FoodIncCiara

Title: Food Inc. Release Date: 2008 Director: Robert Kenner  2. What is the central argument of the film?  Food Inc.'s central argument is that our industrial food system is unsustainable and creating huge environmental and human health problems nationwide. Industrial agriculture uses a large amount natural resources and fossil fuels to produce meat. This mechanization of food has put a veil over knowing where our food comes from. Many people are disconnected from the origins of their food, and this film simply reveals how environmentally unsound our current food system is.  The government established farm policies that encouragse farmers to produce mass amounts of corn and soybeans, and much of this corn is used for other products than food. The consumer is the victim of these practices, since much of this food is cheaper than organically grown food. There is nothing keeping agribusiness in check, since the industry has ties in government. Agribusiness has tremendous legal power, therefore they are a large threat to farmers and concerned citizens who file suits against them. As a result, our society has suffered health problems from the cheap, contaminated food that is sold.  3. What sustainability problems does the film draw out?  As much as 30% of the land in the U.S. is used for corn production. In addition, several large corporations control these farms. There are inherently unintended consequences for technological advancement in farming. Many fertilizers, hormones, and pesticides are used to sustain industrial farming, resulting in the contamination of food and the environment. The soil is greatly impacted because corn and soy are grown in monoculture, therefore requiring great amounts of chemical fertilizer. This leaches into the groundwater and depletes oxygen levels in the watershed, creating dead zones. Pesticide use is also getting into our aquifers and drinking water. This doesn’t even begin to address the animal cruelty issue. We also are treating animals as if they are products of a factory, not allowing them to access clean air, food, and water. It won’t be long before we have to change our current methods of industrial farming because this method is inherently unsustainable.   4. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was personally compelled and enraged by the child who died from eating a hamburger contaminated with ecoli, and the fact that the industrial agriculture system is allowing their practices to support the spread of disease. There is no regulation of these corporations, which is discouraging, but gives a reason to become more actively involved in changing it. When the film showed a contrast to the industrial system, which is Joel Salatin's organic farm, I was filled with ideas on how a more sustainable system could work for the entire U.S.. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5. What parts were you not compelled or convinced by? <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was not thoroughly convinced that people are getting type II diabetes and heart disease solely due to our food system. The film seemed to argue that there is a direct causal relationship. There is a matrix of problems in our society that supports unhealthy lifestyles. I believe our infrastructure and the advent of the automobile are causing people to remain more sedentary than ever before. Even though obesity and health problems associated with a poor diet are a result of our industrialized food society, people have the power to make healthier choices. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6. What audiences does this film best address? <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Food Inc. is not a hard film to understand. It addresses those who would like to become more aware of where their food comes from. Some scenes are graphic, so it is not for those who are sensitive to imagery animal cruelty. This film advocates the spread of awareness by educating the consumer of the several food corporations that run the food industry using unsustainable and environmentally destructive practices. This film is also not for CEO’s of Monsanto, Cargill, Tyson, or other greedy and unregulated corporations. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7. What could have been added to enhance environmental education value? <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I would suggest a flow chart (or something similar) that shows quantitative data on the carbon footprint of the industrial food system. For example, 1 kg of beef has a carbon footprint of 40 kg of CO2 emissions… etc. <span style="color: #454037; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8. What action and points of intervention was suggested by the film? <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The film suggested action and choices that the consumer could make. I wasn’t impressed with the types of solutions that they suggested, as they put pressure on the consumer to make all of the changes. This is an important part of intervening, yet it is not the only one. The government is arresting farmers and workers of the system, not the actual corporations. Several large corporations are gaining control of the food industry. The system is corrupt. In order to challenge it, in my opinion, members of society should also petition and exercise their civil liberties. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9. What additional info did the film lead you to seek out? <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m glad that the focused on a legislative form of intervention, Kevin’s Law. Kevin’s law was named after the two-year-old Kevin Kowalyck, who died in 2001 after eating a hamburger contaminated with E.Coli 0157:H7. The bill never became a law, as it was never voted on. But new versions of the bill have been introduced, yet never been reported out of a committee. If this bill was passed, it would give the U.S. government the power to prevent contaminated meat and poultry from entering the food supply by requiring the USDA to establish performance standards to reduce the pathogens in meat and poultry. As of now, which seems incredibly ludicrous, the USCA does not have this authority. This is mainly because corporations have lobbied against it, arguing that it would “increase the cost of food production and is unnecessary”. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Source: [] Another interesting thing that this movie led me to seek out is if there are any negative health effects associated with Monsanto’s genetically modified crops? Here’s what I found: Researchers found that Monsanto’s GM corn is linked to organ damage in rats. The substances in the corn have never been part of the human diet and their health consequences are unknown for people who consume them for long periods of time. Three varieties of GM corn were approved for consumption by the US, European, and several other national food safety authorities. Monsanto gathered statistical data saying that the corn was “safe for consumption”. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Source: Research study - []<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">