Chef Points Out What’s Wrong With The Food Industry In America By Simply Comparing 2 Pics
It seems that the COVID-19 pandemic is not only directly affecting millions worldwide, it’s also exposing major flaws in how governments and policies work. In the US, more than 22 million people have filed for unemployment aid since President Trump declared a national emergency, showing just how severely workers, as well as businesses, were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Although the government issued a financial aid program to help out those struggling, many report that they still haven’t received their checks.
And while some problems are immediate, we can’t overlook the major setbacks that exist in the system. Chef and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), José Andrés, recently took to Twitter to share some insights on the food industry in America.
José Andrés is a chef and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters
Image credits: David Shankbone
He expressed his thoughts on the current food industry and its flaws in a Twitter thread
Image credits: chefjoseandres
The man used a juxtaposition of two images taken in Idaho and San Antonio to perfectly illustrate how flawed the current system is. One picture showcases piles and piles of potatoes that were discarded by farmers because no one would buy them as the commercial demand decreased drastically following the lockdown. On the other side, however, thousands of cars could be seen lined up in front of the San Antonio food bank. As millions lost their jobs and source of income, many found themselves seeking help from food banks, which, unfortunately, were quickly overwhelmed by so many new applicants.
So how did this happen? How could two such photographs from the same country at the same time exist? That’s where Andrés steps in to explain that the food industry in America is flawed. “It’s because all along the way, we have a food supply chain that we treat as invisible when it’s working…and only notice it when it’s not,” the chef said. He added that the people behind World Central Kitchen are doing all they can to bridge the gap between the farmers and the hungry, however, Andrés also admitted that their efforts are not enough and the government had to step in.
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Concluding his Twitter thread, the famous chef rallied people to make their voices be heard and encourage their representatives to take action and responsibility:
“Call your elected officials & ask what they are doing to make food part of the solution. Ask what specific legislation they are supporting to increase #SNAP, empower food banks & non profits, involve restaurants, and ensure the govt is buying from farms. Accept nothing less.”
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Image credits: chefjoseandres
Here’s how people reacted to the Twitter thread
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I was about to say that the photo of parked cars, is fake like why he is using images from a Chinese highway or something... As always did the fact check... Was humbled and actually scarred that it's a real picture... https://www.houstonchronicle.com/coronavirus/article/Photos-Vehicles-line-up-before-dawn-for-San-15192877.php#photo-19278203 this article has even more pictures.... Though people do need to understand, that storing, transporting and processing goods require money which farmers not getting.. Like someone was suggesting why farmers don't make cheese instead of dumping milk.. Well, do you realize that making cheese it's a process requiring electricity, storage, people to do it..
Not only does it take electricity, storage, and man-hours, it takes the right equipment to make the cheese. The other thing that is always interesting to me that people don't understand how many temporary workers we get in this country from Mexico that work in our food supply chain. The numbers of temp visas have dropped dramatically in the last couple of years. You can say that those people are taking jobs away from American citizens but most Americans don't want those jobs. They are brutal and don't pay squat but they are vital to our food supply and economy.
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This one is a lot to unpack. This is a prime example of Supply and Demand as well as the Supply Chain and how much the two rely upon each other. Yes, there can be things done about this, but a lot of it is going to be changing policy and company issues. You might look at the mountain of potatoes and ask why not get it to where its needed, but depending on where's it at in the chain depends on if they can do with it. Manufacturing plants have FDA guidelines they have to follow or they can get closed down, especially when it comes to food safty. They even have disposal guidelines for how to get rid of the stuff, 'handing it out for free' isn't on that list. If its from the farmers that's different, but those people just lost a million dollars or way more, they don't have the money to ship it. Who are you going to ask next? Truckers to do it for free? Sure some might, but more likely your answer is going to be no. On top of all of that, there's Monsanto. I'll add more down in the reply.
