Chapter 11 T&R on Agriculture

Trevor Jones 

4/6/16

Per. 3

Sources: 

Human Geography: People, Places, and Culture: Chapter 11 - Agriculture

Wheat and the Green Revolution: 
http://geography.about.com/od/globalproblemsandissues/a/greenrevolution.htm  

Supersize Me: Spurlock, Morgan. Super Size Me. New York, N.Y: Hart Sharp Video, 2004.

In the early 1940’s, farmers wanted a larger crop intake at a lower price, but at the time, locally and commercially grown food intake was controlled exclusively by chemical and natural fertilizers, so agricultural scientists began research on plants (mostly) wheat in Mexico. This then allowed Mexico to produce far more wheat than needed by its citizens, leading to its becoming an exporter of wheat by the 1960s. This technology advanced throughout the rest of the Green Revolution and continues on today with the genetic modification of large commercially grown crops.

Supersize Me is a documentary about the effects that fast food can have on a human, when eaten in large quantities (in this case, for one month, three meals a day). Director of the documentary, Morgan Spurlock, takes part in his social experiment of what exactly fast food will do to your body, if eaten for three meals a day, for an entire month. Before this experiment begins, his internal composition is thoroughly measured in order to have a before and after to the experiment. However, there is a catch, if any McDonald’s employee asks his to “supersize” his meal, me must accept, meaning his McDonald’s intake is basically doubled per meal. Before this experiment begins, he collects various doctor’s opinions in the social experiment and almost all doctors agree that there will be no long-term health problems associated with it after only one month. The viewers are given constant updates on his physical state as well as his emotional state, as well as Spurlock attending weekly doctors checkups to measure his internal composition, and give him updates on his health. Towards the end of his challenge, several doctors adjust their opinions in awe on long-term health problems, warning Spurlock about possible irreversible health conditions if he completes his challenge. Spurlock is reluctant on giving up and completes the experiment. After 30 days of eating McDonald’s for three meals a day, Spurlock developed several health problems (both referable and irreversible) that his doctors predicted would happen. After only one month, previously healthy and in shape Spurlock, developed depression, minor fast food addiction, severe liver damage, an extremely high cholesterol, and permanent tendency to gain weigh faster than the norman man of his age, due to excess fat cells. This documentary had several impacts on society, including the removal of the “supersize” options weeks later, which McDonald’s denied any relations to the documentary, as well as a drastic increase in funding to organizations supporting locally grown foods, such as the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). 

This is a map of Southwest Asia. I drew this map because it contains the fertile crescent (outlined in green), or at least the land that used to be known as the fertile crescent, but is now Israel, Lebanon, Northern Syria, Northeastern Jordan, and Northern Iraq. The fertile crescent is tremendously known through agricultural history, beginning 14,000 years ago, as being the hearth of the domestication of plants (along with the Nile River Valley). The Tigris and Euphrates rivers in this region allowed for the cultivation of seed crops, such as grains or wheat. This region is also responsible for the domestication of the first animals as early as 10,000 years ago, with the domestication of goats in the Zagros Mountains. This region is still responsible for much of the world’s wheat, barley, and grain production, as well as animal byproducts from goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle.