Cons of Modern Agriculture

When people have more than enough food, then they throw it away, even though many people in the world need it. In 2019, there are nearly seven hundred ninety-five million people don't have food to eat. People believe the reasons that lead to hunger include poor living conditions and people wasting too much food. That's right, but the major problem leading to hunger is the way we do agriculture. When financiers are the most important, most people who do agriculture ignore what consequences contributing to the environment. Agriculture as an industry has several misconceptions, and is a common issue leading to climate change and hunger.

Agriculture is one of the main things leading to climate change. People believe that the main thing leading to climate change because of the gas from transportation contributes significantly to the environment. Even though all the transportation contributes to the environment thirteen percent, animal agriculture is fifty-five percent. Besides that, while people who do agriculture know the importance of the grassland, they ignore it and keep running their business. We know that grassland increasing oxygen and help to limit the carbon dioxide. Therefore, if we keep cutting the grassland to do agriculture, it will affect the greenhouse. Beyond that, many benefits of grassland contribute to the environment such as protect soil, provide crops and natural vegetables, and more. However, many grasslands had cleared by agriculture in 2010.  According to Jonathan A Foley, who is part of the University of Minnesota faculty and served as a professor and the director of the Institute on the Environment, "by 2010 agriculture had already cleared or radically transformed 70 percent of the world's prehistoric grasslands...forest" (Food Matters 299). That evidence shows how agriculture is affecting the environment and leading to climate change.

Agriculture is the main cause of the environmental impact, and one of them is the water source. In Cowspiracy movie, The Sustainability Secret; Kip Andersen, who is a leader in the environment and also is the main character in the film. He tries to find some evidence to show to the world how bad animal agriculture is. He reveals the most harmful industry facing the planet today. One of the important Kip Andersen present in the film was water resources. Water is one of the main things we need to survive. Even though we know a lot of people need fresh water to use, we still waste it. Some people take shower more than twice or sometimes they forget to turn off the water when they used it. However, it is not the main problem leading to water sources problem, the main problem is agriculture. There are some good details in the film to show how agriculture waste too much water. Agriculture consumes one-third of freshwater and ten thousand gallons of water use for one animal life per day. It is unable to know how many gallons of water used for agriculture per day because there is a huge animal in the world. Besides that, one gallon of milk equals a thousand gallons of water, but is milk improve our bone? Nestle, a professor in both the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and Department of Sociology at New York University. In her article, "Eating Made Simple" she writes that" Think of cows: they do not drink milk after weaning, but their bones support bodies weighing eight- hundred pounds or more" (42). This evidence shows that we used too much water for animals and produce milk, but those things we don't need for survival.

People understand how climate change destroys the world and how difficult it is for people to rebuild things after a flood or forest fire. However, climate change is leading to hunger as well. When floods or hurricanes occur, everything is destroyed, including crops and animals. Also, the price of the production of food will increase terribly. Therefore, the people who are low or the lowest classes won’t be able to buy food and hunger will be increased. "The number of people risk of hunger is projected to increase by 10-20% by 2050 as consequence of climate change" (Parry) (14). That's evidence supports how climate change leading to hunger.
   

When we search on Google about agriculture, we could see most of the websites write about the benefits of agriculture as increasing food products or give more opportunities for the worker. According to Green Garage website, it show that, "Since farmers can use larger areas of farmlands, potential farm workers will be given jobs easily because of the need for more help in the fields," and "Since production costs of conventional farming are low, farmers will be
able to produce more crops and as a result." However, Foley explains, “Agriculture already consumes a large percentage of the earth’s surface and is destroying habitat, using up freshwater, polluting rivers and oceans" Foley (297-298). By that evidence, we can see how agriculture destroys the world and how those websites hiding the cons of agriculture. Even though they are true, they should write the cons of agriculture as well to let people know and aware of that.
   
We claim that the main thing leads to hunger because of overpopulation. However, it is not an overpopulation issue, it is agriculture issue. In the Cowspiracy movie show, Thirty- seven thousand Ibs of vegetables equal three hundred seventy- five Ibs of meat, and it is more than a trillion of farming or industrial farming in the entire world. How can we calculate how many vegetables we used for animal feed? It is not okay to keep the way we used vegetable source. While we cut the lung of the world to grow crops, but we used the crop to feed the animals. “35 percent [world’s crops] is used for animal feed” Foley (299). That’s evidence shows we wasted a lot of crops to feed the animal. We know that many people need those crops to live, but why we don’t use it to feed humans? While in Africa, more than a billion people die because they don't have food to eat, we used food to feed the animal. Even though we used crops to feed the animal and we increasing the animal products, do we need to meat?

