Industrial food corporations have come a long way, succeeding in becoming the largest retailers and powerful companies that make more than half of the food we see at the supermarket and changing the way we eat compared to the last 50 years. Several food advocates argue to pass a bill on closing factories that continue to produce contaminated products but, food corporations like Tyson cannot be easily destroyed due to their thousands of consumers and deskilling workers which created more profitable and less money to pay to illegal immigrant workers. Not only does the mass production of meat create a problem but, the production of corn, that takes up 30% of the U.S. land base, cannot decline because of government policy that states corn must be sold below the cost of production that not only puts farmers at risk but, the limited amount of land we have to stockpile such cheap grains. As consumers, we deserve to know what we are eating and so, eating healthier and change in government will allow reform that will decrease the amount food poisoning, mad cow disease, and e coli infections. As of right now, because FDA cannot shut down factories due to multiple lawsuits and its lack of legislative authority, we must take initiative, starting with the most simplest of things, reading food labels and buying foods locally grown.
What does this movie offer that the book didn't? What does the book offer that the movie didn't?
While watching Food, Inc., I could hear the tone of the voices of Michael Pollan and Schlosser and see actual videos of the processes of creating the final food product, which allowed information and opinions backed up by evidence sink into my mind more easily than if I were to have read and have to process the information then to create an opinion which would require confirmation. Both book and movie held serious biases and in no way exuded to being objective in any extreme case. Pollan offered humbly almost entirely one perspective of the food industry while Food, Inc. explored several. Despite this, producers did not allow supporters, the opposing view points, of the industrial food industry to back up their opinions and statements. Of course this is necessary because Food, Inc. serves an an argument not an impartial conversation disclosing the virtues of each side of the story. Though the pictures and videos shown in the movie were alluring, colorful, and mind-blowing, Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan allows more room for details while Food, Inc. is composed of all the necessary and key aspects of its argument.
What insights or questions or thought remain with you after watching this movie? What feelings dominate your response?
After hearing how Food Nation and Omnivore's Dilemma have changed countless meat eaters to vegetarians, I wonder why it hadn't impacted me enough to become a vegetarian? I've seen the factories and processes in Food, Inc. but why is it that I could eat a sandwich with bacon right after? Is it because I've accepted the industrial food industry or have I chosen to subconsciously ignore it? Change is fundamental and bound to happen at one point in time but with food corporations and their power in the economy, change isn't going to happen over night especially when capitalism is in play. Advocates of Industrial Food Industry are not thinking about the several lives they have taken with food illness but, the millions of dollars stacking up in their bank accounts. These advocates definitely have a conscious but, are willing to push away the guilt with money in the picture. Honestly, who wouldn't chase money, especially a huge amount of it? I'm not saying that everyone would but, I definitely would. Am I trying to be empathic? Yes but, I'd say the virtues of naturally grown organics are much bigger in number than that of the industrial food industry. I have more of a motivation to eat healthier but, when it comes to excluding meat from my diet, there's no question that meat is always a part of my meal. What can I say? I want what I want. Selfish? Maybe but these sharp pointy teeth aren't for chewing on some lettuce.
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