Food, Inc.

July 25, 2009 at 4:22 pm | Posted in Economoney, Health, Media, Movies, Nature | 1 Comment

Last night, I saw the film Food, Inc. It opens with that statement that “the way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000.”

They illustrate the imbalance in our modern food system where a few players are so dominant, they effect the majority of available food. It becomes cheaper to buy cheeseburgers for your family than vegetables.

They review the unexpectedly vast dominance of corn byproducts in our diet. The dangers of concentrating on just a few crops (monoculture). The way mass production of food can spread disease. And how agricultural seed production has become concentrated in a single chemical company who is suing farmers to prevent them from saving seeds. This is pushing agriculture into only pesticide friendly, genetically modified crops.  These elements are a considerable threat to biodiversity and our health.

The film was unexpectedly balanced considering the potential for going attack. They talk of unintended consequences rather than throwing around blame. They skim over a wide number of aspects of the issue, interviewing a range of farmers and a few of the other players.

They also highlight a very key point. When we buy stuff, we’re voting with our purchases. We often completely miss how our economy is supply and demand driven. If we buy it, they’ll make more. If they see demand, they’ll make it. This is driving such change as organics going mainstream and corporations buying up the major players in what was once a minor market.

(recently read an article that observed that the original breakfast cereals were introduced as health products)

This article on How Does Your Money Work? explores how our money grows whatever we put it into. Mindful spending we could say. The power of your wallet.

The film closes with lots of solutions.

The Food Inc. Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0

The Food Inc. web site
www.foodincmovie.com

Rotten Tomatoes gives it a rare 97% “Fresh”.

It’s certainly worth a look. While familiar with the subject, it held some real eye openers for me.
David

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