Image from DAILY SABAH WITH DPA

   
According to Singer, who studied philosophy in college and received his master's degree, and a professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He writes that " Meat is not necessary for good health or longevity" and "humans can live healthy lives without eating any animal products at all" (212). That evidence supports that meat does not help our health, we eat it because "Their flesh is a luxury, consumed because people like its taste" (212).
   
We must think about how we can keep doing agriculture, but also can ending hunger or less impact on the environment. It is impossible to change the way people do agriculture, but they should think about how agriculture impact people or their life as well. As a customer, we should change our diet. We must eat less meat, and eat more vegetables or fruit. Even though it hard to change our habits, we must change it. Also, we could prepare our own food, reduce food waste, and stop wasting food.
   

Image from Leah Douglas ,Ciara Nugent.
https://time.com/5735388/climate-change-eco-anxiety/
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/03/large-scale-animal-agriculture-is-threatening-rural-communities-congress-is-about-to-make-it-worse/
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-ipcc-underselling-climate.html

Cafe' Intermezzo

Saturday, September 14th, was the first anniversary of me and my girlfriend. I wanted to find some romantic place and have a great time with her. I was looking for some restaurants and some coffee shops, but I couldn't find one. I called my friend and asked him to recommend a place for us to go because I know he knows a lot of romantic places for dating.

“Hey bro, can you recommend the best coffee shop for me?” I asked.

“Café Intermezzo, that coffee shop is a romantic place, so you can bring your girl there,” my friend answered.

“You know me well bro, appreciate that.”

The location is 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30346. It takes about thirty minutes from my house to drive to there. When I searched that place from google, what I saw on the screen was completely different from what I thought it would look like before I searched it. All the pictures from the website made me enamored with this place. The atmosphere looked great, the food and the drink looked very delicious, but I did not forget to look at the prices before I went there.

            When I opened the front door of the shop, in front of me is the place I had never been to before. The architecture of the shop is excellent. The tables, chairs, flowers, and candles are fit together and create a perfect coffee house. It made me feel like I'm in the European coffee shop. 

My girlfriend and I waited for twenty minutes to get the table. I understood why I had to wait for too long to get the table. There were like a thousand people in there. Even I understood why I had to wait, but I nearly lost my patience. Finally, the waitress came and welcomed us to the table. I was so excited when I opened the menu because they had my favorite coffee drink. However, I like to try something new, something I hadn't try before. I saw the drink has an interesting name, Paris on Fire, on the menu. Absolutely I will try it because of the name of it. After five minutes, the waitress came and asked, "Are you guys ready to order?" I was lost for a few seconds because of her voice, but then I answered "Sure, may I have the White-hot chocolate Deluxe for her and the Paris on Fire for me," With a nice voice she replied, "Sure, is there anything else I can get for you today?"  To which I replied," Yes, I want to have some cake but we just eat before we go here." Then she said, "that is fine" and left with a smile on her face.

            While we waited for the drink and the cake coming, I asked the man next to my table. His name is David, and he was also waiting for a drink. I asked him why he chose this place to enjoy his weekend and he answered that because he likes the atmosphere of this coffee shop. I agree with him because the atmosphere there was very unique. I will never find anywhere else that has a similar atmosphere as that place. 

            Occasionally, I looked around and I saw most people had a cake on their tables. They ate the cake with joyful and savored it. Somehow, it reminds me of Jill McCorkle; she is a junk food person and she loves to drink Coke. "During one of my pregnancies I lost all taste for Coke. I couldn't believe it. It was so sad; filling myself up one Hawaiian Punch ( which is very good in its own right), Pop-Tarts, and ice cream, ice cream. But I missed the Coke cans rolling around under the seat of my car. I missed the whoosh and zap of buying a Coke from a vending machine. And one day, like magic, it returned, this desire, like an old love resurfacing” (McCorkle p. 32). That is a part of her essay, " Her Chee-to Heart". That shows how much she loves to drink Coke. Even though she knows junk food is unhealthy food and Coke is bad for her health, she still enjoys it. Coke and junk food are something that makes her happy like Oxytocin. Same as people there, they savor their cake and satisfied with it. I didn't know, the cake is good or not, yet I can tell it made them happy by the way they savor it. No matter cake is unhealthy food, people still love to eat it. It not good for their health, but it helps to strengthen their morale and make their night more perfectly.

