How Has Fast Food Farming Changed In The Late 1800s

Over the last century, farming has changed exponentially, transforming food production. During the late 1800s, the industrial revolution revitalizes agriculture by bolstering crop and livestock productivity, spurring the second agricultural revolution. This revolution marks the creation of a commercial market for food. (Knox, 334) The third agricultural revolution, occurring after World War II, introduces mechanization, chemical farming, and manufacturing processing that still exists today; therefore, marking the transition from the family owned and operated farms to commercial farms. “Back around the turn of the last century, the average farmer could feed six or eight people. Now the average American farmer can feed 126 people” (Kenner). The standardization of fast food reconstructed the food preparation system. McDonald’s Speedee Service System introduced manufacturing production lines into a restaurant, transforming the farming into a food industry. (Knox, 341) Even though most food sold in supermarkets and restaurants is cultivated on corporate lands, surprisingly, farming is still believed to be a family business with locals living in small farmhouses.

Local foods are sold and consumed in the area in which it was grown. Consuming locally grown food supports the small farms, often times, run by families. Local food guarantees to be fresher and healthier by being treated with lower levels of herbicides, pesticides, and preservatives. Organic foods have been growing in popularity in the local system with an increase of 20% annually (Kenner). Organic farming eliminates the use of fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and growth hormones. Also, people are beginning to demand locally grown organic food; however, the availability of fresh food is not universal. Furthermore, inequality exists, in terms of accessibility to healthful, affordable, and culturally acceptable