After watching the film, Food Inc., I am further concerned about the food industry of today. The film begins by calling out the illusion of diversity in our supermarkets. It’s hard to imagine that we aren’t given diversity when you walk through endless isles of a grocery store with countless brands and products. But the truth is, most of the food we are offered comes from just a few major companies and sources. Covering our products are pictures of happy animals in huge pastures, with cheerful farmers caring for them. This is all just part of the illusion though. Nowadays, people don’t want to pay for that kind of care if they can get the “same” product for much cheaper. We want the most bang for our buck, and to achieve this, even our food industry has resorted to mass production, including the production of living animals. The industry is “behind a veil,” as the movie put it, so we are completely unaware of the truth behind the products we consume everyday. Companies know ignorance is bliss, so as long as we’re not begging for answers, they are happy to keep it their little secret. The segment of the film that has stuck with me most was the sequence of chicken production. It was horrible to see the little chicks being grabbed and thrown, then going down shoots into piles as if they were objects. The dark tunnels for raising the chickens are atrocious, and seeing them kicked and grabbed and piled was so hard to watch. Knowing this is the kind of system that millions of animals go through is mortifying. Along with the horrible treatment of the animals, these systems seem far from sanitary for us as consumers.
Clearly, there is a major flaw in our system since there is so much disease flowing through it all. The movie shows a story from a woman whose child died from E. coli by eating a hamburger. Seven years and multiple more deaths later, the government still won’t pass any bills to insure further safety in our food industry. As the woman stated, we should be able to trust our government to protect us, yet they are not doing so in the slightly bit. These systems are pools of disease and contamination, yet the government fully supports and even subsidizes these systems. And on a real farm, with healthy animals, and clean slaughter and butchering of meat, the government will not approve of or support the system. This all makes no sense to me. Without a doubt, this industry is corrupt, and yet once again, we as consumers have no idea of the horrible situation we are supporting.
What do you think needs to happen to fix this major problem?
Why won’t the government agree to close down factories that continually show signs of disease contamination?
While we can all gasp and frown at the situation, is seeing the problem enough to make you want to change your ways? Possibly looking for real farms closer by, so you know where your food is coming from?
As if...
More like... 
Mark Bittman (Photographer). (2008). Here's the Beef [Photograph], Retrieved Feb 8, 2011, from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?_r=1
[Photograph], Retrieved Feb 8, 2011, from: http://meat.adept.co.nz/
[Photograph], Retrieved Feb 8, 2011, from: http://meat.adept.co.nz/
I agree with you Maddy when you talk about the chicken production segment of the film. The animals were being treated as useless objects.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote "ignorance is bliss" says it perfectly. The production of food in this industry will continue to prosper for corporations as long as they keep the process as quiet and hidden as possible. How can anyone do anything about this poor process if so many individuals are so unaware of what they are eating as well as how that food came to be.