Editor’s Note: Students in Professor Sam Pritchard’s English 106 class reviewed the documentary film “Food Inc.” as part of a class assignment. Two of the reviews are printed here.
By Michael Aldeman Guest Columnist You are what you eat. If this is true, we are the result of one of the most corrupt enterprises known to man. According to the documentary “Food Inc.”, we are unaware of where our food comes from. Michael Pollan, the author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food,” and Eric Schlosser, the author of “Fast Food Nation,” point the finger at large meat-processing companies and agribusiness firms as the culprits behind the disgusting filth that we know as the food system. Critically acclaimed filmmaker, Robert Kenner, makes an honest effort to show a multitude of different angles into the mystery of food production. From struggling farmers under the control of Monsanto to the mother who lost a child to coli poisoning, the documentary shows the impact our food system has on our country. The different experiences, stories, ideas, and values portrayed in the film blend together to form answers to the question; do we know where our food comes from? I grew up on a small acreage in a predominantly rural area, which has given me a much more conservative and pro-agriculture frame of mind. I instinctively jump to the defense of agricultural processing because of my personal ties to the industry. While I may not totally agree with the consistent liberal views of the documentary, I am compelled to acknowledge that it successfully shows that we do not truly understand where our food comes from. The film is successful because it sheds a light on the darkness of the food production industry by showing us how our eating choices and methods of food production have negative consequences. It asks us to make better choices in the food we consume and purchase, to live a healthier lifestyle “Food Inc.” displays the disorder and controversy that shadows over the contents of our dinner plates. A wide spectrum of food production issues is brought to the forefront throughout “Food Inc.” Schlosser and Pollan strike close home by targeting our wallets to spur concern with the food we “willingly” consume. Time is intentionally spent on the struggles of a Latino family to eat healthy. While unfortunate, the message is deeper. It costs more for working Americans to eat healthy. Pollan and Schlosser crunch the numbers and reveal the virtual impossibility that the non-economically elite to eat healthy. This real-life issue forces us to grab our wallets with concern and consider the magnitude of the power that the dominant food processing companies have over our lives. | By Paula Stainthorpe Guest Columnist Think about a good old American hamburger. It’s something that you have more than likely consumed in the last month. And as you sat there enjoying that burger did it ever cross your mind that you’re not just eating meat from one cow, but meat from hundreds of cattle? All combined in one juicy burger. And all of those cows that make up your burger spent their life standing ankle deep in their own manure, which can infect the meat that you are enjoying with E. coli? Not a pleasant thought. However, this issue and many other issues concerning the corporate production of food in the United States have been brought to light in the 2008 documentary “Food Inc.” “Food Inc.” is directed by award winner Robert Kenner. The film is narrated by Michael Pollen (“The Omnivore’s Dilemma”) and Eric Schlosser (“Fast Food Nation”) both reputable authors. This informative documentary does not leave much to the imagination in the exposition of the food industry and the negative effect the food we eat today has on our health. It tells some cold hard truths about where our food comes from and it definitely makes you stop and think. “Food Inc.” is an interesting, credible, purposeful, and at times disturbing, documentary that is well worth watching because it changes the way you look at food. “Food Inc.” uses interviews with various people whose lives have been affected by the giant food corporations. The most touching and thought provoking is the interview with Barbara Kowalayk, whose 2 1/2 year old, perfectly healthy, son ate a fast food hamburger and died just days after because he contracted E. coli from that contaminated hamburger. Although emotionally charged, there is no hysterical sobbing from this mother. She is shown with grace and dignity in telling her story, using pictures of her son Kevin on the beach with his family before he passed away. Kowalayk is now trying to make a difference in changing the way the beef industry conducts its business by advocating for the power to be restored to the USDA to be able to shut down meat plants where regular outbreaks of E. coli are found. |
Kenner consciously highlights not only the blatant greed of our mass producers, but he also exposes the horrific working conditions for typically under-privileged, immigrant workers. The film targets our emotions as it disgusts its audience with the unthinkable working conditions that many meat-processing plants contain. We feel compelled to sympathize with the horrific workplace environments that these workers endure on a daily basis. There is not a dry eye in the audience when the story of the death of a 2-year-old child, due to e-coli poisoning. This tragedy truly hits home and plants a seed of discomfort in our minds as we think of the safety in our dinner. When covering a sensitive topic such as food health, safety and sustainability, “Food Inc.” establishes credibility. Michael Pollan, Robert Kenner, and Eric Schlosser all aid the legitimacy of the film with impressive resumes in the area of food and health. Accusing and demeaning large agribusiness and meat-processing corporations, such as Smithfield, Perdue, Tyson, and Monsanto, is a common theme throughout the