Chapter 7 concludes Pollan's investigation of industrial agriculture by examining a typical fast food dinner. Aside from listing the cavalcade of corn derived ingredients (and others derived from....lighter fluid?), this chapter really serves to summarize the horrific cornification of America. Cheap corn is good for capitalist agribusiness corporates, but definitely not farmers (subsidizes drive down prices). Lower class Americans end up buying the cheapest, densest calories availables, HFCS. The only party to gain has been corn itself: it has monopolized the farm and humans are drinking and eating it every way they can to get rid of the surplus.
Chapter 8 begins Pollan's study of organic farming. The story starts on a pastoral farm based on grass instead of corn, and thus solar energy instead of fossil fuels. "Grass farmers" tend to the grass, then allow cows to graze and chickens to go through the leftovers. The result is a sustainable farm that produces natural fertilizers to support a variety of crops, as well as beef, chicken, pork and eggs. It's a far cry from the monoculture corn farms and the CAFOs.
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