Have you guys seen the documentary Food, Inc.?
I'm always late to the party, so I JUST saw it for the first time last night (another Netflix pick - I love Netflix!).
And WOW. What a rough movie. Superbly done, fascinating and thought-provoking, but very hard to watch at times. By the end of the film my eyes were red and puffy, mascara was running down my cheeks, snot was dripping from my nose, and I was FURIOUS!
I mean, we hear all the time (especially lately) how wrong and horrible Big Food is. And I've always nodded my head in agreement and then went to Kroger and purchased my Purdue boneless, skinless chicken breasts for dinner. Years ago I read Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Fat Land by Greg Critser and more recently, Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. Daniel and I saw the documentary Super Size Me a few weeks ago, and I just finished the companion book written by director/producer Morgan Spurlock, Don't Eat This Book. I actually felt pretty educated compared to a lot of folks.
We try to buy organic and local as much as possible and be conscious consumers, but DAMN, a lot of the information delivered by Food, Inc. was totally new to me. It's incredible how our government values corporations over human beings. The horrific daily injustices being suffered by the animals, workers, farmers and consumers of these Big Food corporations is disgusting and infuriating.
Daniel and I talked about that movie all evening and found ourselves still discussing it this morning at the breakfast table and on our way into work.
If you've seen this film, what are your thoughts? If you haven't, please do!
4 comments:
Saw it too Cathryn. I was doing the same thing with my grocery choices, but after Food, Inc., I went shopping. I was really careful to buy only local. I bought a lot less, and waited for farmer's market to buy small amounts of pastured meats, chicken and local fruits and veggies. I found I bought less, ate less (good), and enjoyed it more. I also squeezed every drop of nutrition out of it - so my $32 pastured chicken made three meals for a family of four. Seriously! It killed me that that family in Food, Inc. had to toss back the pears and broccoli and feed the kids hamburgers. What kind of choice is that in the wealthiest country on the planet? And yet we still subsidize the food that kills us. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
I grapple with these issues as well... I don't want to give up meat, but I'd like to be a responsible meat eater... and I admit that I am not. Like you, I buy my Purdue boneless chicken breasts. I was just thinking on the way to work this morning, as the radio was talking about our obesity problem in the US, that it could be the result of all the hormones in our meat... and all the other additives they've stuffed into all of our food. I wondered how I could get away from that, how I could become a healthier, more conscious consumer. I dont think I have to give up meat; I do think I need to find alternatives to buying big business meat. But that's just not an easy thing to do right now (and perhaps the govt has made it that way too).
I havent seen Food, Inc., but I've read Fast Food Nation and have seen (and was appalled by) Super Size me. I probably should pick see it... Though I am sure it will depress the frak out of me like Fast Food Nation did (note: this is not a good book to read on vacation like I did!).
Heidi - OMG! Everytime I think about that little girl not being able to buy a pear, it just about kills me! And the whole Monsanto thing is so vile it makes me want to spit.
I completely agree that eating LESS, but higher quality food is probably the way to go. Daniel and I have committed to only purchasing local pastured meats (either at our local natural foods stores, or the Farmers Market), and will only buy local (except things that we can't get locally, like avocados) organic produce from farms we can identify.
The sad thing is, we are VERY priveleged to have the means to make these kinds of choices.
MG - Big Food and our government has definitely made it more difficult to avoid the corporate, poisoned meat being offered at nearly every grocery store in the country.
I agree that the crap that is passed off as "food" is most likely aiding the growing rates of obesity and diabetes in our country. Not only the added hormones but all the added sugars and corn by-products. It's amazing how many things we eat have corn in them!
Watching Food, Inc. will definitely depress you, but it will also make you seriously angry. However, it's important information and it's presented very well.
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