Food, Inc.
The New York Times found Food, Inc to be “inherently frustrating,” claiming that it stops short of addressing the bigger debates and offers “depressingly little” in the way of recommendations for action.
Variety described Food, Inc. as doing for the supermarket what Jaws did for the beach. It finds a more optimistic tone to the story, drawing a comparison to consumer success against Big Tobacco.
Forbes complains that the documentary clings to unrealistic ideals and neglects important questions of cost and scale.
NPR argues that Food, Inc. focuses too much attention on the divide between big agriculture and small organic businesses, leaving out the story of ordinary American farmers.
Monsanto, an agricultural biotechnology corporation featured in the film, created an entire Food, Inc. section on its corporate website, including an employee blog where consumers can discuss the film directly with Monsanto staff.
Considering the wide variety of opinions, what are your thought on Food, Inc? Does it go far enough to expose the “mechanized underbelly” of U.S. agriculture? Does it make the classic mistake of demonizing an opponent, to its own detriment? Did you come away from the film feeling empowered or frustratingly helpless?
For those who haven’t seen it, here’s a preview:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQVll-MP3I]
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Watching Food, Inc made a huge impact on me. I find that odd, because my family has been involved in traditional American farming since they arrived from France in the late 1600's. I lived on a traditional dairy farm from age 4 to age 18.
My father retired from Cornell University after a long career as a Farm Business Management Specialist. Early in his retirement, he was a Certified Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation or CAFO (mentioned in the movie) Planner. My father is currently operating a profitable organic dairy and hay farm. He does not think I should buy organic food. Please excuse my idiom, he laughs all the way to the bank. It's just about the money for him. It was tough for him to give up his pesticide applicator's license. The one good thing my father readily admits about organic beef and dairy is the high levels of CLA. I gave him Food, Inc for Christmas.
My degree from Cornell is in Consumer Economics with emphasis on Food Policy. Watching Food, Inc made me want to do some research. I remembered an article in the New York Times about ground beef and E. Coli. I re-read the article and decided that I will stop eating ground beef at restaurants. I will purchase it either at Costco, Whole Foods or http://www.hearstranch.com/ and cook it at home. I'll buy other meats at Whole Foods. At least for now, I can still eat out, but Chipotle has become my favorite restaurant. I started dreaming of a day when organic restaurants are easy to spot while traveling.
Food, Inc profiled a company called BPI or Beef Products Inc. The New York Times article mentioned that BPI products were likely in the E. Coli infected meat which caused a young woman to become so sick that she is paralyzed. In the movie, BPI shows how they kill E. Coli with ammonia.
For now, it's just about the meat. I have a feeling that learning more will lead me to further changes. I try not to think about the damage that may have already been done to my body from eating commercially grown meat. I was shocked to hear the poultry farmer say that her body is resistant to antibiotics because she handled poultry feed.
Oh, how wonderful! I am so excited that you enjoyed the film and that you let it affect you in some way! What an incredibly history you have in this field. That New York Times article has caused quite the stir. It is good that people are starting to pay more attention to their meat. Whole Foods sells some quality beef and chicken. I was excited one day when I stopped at the meat counter and met the farmer who raised the grass-fed beef that I buy every week. He proudly explained how he raised each of the animals on his family farm in neighboring Georgia. Whole Foods also sells excellent grass-fed lamb from Iceland and New Zealand. I know the locavores are wincing as I write this, but that is another discussion. Admittedly, the best option for pastured meats and poultry is a local farm. The local chapter of your Weston Price Foundation is a great resource for finding quality meats in your area. Eatwild.com is another excellent resource. I share your dream about more organic restaurants while traveling!
I would write a bit more, but I'm using an Internet cafe while in NC and my time is limited here. But I am so excited about your food journey and can't wait to hear more!