- Food, Inc. Urges Viewers to Look Hard at Food - C. Jones-Shoeman
The 2009 documentary film Food, Inc. met with overall good reviews all while stirring up controversy. Filmmaker Robert Kenner set about to show— from meat-packing plant and "seed to the supermarket"— how Americans get their food. The film is, at times, difficult to watch but it is enlightening.
Food, Inc. is divided into separate sections, dealing with different aspects of American food production. Both Eric Schlosser (who wrote Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (who wrote In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) appear in several segments of the film to offer their research.
Kenner's Take on the Meat Industry
Food, Inc. spends time looking at the three large meat industries in the U.S.: beef, chicken, and pork. These segments deal with what happens in these plants, where meat processing has become an industry complete with assembly lines and rapid results. Many scenes are difficult to watch because of cruelty to animals.
Some of the companies whose practices he documents include Tyson and Smithfield Foods. The film promises, "You'll never look at dinner the same way again," and it's likely true. Viewers unfamiliar with the practices of CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and other practices of agribusiness might give more thought to the food they eat.
Food, Inc.'s Look at Agriculture in the U.S.
Kenner doesn't stop with the meat industry, though. He then looks at corporate farming. He takes the hardest, longest look at Monsanto, whose patented genetically-modified soybean seeds are the point of much scrutiny. However, the film also addresses the fact that not only is the meat industry subsidized, but the farming industry is as well.
The film looks at the plight of the farmer, as well as how cheaply-grown foods, such as corn and soy, have saturated the market so much that most processed products have either a corn ingredient, a soy ingredient, or both.
Small Farmers and Other People Hurt by Big Business
The film spends time with a farmer who runs an operation free of corporate practices. His customers pay more for his beef, chicken, and pork than they would at the supermarket, but they are happy to. His beef are fed grass, not corn, and they are out in the open with plenty of space, a striking contrast to CAFOs.
Food, Inc. also introduces Barbara Kowalcyk whose two-year-old son died several years ago from eating hamburger tainted with E. coli. Her mission is to get congress to pass Kevin's Law, which would give the U.S.D.A. power to shut down meat-packing plants that were contaminated. Currently, the U.S.D.A. does not have the authority to shut them down.
Finally, the film also spends time looking at the health consequences of eating this type of food. One family in particular is interviewed. They eat cheap, convenient food and don't see much choice, even though they know it's not healthy.
American Eaters Should Watch the Film
Americans should watch Food, Inc. While they may choose to continue eating as they do, they will be educated. The film may appear to be one-sided, but several corporations declined to be interviewed for the film. The end of the film gives viewers suggestions on what to do if they would like to see change.
Cynthia Jones-Shoeman - Cynthia (“Cindy”) Jones-Shoeman earned her MA in English from Colorado State University in 2007; her thesis was "Toni ...
