Reading Response #6-What Are You Really Eating?

 

At times the stomach churning images in the documentary “Food, Inc.” may be hard to view, nevertheless this is a film everyone should see. Once you have food will never look the same. Robert Kenner has managed to pull back the curtain on the food industry and reveal the dark secrets it was hiding. In this film he explores how the food industry got to be where it is today, the problems caused by industrial agriculture, and what we can do to help repair it.

According to Kenner the food industry is controlled by a handful of companies. The vast amount of power these corporations yield has allowed them to misuse and abuse farmers, workers, animals, consumers, and the environment. For years these companies have led the consumer to believe our food was being produced safely on happy little family farms. This image is far from the truth. Not surprisingly the major power holders in the food industry were unwilling to answer questions about their business practices.

Due to massive corruption within the industry and government we have lost the right to expect safe, healthy food. Regulations and laws have been reduced and twisted in favor of large corporate powers. Because of this we increasingly hear about new food recalls and salmonella outbreaks. Unfortunately, the first people to suffer the effects of these contaminated foods are children.

Thankfully the documentary also discusses some positive changes that are occurring within the food industry. As more and more consumers become educated about food they begin to choose products that are produced sustainably. Corporations, such as Wal-Mart, are not blind to this trend and have begun to cater to their customers offering more organic and sustainable options. Further proof that the key to change is education.

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