As part of our inquiry into the local food movement our group viewed the film Food Inc. This film compares agribusiness (http://www.tyson.com/ ) to small-scale sustainable organic farming (http://www.polyfacefarms.com/ ). The current state of the American food did not happen overnight and did not happen by accident. In this documentary the viewer is taken into factory farms to witness the conditions that these animals suffer in for their brief life. I found this film to be a good starting point but it did not delve deep enough into any one point, it is a good reference but a mediocre educational tool. Not to mention as we discussed after the film the only people willing to shell out the time and money to see this film are those who are already informed and interested, that is just preaching to the choir.
As far as the solution their main point is that the consumer votes at the register. I see the underlying problem as the consumer who is unaware of the systemic problems involved in buying a big mac and is not interested in a lifestyle change.
Somehow we have gotten to a point where most Americans have no clue where there food comes from and in many instances what exactly is in it. So what can we do? Personally I buy much of my produce at farmers markets I read labels and I ask questions. Change takes time but thankfully pandemic diseases move quickly. People need to support sustainable farming and we all need to start asking a lot more questions about where are food comes from.
If I were in charge I would require edible roof gardens installed on any building that can support it.
Very nice.
ReplyDeleteSo, I noticed that Elise and Erin weere both drawn in by the 'ban organic farming' news hoax--nothing to be ashamed about, by the way. these days, anything is possible!
however, what might be more provocative (and concerning, perhaps, and certainly worthy of your close consideration), are things like this:
www.kraftfoodscompany.com/ABOUT/SUSTAINABILITY/index.aspx
Is this 'good'? Just greenwashing? Should there be reason to be concerned?
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ReplyDeleteWell, I liked the movie, but then again I am the choir. Having read The Omnivore's Dilemma, there was a lot of cross-over with the movie, and I really liked seeing images from Polyface Farms. I found that the movie was re-invigorating for me - it's so easy to slip into eating what is easy or convenient, instead of what it healthy and local. How to maintain the lasting change in lifestyle is a good question to ponder.
ReplyDeleteAs a new member to this choir of informed consumers, I was equally engaged and sickened by the information revealed in the film, Food, Inc. Because of the last nine months at Antioch, much of the film’s material wasn’t new to me, but it did offer me the opportunity to be mortified once more when hearing about the deliberate veiled curtain that has been placed between us and where our food comes from.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found most upsetting were the farmer’s stories of the extreme control held over them by the few companies in power. It was difficult to watch the desperateness in the farmer’s eyes and hear the sadness in their voices as they explained how the mass producing now common in their field was much closer to factory life than farming and that the goal of the food industry was focused on the entities of uniformity, conformity and cheapness.
As Erin mentioned in her post, I too felt this film was a good starting point for discussion but not necessarily the best educational tool for those who are looking for more than a shocking reality check. In my case, I found this reality check useful as I am in the beginning stages of my inquiry of the importance of the local food movement. However, I can see how individuals who are more knowledgeable about our food and agriculture system would find the film to be too broad. Overall though, it did offer the opportunity to pull the wool over the eyes of the newbie’s, myself included, who may otherwise think nothing of eating a Golden Delicious apple in June. For that, I see it as a success. The problem is, I wonder how many people watching the film were attending just based on curiosity and not a previous interest in environmental issues. Probably not too many.
The call to action at the end of the film asked viewers to become informed of what we buy, eat and support. When walking out of the theater, one line kept repeating itself in my mind, causing me to reconsider the reasons why I am just now learning about the injustice in our country’s food industry: “We’ve allowed ourselves to be ignorant to something as intimate as the food we eat”.
Sam, I really appreciate your post and the quote at the end - that food is intimate. Like Anise's posts, food should be spiritual in that we have an understanding of its origin, harvest, preparation, nourishment and community when shared. I look forward to seeing the film when it comes out in DVD.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sam and Erin that this film is a good starting point. I liked it and found it covered a variety of important issues that led me to want to know more about each of them. I did not realize how few corporations run our food industry, it reminds me of how few run our media industry, and I am rather shocked by this. The veil is working well here as I thought I was pretty aware and clearly I am not.
ReplyDeleteAnother part of the film that stands out for me was how Walmart was portrayed as being more green by selling organic food. It's good they are selling organic food but what all the other issues they are known for? Such as poor treatment of employees who don't get health benefits, buying out the local market owners, etc. I guess doing something is better than nothing. Most people who shop at Walmart I'm guessing, are not "the choir". Maybe this will heighten these consumers awareness to think more about the food they are buying.
I can think of many people who I would want to see this film although I don't think they will, due to their survival mode lifestyle or lack of interest in the big picture. This is what really perplexes me because I want to successfully impact folks to become more aware without being pushy. I do see this happening in some small ways. My exhausted sister who works full time with three kids does buy more organic food now and seems interested in using less toxic products. My boyfriend came with me to this film and he found it very interesting. He is a big meat eater that buys what is on sale at Safeway. He still does this and I find us talking about it more, about what it means, where it came from, etc. He would like to purchase better products but feels they are not affordable and If we had more money he would support different buying habits. Lately I have even noticed that he is interested in eating fresh vegetables instead of frozen ones. Starting points are a good thing.
Buy frozen chicken online
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