It’s been the counter solution to big corporations in the US.
I dunno. The USDA and Big Ag have got it all sewn up. They know the little guys are no threat at all, and there are occasional vexatious lawsuits or police raids (seriously) to make sure they know their place.
The US establishment is happy enough to bask in reflected glory when the little guys succeed on the international stage, but they’re not going to allow them to have any sizeable influence on US food policy or markets. There’s too much money at stake, not just in the food industry itself but also the medical professions, where there’s an eye-watering amount of money to be made dealing with the consequences of bad diet.
The UK NHS spends well over 20 billion a year on obesity, diabetes, and suchlike; presumably the equivalent figure is much higher in the US. A lot of comfortable lifestyles are funded by Nestle and Dole customers.
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They’re popping up all over the place. Artisanal coffee, beer, etc. I would assume they’re somewhat successful.
If partially true, it’s pretty irrelevant. The fact is that there are all kinds of small time farms etc. making quality food products, and a huge network of farmers markets etc. selling them. I say partially because the idea that big food is somehow going to crush them is just ridiculous.
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Successful in their own context. But far too many Americans either think they can’t afford to eat proper food, or simply aren’t interested in it.
It’s not an idea. It actually happens. Most of the food laws in the US are written by and for Big Ag: attempting to do anything outside the mainstream exposes you to government harassment and high costs. This is the main reason good food is priced out of the reach of the poor. Yes, people still try to do what they love within that framework, but the deck is stacked.
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Many Americans can’t afford that kind of stuff, period. But this thread is basically talking about the top level of quality. Hence my statement that your comment was irrelevant.
It’s not though. It’s possible to eat healthy for next to nothing. No, you’re not going to be able to buy the high price organic stuff, but you can definitely put together healthy, nutritious meals without spending much. The fact that so many people don’t is mostly due to ignorance (big food is certainly complicit in this part) and inertia.
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True. But those up-and-coming guys are only a shade away from the top level. It’s actually quite straightforward to make excellent cheeses etc., given a bit of practice. I know several people who do it. They’re not inherently expensive to produce, so those things would be accessible to everyone if the USDA didn’t go out of their way to make sure that they’re not.
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That’s another story, I have no idea!
What Finley mentions is unfortunately more or less common knowledge amongst producers and manufacturers. It is the same game here in Taiwan but not quite as nasty.
Here it is more you cant get info on laws, new rules etc and literally almost everything is left in the grey so they have the option to cause problems later. For bigger companies, it is simply a cost of doing business. For individuals and small businesses it is cripling!
Here in Taiwan the usda equivelant is actually a corporation and exports, manufactures etc. So they are direct competition to the farmers rather than aid. They do help farmers a lot here, but only within their models they wish to use. It is improving. But frustratingly slow!!!
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Simply incredible, this is a scandal, a disgrace, an outrage.
Belgian ‘Herve’ and ‘Brusselse kaas’ smell bad.
Oh, there’s that certainly. Nothing to do with the US of course, but I can recall seeing a packet of fake ham in the Philippines (the really horrible stuff that looks like pink plastic) for exactly the same price per kilo as pork shoulder. Nobody knows or cares that making proper ham from pork shoulder is incredibly simple, and tastes 50x better even if you’re using cheap mass-market pork to do it.
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Comic genius should be recognized. 
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