Even though there was a lot of communication, I could hear the background music. They played a lot of songs I never listened to before. However, I like most of the songs they played. Most of the songs were old songs, and the melody was unlike the melody of all the music I listened to before. It made me move my head to the rhythm of each song when I listened to it. The flowers, candles on the tables and with that music created a romantic atmosphere. That's why I saw a lot of couples around my table and that is the reason why I've been there as well.

When the waitress already placed my drink on the table, I asked her how many years she had worked there and she told me that she worked there since 2017. Then I asked, "What kind of customer do you have?" to which she responded, " Well, here is like an international coffee shop, and customers come from different countries and most of them above twenty-one or at least eighteen" (Kayley). To continue I asked, “What is the thing you like most about working here?” She took a long pause then she answered “The most thing I like is the customer. Most of the customers are very nice and kind. Of course, sometimes I meet a few people are opposite but it is very limited.” I agree with her because I work at the restaurant as well. I understand how stressful it can be when she has to deal with some unique customers. Even she didn't say that but I can understand it. I also appreciated when she respectfully and nicely answered all my questions.

I could not have imagined such a wonderful moment when I had a cocktail, some music and talking and laughing with my love. It was very joyful, greatest and immaculate. I cannot find that feeling for any place I had been. When 12:45 arrives, my girlfriend told me to go. I wanted to stay more, but I knew it was too late, so I had to take her home. When we stood up and were ready to go, Kayley, even though she was very busy, she came to us and said: "Appreciated you guys, have a good night." Somehow, it made me happy when she said that. I was satisfied this place not just because of the atmosphere, but I also was satisfied with the way they run their business. Every worker has a specific job to do. They do it not just for money but do it because they like their job. I can tell it by the way Kayley served the customer. 

When I got home, the name of the coffee shop was still stuck on my head. I wondered how it has started and the history of it. I searched on Google and discovered that "Café Intermezzo began as an idea in 1971, when Brian Olson traveled to his heritage homeland of Germany. Visiting a konditorei in Berlin (bakery-Café), and then many more throughout Germany and Austria, brought conviction that the Europäische Kaffeehaus (European coffeehouse), as a significant Place in the lives of its guests, had a potential for a home in America." I was shocked when I read and knew when the idea began. It is about forty-eight years and is still popular now. I hope they can stay forever because it is a great place for people who want to have a place for a date.

Pho

 “Hey, are we having dinner together at 7:00 pm, right?" I asked my friend.

“Yeah, but which restaurant?” My friend asking with excited face 

"Let’s go Vietnamese restaurant" I answered. 

"I don't know how you can eat Pho so many times, have you ever got tired of Pho?". My friend asked me. 

Long pause.

" Um..........no, I will probably never get tired on Pho" I answered. 

"Omg... please, you’re joking right?"

"I don't know yet. Man, I’m sorry! Do you ever got tired from playing game? It’s addicted food” I laughed.

"You are crazy” 

Am I crazy? Pho is not drug but why I love it so much? How can I eat Pho so many times and never get tired of that? When I’m going to reach the point that I can get it anymore? It may sound insane to you but if I could have a perfect day of eating, this would be: “Start with Pho for breakfast, then have Pho for lunch, and end it with Pho”.  I can eat Pho every time and every day. Not only it delicious, but it also gives me comfort feeling. It is one of my favorite food, my country's culture, and something that I call “Childhood”. 

With me and every Vietnamese, Pho is one of our unique and represent our Vietnamese culture. Gordon Ramsay used to say in Master Chef Season 4, episode 21 that “This is one of most complicated dishes in the world and why Pho is one of his favorite dishes” It just like a bow contain firework in July, 4. In other worlds, Pho is a beautiful blend between soup and rice noodle. People can enjoy Pho with anything from all kind of meats to seafood like shrimp. Not only popular in my country but Pho is popular throughout the world now. The word "pho" was added to the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary in 2007 and listed at number 28 on "World's 50 most delicious foods" compiled by CNN Go in 2011. Here are some reasons why if you never have Pho, you never been to heaven. 