Monsanto, if you don't know who they are you need to look them up. You want to talk about the evil of Corporate America, and yell at farmers for destroying crops, you need to turn your eyes to them. Monsanto's gone global now and I really feel for any place where they're at. Monsanto owns the rights to all their seeds, including seeds that are produced from their seeds. Not that 2nd gen seeds from Monsanto crops will grow, they genetically engineer the seeds to only be viable once so they're not 'Heirloom'. If Monsanto wanted to, they could go after farmers for giving away their 'intellectual property', and yes they've done it before more times than I can count. Usually its in reference to farmers keeping a portion of their harvest back to re-sow, not that Monsanto seeds can be re-sown, but you get the picture. Anyway, got on a tangent sorry. Yes, there needs to be changes and back up plans, and I have a feeling that will happen because of everything that's happened since lockdown.
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Strange that all those "poor" people suffering in "socialist" countries do not report the same issues. Makes you wonder why....
We are and will be facing enormous problems in Italy. But there hasn't been those queues for food.
Load More Replies...
that government cheese actually tasted pretty good...we were always ashamed to go get it tho...
That's part of the problem. Shaming people for having a need. I don't find it shameful to ask for help. I think that takes a LOT of courage. I used to cashier and when I'd get people with SNAP, WIC, etc., I always felt bad for them because I know they were feeling shame. I never looked down on them, EVER. You have to do what you need to do to survive. Also, most people now days a a paycheck away from using these benefits. That's another reason to never look down on others for using them. It could be YOU.
Load More Replies...
So many Americans cry for government action, at the moment. But every time some politician wants to put this sort of thing into legislation, everybody is crying SOCIALISM!! EVIL SOCIALISM!!. Well, here you have your free world: A major crisis comes along and everybody is free to die while working or starve in lockdown. *slow clap*
Good point, Katinka. Those who are decrying socialism are actually ignorant people which get their news only from Fox News, otherwise they would know that there is socialism in the good old U.S.A. - the corporate socialism, and these people are the ones who are shaming poor , but they are OK with corporate welfare.
Load More Replies...
This is a shameful situation. I'm glad that Chef Andrés is using his influence to point it out. However, there are companies that are making a difference by selling imperfect produce, delivering it directly to consumers. Here are two of them: https://www.imperfectfoods.com/ https://www.misfitsmarket.com/
The root of the problem is the industrialization of our food supply. Buy local and preservation canning freezing.
Our green houses have this issue.. No seasonal workers due to shut borders (Europe) - crops are rotting because they aren't being picked. Y'all should start growing some easy veg yourselves.. There will be shortages and then whatever there is for sale can go to people without outdoor space.
Its not the same. This potatoes are already picked.
Load More Replies...
In my country, the same is happening with Chicken/Poultry Farms. So many poultry farmers are giving their chicken to the people gratis.
Another example of an european shocked by your system and trying to help you. We dont have this problem in Spain (he's spanish) and Its really shocking.
https://stopwastingfoodmovement.org/food-waste/food-waste-facts/ Yes, you do, too.
Load More Replies...
The potatoes in that particular photo are seed potatoes. They were meant to be shipped to farmers to be planted and produce their crops for harvesting later. Farmers can't sell what they have now, why and how would they plant this crop? There will be a problem when we expect their output to be in the markets, though, and nothing is there because they didn't or couldn't plant their normal crop rotation. The long term aspect is even scarier than seeing a dumped pile of potatoes today.
I was gonna say and the photo of the parking lot of cars is cars that are waiting to be shipped to dealerships (most are sitting at ports after being unloaded off cargo ships, use to see these all the time at the Port of Tacoma)- THEY ARE LITERALLY ALL THE SAME CAR!! People that use photos for scare tactics incorrectly is insane to me! There’s a lot of people that are in lines everywhere to get groceries, etc. but the photo is being misused for this particular purpose.
Load More Replies...
There has always been enough food in the world to feed everyone, the problem has always been distribution. This isn't some Major Mind-blowing Revelation.
