Could you explain what "food economy" means to me? The key to a successful business chain can be expressed in one word: "uniformity." In the early 1970s, a farm activist viewed the emerging fast-food industry as a step toward a food economy dominated by giant corporations. Much of what he worried about has come to pass. The tremendous success of the fast-food industry has caused other industries to adopt similar business methods. The basic thinking behind fast food has become the operationg system of today's economy, wiping out small business and eliminating regional differences. So if you walk into a world-famous fast-food restaurant anywhere in the world, you can purchasd food with almost the same taste.