As mentions in Food, the industrial revolution simplified and eased the transportation of food and its ingredients. With the rapid development of technology and internet, the invisibility of food system is intensified, especially in China.
Nowadays people have various ways to purchase food, online food shopping is becoming one of people’s favorite way. With just a click on the internet, (mostly in Taobao, in China) and a few days waiting, you are able to get what you want to eat. Isn’t it fascinating? The extremely easy way of buying food, even stops people from thinking about where do these food come from and what are they made of. Although it’s invisible, it exists. And under most situation, that’s the way merchant makes profit, especially some small food store raised by individuals. Although I have not ever tried to be a shop keeper in Taobao, I guess there must be methods for anyone who want to open a online store to avoid investigation without food production license and health certificate. It’s just so easy that everyone could buy a fake one. Several years ago, I was informed by my friend, that my favorite cookie brand, an online store, was accused of illegal operation(see news report here). All the products they sold were made of cheap flour and other unknown ingredients. Their workshop was so dirty and messy that many workers huddled together. To my sadness, I saw the scene from The Rule of Law Online. Although unknown to food system, people begin to hold doubt on these small scale food shops with increasing negative news reports on them. People always have another choice to food, but it will be a crisis for many small scale shop keepers.
However, there are smart people who come out with ideas to sell their products. For example, it can be easily seen that many shopper keepers in Taobao claim that they are laborious farmers, and they have no idea how to sell their surplus agricultural products(usually shown in the first page of their homepage) due to some problems like natural disaster or something else. Or other people who use plain pictures and videos to indicate that their products are natural, while nobody knows the true. But many people are glad to buy these product, they believe their purchase is not only to satisfy their own needs, but also a beneficence. Thanks to the invisible food system! Otherwise consumers must be disappointed at the simple and boring process.
Leave a Reply