I live in Idaho. The farmers were giving away 10s of thousands of pounds of potatoes for free for anyone who showed up to take them. So it isn't like they were just like "no one's going to buy them, we don't care about hunger, burn them all!!" They were only disposed of if no one showed up to take them. The farmers are already really hurting for not being able to sell most of their crops this year, and they couldn't afford to pay to ship all those potatoes to food banks themselves out of pocket. If someone had shown up with a semitruck to load up potatoes, the farmers would have given them a semitruck load. Some still loaded up their pickups and took crates to the food banks. This isn't a greed issue, it is a supply line issue.
All of this resulted from the entire world foolishly following bad advice from the WHO, who STILL insists that quarantining healthy people is a good idea for a pandemic less lethal than our yearly flu pandemics (yes, we have pandemics every single year; only the news doesn't report them and no one panics... yet here we are, panicking over a disease with a 99% survivability rating). The United Nations created this economic disaster for a reason--and now Bill Gates, a college dropout with ZERO medical experience, is telling us we ALL must receive HIS vaccine and that every syringe should contain microchips to be injected into us. Anyone who doesn't find this extraordinarily suspicious is either not paying attention or terminally naive.
Support your local gleaners! There are organizations that pick up "waste" produce from stores, farms, and markets to distribute to food banks. Because so many modern people expect every piece of produce to be "perfect" and we have regulations and practices for safety around expiration, etc., good food is tossed to avoid liability. Shop local when you can, eliminate your personal food waste (don'teat out when you have leftovers, peeps!), and contribute your time to groups working to bring good food to vulnerable people! :) https://stopwastingfoodmovement.org/food-waste/food-waste-facts/
So the supply chain is optimized for when things are normal, and has trouble adapting to an unprecedented global crisis. What's so surprising about that??
I understand that many of the foods going to waste are perishable and are being destroyed. Thing I do not understand, well okay I do but it sucks. Potatoes and some of the others can be stored. Wish somebody that has empty warehouses would reach out to the farmers so they could store the potatoes. I get why milk and eggs are items with a small shelf life. Even understand that the laying hens only produce for a certain amount of time. Do not understand them destroying pigs, chickens and even cattle that are still up and walking around!!! I am sure I am probably missing something but it seems like those could be sold a few weeks later.
And I know it costs money, but people in other countries really struggle to get food. I wish there was a way to donate it to countries with more poverty
This is where the federal government should have had a plan. When demand for food decreases during a national/global crisis that prevents people from going out to eat, and farmers are left with surplus food, the government should have a program to buy the food from the farmers and transport it to the people who need it.
The plan like that was set up by the previous administration and was canceled by the current administration three years ago.
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But the greatest president of all time will say that it's no problem. The greatest potatoes will wait for great people. If not, it's the democrats fault.
I know it wouldn't help massively, but I wouldn't mind going to a farm and buy directly from them, if they offered. Every little help, and it would be beneficial at least for the 1st and last links of the chain. But at least here in the UK, it's not even an option.
Then go to a Farm Shop - there are thousands across the UK! Or a farm shop that is online. Honestly! These things exist and you do not have to buy groceries from a supermarket if you make just a bit more effort.
Load More Replies...
It's a wasteful and mad world. I'm sure that there is also a liability problem with people going to collect discarded food crops from farming locations in person... (Just read Roadkill The Brave's posts... explains a LOT.)
Dutch, please the lawyers need to eat too. (this is sarcasm)
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I am not out of work and have the money to buy food, but the supply chain impacts are obvious to me. Our stores have no chicken, eggs, and now beef is hard to get, too. Cheese supplies are iffy. I can't even get microwave popcorn. How are leaders going to get food to those truly in need when the supply chain can't even supply the existing infrastructure it's intended to supply? During wars, certain foods were rationed. My frustration now is that I don't know what will be there and what won't, so I can't plan for it. We did rely on food banks and financial assistance at one time in our lives and I honestly feel like that was easier than what is happening now. Now, the people who have to rely on those things also have to fear if there will be enough for everybody. Too many people are too sick to maintain the supply chain. Links are broken. What can we possibly do about that?
