What was so striking to me watching this film–apart from its evident and urgent importance–was the unmitigated courage of so many individuals interviewed in it who put themselves at risk by speaking out on camera. Ruthless corporate Goliaths such as Monsanto and others are shown to stop at nothing to achieve their aim of global domination (and wholesale destruction) of the world’s food supply and environment.
Carole Morison, a formerly contracted farmer with Perdue (a major poultry producer) sacrificed her livelihood for the sake of standing up to unethical industry-imposed livestock practices and openly came on camera to finally speak out candidly about what she knew. Other farmers working for Perdue and the poultry king-pin company Tyson were silenced before they were able to show the full extent of their operations on camera.
Other family farmers who spoke on camera had been mercilessly dragged through the courts, humiliated and put out of business for the sin of practicing age-old seed collecting from their own crops–a traditional practice megalithic Monsanto has virtually abolished in favor of making seed purchase (from them, of course) on an annual basis mandatory by law.
Turns out food production (due to an unscrupulous and greed-driven industry) has changed more in the last 50 years than the last 500 years combined. GMO crops have the means to change the face of the food supply, human health and the environment forever in irreversible ways. Commercial livestock practices operate the equivalent of animal concentration camps for profit and run slaughterhouses that are only slightly less hazardous to the poorly paid workers in them than to the mistreated animals sent to their doom on a massive assembly line. The implications for modern society of such unconscionable corporate practices are nothing short of catastrophic on multiple levels…and are also often even fatal.
A moving part of the film was a spotlight on Barbara Kowalcyk, a tireless lobbyist struggling to pass a bill called “Kevin’s Law”. Barbara’s young son (Kevin) had died eating E.coli contaminated meat. Her bill seeks to shut down repeated corporate offenders who continually knowingly send E.coli contaminated meats into the marketplace. Through unrelenting corporate pressure, her important bill has continually been defeated. Although she had volumes of evidence about specific repeat offenders whose meat puts everyone at risk, she was prevented by a corporate-coddling “veggie libel law” to so much as mention the names of the companies who sell products (including those that killed her son) she personally will no longer purchase. These statutes allow corporations to aggressively sue such individuals for “defamation” of their products–even if the allegations are entirely true.
Well known heroes, Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (Omnivore’s Dilemma) join forces for this film and don their capes and tights yet again here in a particularly meaningful and effective way. Their presentations are articulate, passionate and deeply important, as they continue to “fight the good fight” for the quality and health of our food supply…an ever losing battle.
Finally, celebrated farmer and organic/biodynamic agricultural activist, Joel Salatin shines a welcome and refreshing light on what humane and truly sustainable farming practices really are. He effectively makes the case for all of us to actively seek out locally and sustainably produced meat, eggs and produce as a means of taking back our power to define what we choose to call real food–and in doing so reclaim control of our food supply, our health and even our very souls.
It is beyond important that we all pay attention to the forces shaping what you and I are being sold as “food”. Schlosser, Pollan and Salatin can’t fight this fight all on their own. In the face of bald-faced monolithic evils such as Monsanto and other unscrupulous corporate giants it is going to take each and every one of us becoming aware, caring and activistic to turn the tide. Ignorance of corporate trends are akin to silent concession to their nefarious designs.
Even as we speak, Monsanto is hiding behind legislation that would end small farm operations like Joel Salatin’s and others under the guise of “food safety”. This bill is on the fast track in Congress-, as HR 2749, “the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009”. HR 2749 would empower FDA (under the influence of Monsanto) to REGULATE HOW CROPS ARE RAISED and HARVESTED. It would put the federal government right on the farm, dictating to
farmers in a manner sure to squeeze out small family operations in favor of larger corporate interests. You can take the first step in fighting this by signing the petition here:
FOOD, INC. does a good job of inspiring justifiable rage, as well as a positive awareness and motivation to truly change the way you shop for food. It also wakes you up in a way we all need to be woken up to the need for activism and the chutzpah to give a very real damn.
One can only hope they’ve made this movie in time. You can’t afford to miss it.
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