Hidden Hand in the Food Chain: Whose Game is the Danger on Your Table?

Hidden Dangers Served with Every Bite… Do We Really Know What We Eat?

 

Have you ever thought that an invisible hand dances behind every bite that comes to your table? Perhaps in that bite, there are the hopes of a farmer working his land in the village, or a mother's effort to feed her children healthy food. Food systems are not just about satisfying hunger; they are also the stage for global power games, political intrigues, and insidious plans targeting our health. By delving into the depths of the food chain, it must be revealed how monopolization, political manipulations, and scientifically disguised propaganda pose a threat.

 

Agricultural Monopolies: The Enslavement of Land and Table

World agriculture is no longer shaped by the sweat of free farmers, but by the ruthless strategies of giant corporations. The story of Aunt Ayşe, who has been producing with ancestral methods for years in the fertile lands of Anatolia, is a reflection of the bitter truth. Aunt Ayşe says with tears in her eyes, "We used to have our own seeds, we used to make our own fertilizer. Now we buy everything on credit, and we don't even know who to sell our products to. The land no longer feeds us." Do you think it's a coincidence that four companies control 85% of the beef market, and the vast majority of corn and soybean seeds are in the hands of a few holdings? Farmers are forced to buy seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides from monopolies at exorbitant prices, and then sell their products back to the same monopolies at ridiculous prices they set.

This stranglehold leaves small farmers like Aunt Ayşe breathless, either dragging them into debt or forcing them to abandon their land. As for the consumer, under the illusion of "variety" on supermarket shelves, the fact that we actually consume the same few companies' products in different packaging explains why food prices are constantly rising and why access to healthy food has become a luxury, turning into despair especially for low-income families.

 

The Ambivalent Role of the State: Subsidies and Hidden Agendas

Governments, instead of stopping monopolization with agricultural policies, often knowingly or unknowingly support it. The loosening of anti-trust laws paves the way for large corporations, while laws enacted under the name of "agricultural reform" destroy small farmers and accelerate the consolidation of large lands. Billions of taxpayer dollars are poured into the coffers of giant corporations, supposedly to support agriculture. Subsidies become a "profit guarantee" for large farms, while small producers become unable to compete.

So, what lies behind these policies? Some believe in the fairy tale of "trickle-down economics," while others pursue a vision of global food control. In international meetings held under the guise of food security, ways to establish more control over the food supply are sought with fancy words like "global trust" and "shared responsibility." For countries with high agricultural potential like Turkey, this poses serious threats to food independence and national security. Local governments and non-governmental organizations developing policies that support small producers and encourage cooperativization could be our strongest shield against these threats.

 

Our Health is Targeted: Scientifically Disguised Food Propaganda

The food on your table shapes not only your stomach but also your health. However, the process proceeds not with scientific facts, but with a propaganda bombardment guided by corporate interests. Subsidized products like corn and soy become the main ingredients of ultra-processed foods. "Foods" full of high-fructose corn syrup and unhealthy fats invite the plague of the modern age such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.

Even worse, nutrition science itself becomes a victim of conflict of interest. Claims that animal protein causes cancer are refuted by new research, while propaganda that plant-based "alternatives" are healthy continues unabated. However, most "alternatives" are full of additives, seed oils, and high sodium, almost a cocktail of "fake food." It is horrifying how scientific research is manipulated for corporate profits and how dissenting voices are silenced. Our health has become a guinea pig in the laboratories of giant food companies.

However, natural and unprocessed products from small producers in local markets can be the antidote to propaganda. Conscious choices by consumers will open the door to a healthy future.

 

Elif Su AYDIN (Kureselifsa.com)