Already depressed over the Wal-Martization of organic food, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Morford sees portends of doom in a new industrial-scale organic cereal line:
Kellogg’s Organic Rice Krispies. It’s sort of like saying ‘Lockheed Martin Granola Bars’ or ‘Exxon Bottled Spring Water.’
As he elaborates later in the piece, these Krispies are “industrial to the hilt.” That is, they are:
not the slightest bit locally grown, not the slightest bit sustainable, from the same company that poisons your kid with Pop-Tarts and Froot Loops and Scooby-Doo Berry Bones and cares about as much for the health of the planet as Dick Cheney cares about pheasants. And of course, they ship the crap all over the country in planes and trucks that burn enough oil to make Bush leer and the oil CEOs grin and it’s all just one big happy joke. On you.
Morford also raises the excellent point that the modern “organics” movement has become fixated on just one part of what the philosophy was originally about: “local, sustainable, ethical, connected to source, pesticide- and hormone-free.” These days, he writes, “the vast majority of organic product now flooding the market only gloms on to that last aspect,” the pesticide- and hormone-free part.
It’s interesting to think about it in those terms; big companies took the part of the organic concept that was easiest to commodify and ran with it. What if, instead, they had focused on the ethics and the connection to the source? Might we now have fresh local produce and minimally processed foods in Wal-Marts and cheap supermarkets nationwide, with a unique set of products at every store—and would that be a good thing, if big chain stores were still involved?
I hate these kinds of articles. They always come off to me like the guy who used to love some obscure band but when they made it big he decided that they’d sold out and aren’t any good anymore.
It may be true that Kellogg’s doesn’t give a rat’s ass about ethics and/or the health of the planet, but I’m pretty sure they buy a whole lot of rice to make their Rice Krispies. And if those thousands and thousands of acres of rice are grown without pesticides, that’s not a bad thing — it’s a good thing. People who are really really really into organics probably don’t buy Rice Krispies to begin with, while the millions who aren’t might be willing to pay an extra .50 for their Rice Krispies without pesticides. Which in the long run probably affects the planet a whole lot more than the much more limited market of people who refuse to buy any food product that is not produced locally and in an ethical manner. Most Americans aren’t willing to give up strawberries in December, nor do I think they are willing to give up their Rice Krispies simply because there are no rice patties in the surrounding areas. Actually, is rice even grown in the US?
I wonder if Mr. Morford seriously only purchases food that is “local, sustainable, ethical, connected to source, and pesticide and hormone free.” Because if not, I don’t know why he would insist that a product that is two out of six is worse than zero out of six.
You neglect to mention that Kellogg also owns the perrennial health food favorite Kashi!! They’re not all evil.
Thank you tulipano! I work in the organic foods industry. I hear these comments and am sent these articles all the time. You answered the same way I always do…that I’d rather see people purchasing food that doesn’t poison water and soil with chemicals, that requires soil to be managed sustainable through crop rotation practices that doesn’t pump our kids full of growth hormones and residual antibiotics, and that REQUIRES factories to have waste treatment plans that ensure non-contamination of local natural resourses. If they happen to buy organic Rice Krispies at Wal-Mart, they’ve done that, provided the Rice Krispies were certified by an accredited agency that has integrity. That’s where things break down…if the certifiers are chasing the almighty dollar, they will look the other way on violations (or at least will allow some seriously liberal interpretations) of the US Department of Ag. National Organic Program (NOP).
If someone wants to make conscientious choices in the organic market, get to know who the certifiers are, what their practices are, and how they interpret the NOP. As questions about their stance on some controversial issues such as required pasture for livestock or what they consider an adequate crop rotation. Each product sold as organic is required to identify their certification agent, find out about each, then buy organic products that are certified by agencies that agree with what you think “organic” means. Just look on the information panel, the certifier will be listed there.
I think the comment comparing the article to the music world is interesting and it works on a couple different levels I think. One reason why someone might not like a band after it gains some level of corporate popularity would be that their music changes to suit “popular” demand. The same could be said about the organic movement too, I guess.
If you can buy Orgnic Cheetohs and Oscar Meyer Free Range Hot Dogs wouldn’t the corporate influence begin to change what is considered organic and what isn’t? Will the huge corporations that already dictate how america eats actually be following organic guidelines or principles or will they just be telling you that their product is healthy just so you’ll give them an extra buck or two. I am not beating my chest here one way or another because I can see both sides of this argument. I am only posing a question.
Well put Tulipano. I would add that, as much as I detest WalMart, if they put their might behind the issue then why not foresee “fresh local produce and minimally processed foods in Wal-Marts and cheap supermarkets nationwide, with a unique set of products at every store—” It would be a great thing. And I might even shop there. BTW, Louisiana and Texas both grow rice if I am not mistaken.
In his defense, Mark Morford never said it was a bad thing that Kellogg’s Organics will prevent the use of a whole lot of pesticides, as Tulipano infers. As a matter of fact, he said,
“the fact that megaproducers like Kellogg’s and General Mills and frightening discount megaretailers like Wal-Mart are going big into organic certainly will translate into an enormous reduction in chemicals in the American diet, thousands if not (eventually) millions of pounds of pesticides and hormones and fertilizer removed from the food chain as a whole. The benefits of this cannot be understated: It’s a great thing indeed.”
I think the main purpose of the piece was to remind people not to feel too smug for purchasing mass produced organic, because the product doesn’t represent the ideals you might think it does. Moreford’s columns usually urge the reader to kick themselves in the ass and do a little self examination, and this piece fits perfectly.
Oh, and there’s lots of rice grown in California too.