MOVIES
To guide us through this subject, Kenner turns to two important authors, Michael Pollan, who wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. Their groundbreaking work, summarized in interviews, provides a conceptual framework for what we see. The first thing to realize is that the way we make food has changed radically in the last fifty years—agriculture has been replaced by a system of factory-style mass production. The rise of fast food started the trend towards food that could be grown cheaper and in greater quantities by standardizing the methods and the food itself. The film shows us a typical supermarket, with its many aisles and different products, and reveals that the diversity is an illusion. There are now just a handful of companies that sell all those different kinds of food. Centralized farming is one result of centralized corporate ownership.
The film is divided into chapters covering different aspects of the food industry. We are shown the factory methods for growing and slaughtering chickens, pigs, and cattle; how they are quickly made fatter with the use of chemicals, and also the inhumane conditions in these farm factories. Interviews with local farmers show that choice has been taken from them—they do what the corporations say or they're out. Another chapter shows how corn and soy have been employed as universal sources of substance in food, and as feed for animals, to the point where corn syrup is now used in everything you can imagine, including non-food items like diapers and batteries. Later we see how the corporation Monsanto copyrighted genetically modified seeds that proceeded to contaminate farm lands, and now hounds farmers out of business who dare to defy the company. Laws have been passed that have even made it illegal to criticize food quality.
Especially affecting is the story of a mother whose 2-year-old died from E.coli after eating hamburgers. The company who made them knew about it, but did nothing. She's now a food safety activist lobbying for greater accountability. We also meet an overweight family who can't afford the higher prices for better food, and so live on fast food to get by.
The movie covers a remarkable amount of ground in an hour and a half, in a level-headed and understandable way. Interestingly, none of the major corporations mentioned would agree to be interviewed. But Kenner does offer alternatives—one organic farmer makes a convincing case that traditional methods can more effectively feed the planet and keep us healthy, and another entrepreneur tells how he persuaded Wal-Mart to get rid of their growth-hormone milk and go organic. As is said more than once in the film, we vote on food issues three times a day, and as consumers we can make a difference by turning away from the factory food system. Food, Inc. presents a vital and much-needed message.
© Copyright 2012, KXCI