Pho is really easy to eat even for American and who never had Asian food before. However, it not easy to eat like to cook. Like I mention before Pho actually has a very complex palette, but here are the primary components: Broth - this is arguably the most important part. Traditional pho broth is made from roasted beef bones and infused with spices that usually include cinnamon, star anise, coriander, and cardamom. Some recipes add other spices, as most Vietnamese families have their own preferences and versions. The spices, when married with the umami of the caramelized beef stock, creates a very aromatic and complex taste profile. Kind of like chai tea spices but made savory. However, have you ever wondered that you ever have pho in the right way? The real fun is getting Pho mixing in the variety of options that come with it on the side. Just remember this, Mung bean sprouts for an earthy flavor, cilantro (which is related to dandelion greens) for a grassy, sharp herbal flavor, jalapenos for a spicy snap, Thai basil to add that great… basil-y flavor, and of course lime to add a hint of citrus acidity that sets it all off. It’s also perfectly acceptable to add sriracha sauce for added heat and/or hoisin for a more mellow, sweet and savory addition. Therefore, try the broth first and then add other stuff incrementally until you find the blend you like. Pho is all about individual taste, so experiment and find your own. Here is how I create my “Addition Pho”. Let’s start with the sauce, I usually use hoisin sauce, child sauce, fish sauce, oil chili, and some lime. I put all that to a small bowl and stir well. After that I will put a little to my Pho, which will make the broth taste better. Then I add all bean sprout, cilantro, white onion, and cinnamon basil to my bowl. A little sweet from the broth, a little salty of fish sauce, a little sour of lime, along with all that is the unique fragrance of Pho, cinnamon basil, and cilantro. I know from here you probably confuse or even worry to have your Pho, but everyone is all confuse for the first time, even me –Vietnamese guy. 

Well I addicted to Pho not only the flavor but because the feeling. It reminds me who I am, why I’m here and what is my purpose in this life. A sense of home in a strange country and a warm comfort that “Everything will be just fine”.  Sometimes I see myself as a bow of Pho. A Normal looking bow but contain a strong will. Once you get to know me, you will love me. Everything needs time to be great. Same as Pho, some people like it when they just try it for the first time, but some people have to try it more than twice to like it. And that is how people judge me as well. Although I look like I am an unsociable or arrogant person, but I want the best for the person I love and do whatever it takes to make them happy. No matter how country's culture might change, people in my country still love Pho and have special love for this beautiful dish. 

Pho originated in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam and was popularized throughout the world by refugees after the Vietnam War. Since its creation, pho has always reflected the cultural, political, and socioeconomic changes in Vietnam. Andrea Nguyen - the author of the indispensable Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and an upcoming pho-specific cookbook — says that Vietnam has two distinctive pho cultures that were shaped by the country's turbulent history. However, one day when I were working at my Vietnamese restaurant, I heard a little boy ask his Mom: “Mom, we love to eat Pho but why don't we make it at home?". That sound like a normal question, but when I went home, I sat down and asked myself: “If in the future Pho will be forgotten by my country, the United States, or any country, and I don't know how to make it, so how might my next generation know this food?  How could I narrate to my kids when I can even remember my own country food? yes, if I don't know how to make it, those things will happen. I will lose my childhood; culture and the next generation of my family won't know about what Pho is. Due to that, I always want to learn to cook and it as much as I can. Because I’m proud to be a Vietnamese and my country food. Because it is not just food, it is also a culture and how people in my country are. They are sweet like a broth of Pho and nicely like the look of Pho. Eating pho bring me the best memories I have back in the days and is the other way the love of me for my country. 

One person used to tell me this: "Food does not just have nutrients or energy, food has a soul". I realized that not just because Pho is delicious, so I eat it, but I feel happiness, joyful when I eat it. Pho is all my memories, my childhood, and my country's culture. Especially, Pho makes me feel better when I'm going down. I found that Pho has a soul and I will keep that soul for the rest of my life. If you still want to ask me why I eat Pho all the time? It's a tradition from home.

Pho

Pho

             Hey, we plan on having dinner together at 7:00 pm, right?" I asked my friend.

" Yeah, but which restaurant?

" Vietnamese restaurant and I will choose for my dinner," I answered. 

" I don't know how you can eat Pho so many times, have you ever get tired of Pho?". My friend asked me. 

Long pause.

" Um..........no, I will never get tired on Pho" I answered. 

" So... why?" my friend asked.

" I don't know yet. " I laughed.

" You are crazy."

Am I crazy?  Why I eat Pho many times and never get tired of that? Why I eat this food? 

