Big Food is snapping up artisanal companies that positioned themselves as ethical alternatives. At the same time, the practice of “farm-washing,” in which highly industrialized food products are marketed as if they came from small farms, is popping up both in the supermarket and fast food outlet. These days Big Food is certainly talking a good game—promising to improve the welfare and diet of the animals, drop the antibiotics, simplify their products, and support farmers and ranchers—but whether such promises will actually be kept is questionable.
