On Saturday the organization Real Food Hopkins held a dinner discussing food sustainability and quality. Per national goals, the group wants to increase the amount of "real food" — food that is local, ecologically sound, humane and consistent with fair trade — to 20 percent by 2020. The goal is worthwhile, but it is shocking that it has not yet been met. The University should put heavy pressure on Aramark to reach these goals sooner rather than later.
The University has a general responsibility to support sustainable farming practices because factory farming is extremely harmful to animals, the environment and society. A tremendous amount of food comes from factory farms. These farms keep animals in unnaturally close quarters, and they are often subject to cruel treatment. Factory farmers clip the beaks of chickens and turkeys and the tails of cows and pigs to make it easier for them to adapt to life in a cramped factory. This process is extremely painful.
The sheer number of animals also creates a hygiene disaster. In order to protect the animals from the increased likelihood of disease on these farms, the animals are preemptively given antibiotics. Additionally, they are given hormones to speed growth unnaturally. The result is meat laden with chemicals. This hurts both the taste and nutrition of the meat.
Since factory farms are in a localized area, they produce far more waste than the local environment can handle. Waste seeps into local water supplies and leads to the death of many kinds of fish, further damaging the ecosystem. Factory farms produce unhealthy food and lead to the degradation of water quality in many parts of the country. The farms torture animals, hurt the environment and are bad for people, but still they dominate the market — 40 percent of this country's meat comes from 2 percent of its farms. The sooner Hopkins stops supporting these farms, the better.
Moreover, food is often produced on farms that have abysmal working conditions. Employees are forced to labor for long hours for barely any pay. Additionally, small farmers are beholden to corporations that pay poorly and demand that animals be chemically enhanced for rapid and unnatural growth. The only way to stop the abuse of workers and the dominance of irresponsible corporations is to create a market for sustainable meat from small, worker friendly farms.
Local, sustainable farming allows animals more grazing room and natural conditions. Farms of this sort do not overcrowd animals or over-plant vegetables. They are more likely to produce humane, environmentally friendly and healthy food. One of the biggest benefits of these farms is that they are nearby. This reduces the costs and associated environmental harms of transportation from factory farms. Similarly, the presence of local farms leads to increased regional employment.
Hopkins should also support local produce and real, not chemically manipulated food, for health reasons. Over the past 30 years, there has been a substantial growth in chemically produced foods. There has been a corresponding increase in the incidents of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Corporations produce food filled with chemicals because it is cheaper and increases the shelf life of the food. It is also extremely unhealthy. Almost all of the trans fats in Americans' diets come from chemically manipulated foods, and were unnecessary elements in the production of said foods. While the rest of the world placed restrictions on such processes, America allowed them to proliferate. The consequence has been the nation's health.
If America is going to get healthier, it must start by eating real food. For Hopkins students, doing this is particularly problematic. Freshmen and sophomores are required to buy into dining plans through Aramark. Presently, a vast majority of the food students are offered is not "real." The students are stuck with bad food and no way out. Aramark has no incentive to move toward sustainable and healthy food on its own. After all, that food is cheaper, and it has control of a base of consumers with no other options. This is why Hopkins must step in and demand that Aramark make progress in providing real food.
Students should not be forced to buy into a system that supports animal abuse, environmental degradation, poor working conditions or unhealthy food. It is time for the Hopkins community to get serious about the types of businesses and practices the University supports. Real Food Hopkins has taken a step in the right direction with its goal to make 20 percent of food on campus real by 2020. Hopefully, that percentage increases in the near future. The health of the University depends on it.