I ask myself those questions with some frequency, actually. I eat Pho because it is delicious. However, I realize not just because of that reason so I eat Pho many times. I realize Pho is my favorite food, my country's culture, and Pho is also my memories.

          If I could have a perfect day of eating, this would be it: I’d begin with Pho for breakfast, then have Pho for lunch, and diner as well. I can eat Pho every time and every day. Pho is the first choice when I want something to eat. I am from Viet Nam and Pho is also from Viet Nam. Pho is Vietnamese soup including with broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. Most of people usually eat Pho with beef (beef Pho), and some of people eat Pho with chicken or shrimp. Pho is very popular in my country for long time ago, but Pho is popular throughout the world now. For sure, it has some reason to make Pho popular. First of all, Pho is easy to eat, not just for Vietnamese or Asian, It’s for all people. Even people who do not eat Pho before, they will love it when they try it. To begin with, if you want a perfect smell or taste, you have to have all things as bean sprout, cilantro, cinnamon basil, and sauce is the key to make Pho perfectly. Here is how I eat Pho. First, I make the sauce, I usually use hoisin sauce, child sauce, fish sauce, oil chili, and some lime. I put all that to a small bowl and stir well. when I already made the sauce, I will put a little to my Pho, which will make the broth taste better. Then I add all bean sprout, cilantro, white onion, and cinnamon basil to my bowl. A little sweet from the broth, a little salty of fish sauce, a little sour of lime, along with all that is the unique fragrance of Pho, cinnamon basil, and culantro. That all make the Pho flavor and delicious. And that how it goes. One time, I confused? so was I the first time really sat down and think why I eat this food?. Honestly, the answer is because Pho is delicious, but it just because Pho is delicious, so I eat it?. The answer is" not ". I loved Pho when I was a kid. Pho is not just only my favorite food but it is my memories and my culture as well.

It is unclear to me where I ever came up with the idea that Pho should be eaten with bean sprout, culantro, or that the meat would taste better with sauce. In fact, every country has a different culture, and if I live in this country for a while, somehow it will change my mind or accident erase my memories. Although, Pho has reminded me every time I eaten. It reminds me of my country and the culture of my country. I think even my country's culture might change, people in my country still love Pho, no matter kids, adults, or elders; they will still love it. 

            However, one day when I was working at my restaurant (Vietnamese restaurant) and I heard a little boy ask his Mom " Mom, we love to eat Pho but why don't we make it at home?". That sound like a normal question, but when I went home and I suddenly remembered that question. I sat down and asked myself: if in the future Pho will not popular in my country, the United States, or any country, and I don't know how to make it, so how might my next generation know this food?  How could I narrate to my kids that I had a favorite food and that food is a culture of my country as well? yes, if I don't know how to make it, those things will happen. I will lose my favorite food and the next generation of my family won't know about what is  Pho. I have to learn how to cook it to keep my childhood and Vietnamese' culture to narrate for my kids (in the future).

            The best Pho needs a clear and flavorful broth. The broth of Pho is really special, it has a special smell. Most people like that smell but some people don't. When I eat Pho for a long time, I realized that I have some connection with Pho, even it is just-food. I'm an introverted person. Some people like me when they understand or talk to me for a while. However, most people don't like me because I really quite and my face look not happy when I meet someone for the first time. I like to listen to music, watch soccer games or play the guitar rather than go outside when I have free time. Everything needs to take time to be great. Same as Pho, some people like it when they just try it for the first time, but some people have to try it more than twice to like it. And that is how people judge me as well. Although I look like I am an unsociable or arrogant person; however, if someone understands me, they will like me much.

            I'm proud that I have wonderful food and I'm so happy to recommend it for people who haven't try it before. I would like to say Pho is one of the best foods in the entire world. Because it is not just food, it is also a culture of my country and it is shown how people in my country are. They are sweet like a broth of Pho and nicely like the outfit of Pho. Of course, not all of them but most of them like that. Same as Pho, most of the place or restaurant create a wonderful Pho, but some of the restaurants don't. 

"Food does not just have nutrients or energy, food has a soul. "

I discovered that quote when I eat Pho for a long time. I realized that not just because Pho is delicious so I eat it, but I feel happiness, joyful when I eat it. Pho is all my memories, my childhood, and my country's culture. Especially, Pho makes me feel better when I'm going down. I found that Pho has a soul and I will keep that soul for the rest of my life. 

That's why Pho is my favorite food , so why you eat your food? and Why it becomes your favorite food?