documentary. Individual stories of crammed, dark chicken houses and the unfair of treatment of the farmers by the corrupt corporations shows what happens in our rural communities. By interviewing a Monsanto farmer, the audience can feel the frustration that is felt by the pressing foot of our agribusiness corporations on the throat of the common farmer. Schlosser and Pollan do not criticize a corporation, without giving them a chance to defend themselves. Time after time, these corporate giants are asked to interview and defend the integrity of their product. Each time, they decline to comment, which evokes immense feelings that there is something to hide, enhancing the perspective that is promoted. Despite the dark past and current state of our food system, the possibility of a brighter future remains in the hands of the consumer. Schlosser and Pollan passionately endorse the consumption of organic foods. They believe that promoting affordable, healthy foods will create a better tomorrow for our world. Noting changes in once completely evil corporations shows that everyone can change. Pollan and Schlosser show this change by documenting Walmart’s decision to stop selling dairy products from cows treated with bovine grown hormone. McDonalds decision to stop using genetically modified potatoes also highlights that change can happen. The push for organic food production and consumption in “Food Inc.” is a constant theme throughout the film that mercilessly criticizes the practices and products of the large corporations that rule the world of food production. Ultimately, “Food Inc.” is a call to action, encouraging us to influence the future of our food production system. Renowned authors, Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser work diligently to create and provide different perspectives and stories to paint a complete canvas of all the problems, as well as solutions to our food dilemma. The unique stories of everything from struggling farmers and maltreated immigrant workers to thriving organic farmers give us a full picture of every aspect of the food processing system. The film does an excellent job of completing its negative bias toward our current food system, but I do not necessarily agree. I grew up in an agricultural setting where the prosperity of a farmer is more important than the environment or food-production malpractices. I thought the film was not always fair to the meat and agribusiness corporations. To an extent, the film did not allow these corporations to defend themselves. While many of the facts presented by the bias are true, I want to make it known that these businesses employ farmers and in turn, support the families that hold America together. That being said, I agree with Pollan and Schlosser that a change to healthier choices is essential to ensure a better tomorrow. We need to promote organic and healthy food at an affordable price for the common American. Cracking down hard on large corporations enhancing legislative regulations on our food are also necessary steps to establishing a healthier America. Pollen and Schlosser’s insight sheds light on the imminent dangers that face our food system and provide a plan to action to improve the currently dire state of our agricultural world. | Another credible segment is an interview with chicken farmer Carole Morison. Morison runs a small chicken farm in Maryland and works for Perdue under contract. She takes a risk in speaking about the way that big corporate chicken farms, such as Perdue, like to dictate to the farmer. Chicken farmers, such as Morrison, are losing their voice in how to raise their chickens. She actually takes you into the chicken houses and shows the overcrowding and deplorable conditions that are breeding grounds for disease, leaving many chickens dead daily. That, and the fact that today chickens are grown in half the time that a normal chicken needs to grow. This rapid growth affects the chickens internal organs and bones, so much so that they are unable to even stand. These chickens are the same chickens that you more than likely purchase from the grocery store and serve to your family on your dinner table. The film isn’t all doom and gloom. It displays the relevance of consumerism and the influence their buying power has. Included in a segment is an organic food trade fair. The individual that they speak with tells how the organic industry has evolved. He tells how this started as a mere handful of tradesmen taking part, and now there are hundreds of individuals at these fairs. Although many of these tradesmen have sold out to the corporate food giants, these food giants are listening to the consumer and their concerns. There is a segment where Wal-Mart, one of the world’s largest corporations is being influenced by the consumer. They are making changes and opening shelf space to organic foods. This proves that the consumer does influence the market, but has quite a long way to go. “Food Inc.” has influenced many consumers’ feelings regarding where the food on their dinner table comes from. It works well as an educational and informative documentary. It makes people stop and think. I know I did. I now walk into a grocery store with a whole new attitude about what I purchase for my family. One interesting fact is my brother-in-law is a bio-chemist with one of the leading food producers. His job is to develop new genetic modified organisms which increase the production and usefulness of the food we eat. However, he and his wife travel quite a distance to buy organically raised meats, vegetables, and fruits. After watching “Food Inc.”, I saw what he sees on a daily basis and now I realize why they go to such lengths to feed their family the best food possible. “Food Inc.” is an uncomfortable documentary to watch, but when something is uncomfortable you want to make a change. And that is exactly what “Food Inc.” inspires you to do. |