HawksleyFilmAnnotation2


 * Erika Hawksley**
 * Annotation #2**
 * Word Count 1,287**


 * Title:** Food, Inc.
 * Director:** Robert Kenner
 * Release year:** 2008


 * What is the central argument or narrative of the film?**

The narrative of this film is unveiling the ugly truth about America’s industrial food system and the detrimental effects that it is having on our health and environment. It addresses issues including genetic modification of crops, monoculture, pollution, pesticides, food poisoning, labor abuse, and how our government’s regulatory agencies are not adequately protecting us. Food, Inc. attempts to follow the foods we eat from their source to our plates and points out details that many people don’t know about the process. It also reveals the corruption of our national policy making system when it comes to food and agriculture. This film effectively identifies everything that is wrong with our industrial food system and provides steps that need to be taken to solve the problems.


 * How is the argument or narrative made and sustained? How much scientific information is provided, for example? Does the film have emotional appeal?**

Food, Inc. creates and sustains this narrative through telling the stories of many people who have been involved with or negatively affected by the industrial food system in some way. The film is filled with emotional appeal and shocking truthful facts about what is going on behind closed doors. One story is about a farmers being sued for saving their own seed after their crops were contaminated with genetically engineered Monsanto seeds. Another story is a heart wrenching fight of a mother trying to find justice after her two-and-a-half year old son died from eating a hamburger contaminated with E. Coli 0157 bacteria. Other stories include hog farmers and chicken farmers that give behind the scenes information and images of how confined animal feeding operations function. There are many pieces of scientific data presented in the film, but the stories from people who have experienced the conditions first hand have the biggest impact on viewers.


 * What sustainability problems does the film draw out? Political? Legal? Economic? Technological? Media and Informational? Organizational? Educational? Behavioral? Cultural? Ecological?**

This film truly touches on every type of sustainability problem questioned above. Food, Inc. deals with political issues about how former leaders of industrial corporations like Monsanto end up being politicians making the regulations for the industrial food system or partnering with certain political parties to control decision making. Legal issues arise when the film explores lawsuits filed by companies like Monsanto that own the genes to a genetically modified seed. Industrial agriculture and food is also in economic trouble because current method of subsidizing crops and producing excessive supplies while dropping the price per unit is not economically sustainable. It is technology that has allowed us grow, water, harvest, process, and distribute crops in such an industrial manner; not to mention genetic modification and the development of corn syrup. The media has kept American’s in a numb and ignorant state of mind that bigger, fatter, cheaper is better and that we should be proud of such industrial advances. Organizationally, the food system in our country is just wrong at its core because it goes against so many sustainable principles. Our traditional education system does not delve much into our food system and where our food comes from, which is a shame because education about food issues is the key to solving the problem. Behaviorally and culturally, we as Americans take for granted the cheap packaged food gathered on the shelves of our grocery stores and have come to expect nothing less. Ecologically, the industrial food system is causing negative effects on our environment through the use of pesticides, runoff from CAFOs, and fuel used to transport our food.


 * What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?**

The most persuasive part of this film was the piece presented by Joel Salatin, in which he explained the mentality behind his organic and sustainable farm in Virginia. He considers himself a grass farmer because his entire farm relies on rotational grazing and mimics life’s natural cycles. Salatin’s way of thinking was refreshing and made so much sense. It makes the audience wonder why our nation’s food system has strayed so far from this simple natural system that produces no waste and requires no pesticides or antibiotics. The ingenuity and efficiency of Salatin’s farm was very impressive and opened my eyes to how sustainable farming can be.


 * What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?**

Food, Inc. presents such compelling information that I was truly convinced by every argument made in the film. It is hard to argue with first hand stories from people being abused by the industrial food system and images that reveal what CAFOs and feed lots look like.


 * What audiences does the film best address? Why?**

This film is for audiences ready to learn the truth about where our food comes from. It is a provocative film that everyone who shops at a grocery store and eats food should see. Food, Inc. is appropriate for all education levels because it explains the issues very well and doesn’t rely on much previous knowledge besides the food you eat.


 * What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?**

Food, Inc. provides great environmental education value, but focuses mainly on issues pertaining to human health, politics, and regulations. More information could have been provided on the negative effects the industrial food system has on our environment, including statistics about the impact on global warming and ecological effects of pollution from industrial agriculture.


 * What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.**

This film suggests ten simple things that people can do to help change our food system. These include buying organic and local foods, reading food labels and pushing for stricter labeling, and pushing Congress to implement stricter food safety laws. The film also recommends going without meat one day a week, not drinking sodas or other sweetened beverages, eating at home instead of eating out, and demanding job protections for farm workers and food processors.


 * What additional information has the film compelled you to seek out? (Provide at least two supporting references.)**

Food, Inc. compelled me to seek out more information about what products contain high fructose corn syrup and why it is so bad for us. I found that high fructose corn syrup is worse for your body than sugar because it contains 5% more fructose. This increase means the syrup contains 45% glucose and 55% fructose, instead of 50%-50% in sugar, which leaves 10% of fructose to float around in your body. Increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup has been linked to heart disease and high cholesterol. I also found that as the percentage of products that contain the syrup has increased over the past years, obesity rates have increased as well. High fructose corn syrup is even in foods that claim to be ‘healthy’, such as Yoplait yogurt, Special K, and ‘lite’ salad dressings.

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I was also compelled to seek out the status of Kevin’s Law. I found that Kevin’s Law was presented to Congress as a bill that would give the U.S. Department of Agriculture the power to shut down plants that produced contaminated meat. Unfortunately, this important piece of legislation never became law. However, I did find an online petition posted recently to revive Kevin’s law. The issue of contaminated meat is still alive and very important to our nation’s health, so it is essential that stricter policies, such as Kevin’s Law, be put in place to help secure our food safety.

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