I had this conversation with someone recently and while it is dumbest possible expression of this, I think that at the end of the day it is an expression of people knowing that they can't trust companies not to poison them and they can't trust the government to effectively regulate or enforce.
So yes some industrial/food processes are good (pasteurization being the most painfully obvious one) but people have every reason to be suspicious of what is being added to food.
I hate that I'm saying this, but it might actually be useful to have companies do this and have housing as part of a compensation package to exert some downward pressure on rent.
Realistically I know it will be terrible but I can see how it could be beneficial in our current framework/situation