Classroom Publication

Media Credit: Emmet Hawkins The Honest Weight Food Co-Op considers its food local only if it is within a 100-mile radius.

Media Credit: Emmet Hawkins An inside look at the Honest Weight Food Co-Op through the eyes a few employees

In Brazil, 4,745 miles away from Albany, forests are being torn down at massive rates. According to a United Nation's report, between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil has lost over 150,000 square-kilometers of its wooded areas, an area roughly the size of Greece.

This cleared land is directly related to what ends up on our dinner plates each night. According to University at Albany professor of Biological Sciences, Helmut V.B. Hirsch, when the trees are cut down the land is used to grow corn crops.

"These corn based crops are used in all facets of our economy, from ethanol that fills our gas tanks to the highly unhealthy and nearly unavoidable sweetener high-fructose corn syrup, even the animal feed that we give to the livestock that we eventually eat," said Hirsch.

In his book, "The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals," Michael Pollan discusses just how involved corn is in our diet and the adverse affects it has on us. "High-fructose corn sweeteners are everywhere. They've completely replaced sugar in sodas and soft drinks. They make sweet things cheaper. We also give it to animals. Corn explains everything about the cattle industry. It explains why we have to give [cattle] antibiotics, because corn doesn't agree with their digestive system. It explains why we have this E.coli 0157 problem, because the corn acidifies their digestive system in such a way that these bacteria can survive."

Domestically, the government supports the crop strongly. According to the 2007 Farm Bill, a $190 billion subsidy package will motivate farmers to increase their corn production. The subsidy is structured to make corn extremely cheap and thus, to meet their monetary goals, farmers are forced to grow much higher amounts of corn.

According to Pollan, "We're subsidizing obesity. We're subsidizing the food-safety problems associated with feedlot beef."

"The options are just so limited. Walking in a regular grocery store, you will only find the junk filled with chemicals," said Ricky Imperatore, a 21-year-old restaurant management major at SUNY Oneonta.

Professor Hirsch in his class, The Human Organism, sites one solution. He urges his students to buy local and know the source of your food as a way to avoid high-fructose corn syrup and the other chemicals that are involved in the factory farming process.

Here in Albany, the Honest Weight Food Co-Op does just that. Located at 484 Central Avenue, the Co-Op, open to the public, offers a variety of healthier options and organic products for its customers. But it prides itself on the connection the Co-Op has with local farmers.

"We are involved with a lot of farmers who raise animals the traditional way, on grass, rather than stuffing them together in factory farms and cutting down trees to feed them," said Outreach Coordinator of the Co-Op, Jennifer Grainer.

To become a member, you buy a share of the Co-Op for $100 and in return you volunteer at the store. Three hours a month gives you a 10 percent discount on and committing 3 hours a week yields a 26 percent discount.

"Being a member is a bit expensive, but the discounts are good and just knowing you are eating healthier is worth it," Said Sina Hickey, a Co-Op member since 2006.

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