HW 7b

Fast Food Nation

Chapter 4, Success: As fast food restaurants continue to expand cities such an pueblo, CO which prior to the opening of many fast food restaurants lacked much of anything are starting to catch up to the more hip cities of Colorado. Fast food nations have used the method of franchising to expand thier business but now currently run it in more of a real estate way because it gives them more control over their franchisee's.

This chapter focuses on both sides of the franchising process and how the fast food companies have become stricter with the way franchisee's run their business. It shows the fast food chains from the franchisee's perspective which is more innocent and is more of some one trying to make a living where as the company who is leasing space to the franchisee exploits the franchisee and the workers as much as possible.

Chapter 5, Why the fries taste good: JR simplot when from a potato farmer to one of the largest potato distributors and then the success of mcdonalds and its need for french fries gave way from Simplt to be their provider and make alot of money. Since it is in the best interest of potato providers to be suppliers for fast food chains they sell their potatos at lower prices in trun helping the fast food chains but hurting common farmers who now are run out of business or make very little profit because its ahrd for them to compete with the bigger potato suppliers. The fries used to have more saturated beef fat than a hamburger, per ounce. This was due to the oiled they were cooked in. The oil the friess are cooked in gives them their signiture taste but is very unhealthy.

Out of $1.50 fries the farmer only get 2 cents

This chapter does a very good job of showing how the nature of the fast food industy in itself is exploitative and the more the fast food chains find ways to maximize profits the more that their workers and other workers connected to their business and in anyways are hurt and face more difficulties. The maxmization of profits for fast food chains comes at the expense of common farmers and workers profit. It is a classic example the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer.

Chapter 6: Meat packing industries have done the same to farmers as what has happened to potato farmers. Big meat packing industries have taken over the market running local hard working farmers out of business. The chicken industry is regulated by large companies and farmers are in debt and have very little control over their own chicken. Mcdonalds has ended the age in which local farmers could successfully grow crops and make a good profit from thier cattle and other crops.

The author sympathizes with small scale farmers because bigger companies have run them out of business. Mcdonalds and other fast food restaurants are dependant on exploitation and by nature cut out many workers profit to maximize their own, this is simply another example.