray with our food and sitting down and eating without stopping to think of the ramifications of that one hamburger and fries we adore so much.

I was also struck with the many anecdotes that Schlosser used in his introduction. For example, he says “more money is spent on food than higher education” (Schlosser, 3). Additionally, he says, “the Golden arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross” (Schlosser, 5). This short quotes put the magnitude of McDonald’s and fast food into more perspective, and really open my eyes about how powerful the fast food industry really is. I remember watching a movie in microeconomics in the fall semester called Food Inc. The movie illustrated many of the points that Schlosser mentions in this introduction. These points include the rise of the agribusiness world with companies like Cargill and Mansanto controlling seeds. Agriculture and food are both becoming more and more corporate each day, and the viruses that occur from the food needing to be processed quickly continue to harm young people in our society the most.

I think that there needs to be a return of the growth of our own food in this country, and through the creative initiatives and food businesses here in D.C. I am definitely seeing this change. The use of gardens, and whatever land you own using it to cultivate fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables is the only way that we will take back our food system, and make sure that food is fresh for all.