Cassie, look on the bright side, you don't have chickens, eggs, beef, cheese which means that your body will get a break and maybe your arteries will clear up just like rivers do, and you develop arthritis, diabetes, and what ever cancer some time later.
Load More Replies...
So no money for food, but money for the gas, car payment and no problem polluting while sitting on idle...this is what is the problem with America...
In many places, you need a car to get to work. Please tell me you know this.
Load More Replies... 
The picture is real. Comment above here mentions the source. The ultra-wealthy created by the system America loves so much.
Load More Replies...
Car ownership is perhaps more prevalent in the US, additionally these are probably the newly needy, who until covid 19 were managing to keep their heads above water just fine, which would include car ownership. Also, also, drive thru food distribution, lessens contact and thus is safer for volunteers and served alike.
Load More Replies... I was about to say that the photo of parked cars, is fake like why he is using images from a Chinese highway or something... As always did the fact check... Was humbled and actually scarred that it's a real picture... https://www.houstonchronicle.com/coronavirus/article/Photos-Vehicles-line-up-before-dawn-for-San-15192877.php#photo-19278203 this article has even more pictures.... Though people do need to understand, that storing, transporting and processing goods require money which farmers not getting.. Like someone was suggesting why farmers don't make cheese instead of dumping milk.. Well, do you realize that making cheese it's a process requiring electricity, storage, people to do it..
Not only does it take electricity, storage, and man-hours, it takes the right equipment to make the cheese. The other thing that is always interesting to me that people don't understand how many temporary workers we get in this country from Mexico that work in our food supply chain. The numbers of temp visas have dropped dramatically in the last couple of years. You can say that those people are taking jobs away from American citizens but most Americans don't want those jobs. They are brutal and don't pay squat but they are vital to our food supply and economy.
Load More Replies... This one is a lot to unpack. This is a prime example of Supply and Demand as well as the Supply Chain and how much the two rely upon each other. Yes, there can be things done about this, but a lot of it is going to be changing policy and company issues. You might look at the mountain of potatoes and ask why not get it to where its needed, but depending on where's it at in the chain depends on if they can do with it. Manufacturing plants have FDA guidelines they have to follow or they can get closed down, especially when it comes to food safty. They even have disposal guidelines for how to get rid of the stuff, 'handing it out for free' isn't on that list. If its from the farmers that's different, but those people just lost a million dollars or way more, they don't have the money to ship it. Who are you going to ask next? Truckers to do it for free? Sure some might, but more likely your answer is going to be no. On top of all of that, there's Monsanto. I'll add more down in the reply.
Monsanto, if you don't know who they are you need to look them up. You want to talk about the evil of Corporate America, and yell at farmers for destroying crops, you need to turn your eyes to them. Monsanto's gone global now and I really feel for any place where they're at. Monsanto owns the rights to all their seeds, including seeds that are produced from their seeds. Not that 2nd gen seeds from Monsanto crops will grow, they genetically engineer the seeds to only be viable once so they're not 'Heirloom'. If Monsanto wanted to, they could go after farmers for giving away their 'intellectual property', and yes they've done it before more times than I can count. Usually its in reference to farmers keeping a portion of their harvest back to re-sow, not that Monsanto seeds can be re-sown, but you get the picture. Anyway, got on a tangent sorry. Yes, there needs to be changes and back up plans, and I have a feeling that will happen because of everything that's happened since lockdown.
Load More Replies... Strange that all those "poor" people suffering in "socialist" countries do not report the same issues. Makes you wonder why....
We are and will be facing enormous problems in Italy. But there hasn't been those queues for food.
Load More Replies... that government cheese actually tasted pretty good...we were always ashamed to go get it tho...
