Corn Goes To War!

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

The great turning point of our industrial meat eating can be dated with some exactness to the year of 1947, when huge amunitions plants switched from making explosives to chemical fertilizers. Once WW2 ended the government had found itself with a surplus of ammonium nitrate, the main ingredient of explosives, which happens to be a great source of nitrogen for plants. Agronomists in the department of agriculture had a life-changing idea spread the ammonium nitrate onto farmland as a fertilizer. The chemical fertilizer industry along with that of pesticides, which are based on the poison gases developed for war, is the product of the government’s effort to convert its war machine to peacetime purposes. As the Indian farmer activist Vandana Shiva says in her speeches, “We’re still eating the leftovers of World War II.”

The explosion of corn surplus lead to the creation of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Humans began breeding cattle in a concentrated camp environment fed on an unnatural diet of drugs and F1 hybrid corn. Cattle could be now be in a factory and on the supermarket shelf within 14 months. This lead to the overconsumption of cheap marbled beef and the unappreciative culture we have on meat in today’s society.

My concept is based on the appropriate use of war propaganda language, visuals and guerilla tactics. I aim to unveil this alternative modern war thats happening between CAFO and supermarkets and their control over local butcheries and ones persons diet. I wanted to convey an acccesible design outcome that speaks to a wide audience from the young student to a woman buying for her entire family.

What kind of communication approach do you use?

Corn Goes To War! is guerrilla based campaign that endeavours to stop the consumer in their tracks of the meat aisle and justify the cost of there health, and environment over a package of cheap corn-fed beef. The guerrilla tactics are to be utilized throughout the meat section of a supermarket. My communication techniques are based on nostalgic design and the particular use of hidden messages and language associated with war and propaganda. A print based campaign is to be distributed creatively throughout supermarket in special catalogues and on walls (in the meat section) stickers applied over packaging information and lastly the cow ear identity tag punched through the product (steak) and packaging.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

Corn Goes To War! has benefited society as it identifies the facts in a blatant and satisfying way through thought out design and provoking mediums. Whilst it bombards the viewer by having to physically remove the forms of communication to either read information or eat the meat.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

Walking through my local supermarket store I became fed up with the stigma of vegetarianism vs meat eaters. I noticed the meat aisle lacked any type of visual that truly educated consumers. I began to understand how oblivious the consumer is towards the production of meat and the term ‘We are what we eats, eats'. I learnt that to create a conversation or change in the community drastic measures must be taken to strike the thoughts and actions of a constant industrial meat eater.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

Corn Goes to War! aims to create widespread participation and discussion at the supermarket and at home, about the industrial meat production happening in westernised countries. By linking the notion of war and meat consumption it plays with peoples emotions and morals towards ones diet.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

I would like to implement my work with my local Woolworths and Coles supermarket. To gain the full visual effect of ‘Corn goes to War!’ every single beef package would be seen with the hybrid sticker or ear tag along with the poster stragetically placed in the special catalogues
and walls.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

No I decided to keep this campaign solely for print.