That's part of the problem. Shaming people for having a need. I don't find it shameful to ask for help. I think that takes a LOT of courage. I used to cashier and when I'd get people with SNAP, WIC, etc., I always felt bad for them because I know they were feeling shame. I never looked down on them, EVER. You have to do what you need to do to survive. Also, most people now days a a paycheck away from using these benefits. That's another reason to never look down on others for using them. It could be YOU.
Load More Replies... So many Americans cry for government action, at the moment. But every time some politician wants to put this sort of thing into legislation, everybody is crying SOCIALISM!! EVIL SOCIALISM!!. Well, here you have your free world: A major crisis comes along and everybody is free to die while working or starve in lockdown. *slow clap*
Good point, Katinka. Those who are decrying socialism are actually ignorant people which get their news only from Fox News, otherwise they would know that there is socialism in the good old U.S.A. - the corporate socialism, and these people are the ones who are shaming poor , but they are OK with corporate welfare.
Load More Replies... This is a shameful situation. I'm glad that Chef Andrés is using his influence to point it out. However, there are companies that are making a difference by selling imperfect produce, delivering it directly to consumers. Here are two of them: https://www.imperfectfoods.com/ https://www.misfitsmarket.com/
The root of the problem is the industrialization of our food supply. Buy local and preservation canning freezing.
Our green houses have this issue.. No seasonal workers due to shut borders (Europe) - crops are rotting because they aren't being picked. Y'all should start growing some easy veg yourselves.. There will be shortages and then whatever there is for sale can go to people without outdoor space.
Its not the same. This potatoes are already picked.
Load More Replies... In my country, the same is happening with Chicken/Poultry Farms. So many poultry farmers are giving their chicken to the people gratis.
Another example of an european shocked by your system and trying to help you. We dont have this problem in Spain (he's spanish) and Its really shocking.
https://stopwastingfoodmovement.org/food-waste/food-waste-facts/ Yes, you do, too.
Load More Replies... The potatoes in that particular photo are seed potatoes. They were meant to be shipped to farmers to be planted and produce their crops for harvesting later. Farmers can't sell what they have now, why and how would they plant this crop? There will be a problem when we expect their output to be in the markets, though, and nothing is there because they didn't or couldn't plant their normal crop rotation. The long term aspect is even scarier than seeing a dumped pile of potatoes today.
I was gonna say and the photo of the parking lot of cars is cars that are waiting to be shipped to dealerships (most are sitting at ports after being unloaded off cargo ships, use to see these all the time at the Port of Tacoma)- THEY ARE LITERALLY ALL THE SAME CAR!! People that use photos for scare tactics incorrectly is insane to me! There’s a lot of people that are in lines everywhere to get groceries, etc. but the photo is being misused for this particular purpose.
Load More Replies... There has always been enough food in the world to feed everyone, the problem has always been distribution. This isn't some Major Mind-blowing Revelation.
I live in Idaho. The farmers were giving away 10s of thousands of pounds of potatoes for free for anyone who showed up to take them. So it isn't like they were just like "no one's going to buy them, we don't care about hunger, burn them all!!" They were only disposed of if no one showed up to take them. The farmers are already really hurting for not being able to sell most of their crops this year, and they couldn't afford to pay to ship all those potatoes to food banks themselves out of pocket. If someone had shown up with a semitruck to load up potatoes, the farmers would have given them a semitruck load. Some still loaded up their pickups and took crates to the food banks. This isn't a greed issue, it is a supply line issue.
All of this resulted from the entire world foolishly following bad advice from the WHO, who STILL insists that quarantining healthy people is a good idea for a pandemic less lethal than our yearly flu pandemics (yes, we have pandemics every single year; only the news doesn't report them and no one panics... yet here we are, panicking over a disease with a 99% survivability rating). The United Nations created this economic disaster for a reason--and now Bill Gates, a college dropout with ZERO medical experience, is telling us we ALL must receive HIS vaccine and that every syringe should contain microchips to be injected into us. Anyone who doesn't find this extraordinarily suspicious is either not paying attention or terminally naive.
Support your local gleaners! There are organizations that pick up "waste" produce from stores, farms, and markets to distribute to food banks. Because so many modern people expect every piece of produce to be "perfect" and we have regulations and practices for safety around expiration, etc., good food is tossed to avoid liability. Shop local when you can, eliminate your personal food waste (don'teat out when you have leftovers, peeps!), and contribute your time to groups working to bring good food to vulnerable people! :) https://stopwastingfoodmovement.org/food-waste/food-waste-facts/
So the supply chain is optimized for when things are normal, and has trouble adapting to an unprecedented global crisis. What's so surprising about that??
I understand that many of the foods going to waste are perishable and are being destroyed. Thing I do not understand, well okay I do but it sucks. Potatoes and some of the others can be stored. Wish somebody that has empty warehouses would reach out to the farmers so they could store the potatoes. I get why milk and eggs are items with a small shelf life. Even understand that the laying hens only produce for a certain amount of time. Do not understand them destroying pigs, chickens and even cattle that are still up and walking around!!! I am sure I am probably missing something but it seems like those could be sold a few weeks later.
And I know it costs money, but people in other countries really struggle to get food. I wish there was a way to donate it to countries with more poverty
This is where the federal government should have had a plan. When demand for food decreases during a national/global crisis that prevents people from going out to eat, and farmers are left with surplus food, the government should have a program to buy the food from the farmers and transport it to the people who need it.
The plan like that was set up by the previous administration and was canceled by the current administration three years ago.
Load More Replies... But the greatest president of all time will say that it's no problem. The greatest potatoes will wait for great people. If not, it's the democrats fault.
I know it wouldn't help massively, but I wouldn't mind going to a farm and buy directly from them, if they offered. Every little help, and it would be beneficial at least for the 1st and last links of the chain. But at least here in the UK, it's not even an option.
Then go to a Farm Shop - there are thousands across the UK! Or a farm shop that is online. Honestly! These things exist and you do not have to buy groceries from a supermarket if you make just a bit more effort.
Load More Replies... It's a wasteful and mad world. I'm sure that there is also a liability problem with people going to collect discarded food crops from farming locations in person... (Just read Roadkill The Brave's posts... explains a LOT.)
Dutch, please the lawyers need to eat too. (this is sarcasm)
Load More Replies... I am not out of work and have the money to buy food, but the supply chain impacts are obvious to me. Our stores have no chicken, eggs, and now beef is hard to get, too. Cheese supplies are iffy. I can't even get microwave popcorn. How are leaders going to get food to those truly in need when the supply chain can't even supply the existing infrastructure it's intended to supply? During wars, certain foods were rationed. My frustration now is that I don't know what will be there and what won't, so I can't plan for it. We did rely on food banks and financial assistance at one time in our lives and I honestly feel like that was easier than what is happening now. Now, the people who have to rely on those things also have to fear if there will be enough for everybody. Too many people are too sick to maintain the supply chain. Links are broken. What can we possibly do about that?
Cassie, look on the bright side, you don't have chickens, eggs, beef, cheese which means that your body will get a break and maybe your arteries will clear up just like rivers do, and you develop arthritis, diabetes, and what ever cancer some time later.
Load More Replies... So no money for food, but money for the gas, car payment and no problem polluting while sitting on idle...this is what is the problem with America...
In many places, you need a car to get to work. Please tell me you know this.
Load More Replies... The picture is real. Comment above here mentions the source. The ultra-wealthy created by the system America loves so much.
Load More Replies... Car ownership is perhaps more prevalent in the US, additionally these are probably the newly needy, who until covid 19 were managing to keep their heads above water just fine, which would include car ownership. Also, also, drive thru food distribution, lessens contact and thus is safer for volunteers and served alike.
Load More Replies...
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