While I was watching Food, Inc, I kept expecting to see Charlton Heston emerge proclaiming, "It's people! The mega-conglomerates that control nearly all of our food supply uses people!" Several Tyson representatives quickly appear, wearing black trench coats and Men in Black-type sunglasses and shove Heston into a waiting black van that speeds away.
However, the premise behind Food, Inc is far more disturbing than any twist on an early 70's science fiction movie. Food, Inc brings to light so many issues that it boggles the mind. The cruelty that feed animals face for the sake of bigger, faster, and cheaper is staggering. And, worse, the workers are often treated no better than the animals, with little to no protection from the very companies that have commandeered their lives.
Couple this with farmers who are afraid to tell the truth about how livestock are treated (save for the few that cooperated with the making of the movie) and you have a nightmare scenario right on your dinner plate-or, worse, in your fast food bag. If a farmer tries to stand up to the corporation, or deviates from the company's policies, they are either shut down or prosecuted. Huge multi-national companies have an arsenal of lawyers that can wear down most anyone who gets in their way. And, sadly, there are many high-ranking politicians sitting in their back pockets as well.
The only bright spot that can be found is we learn that once the consumer is educated about the low-quality of food that is being offered by the large companies at the supermarket, we do have a voice and can rally for change simply in the choices we make when we shop. Narrator Michael Pollan reminds us that each time we shop, we cast a vote. We can, as a nation, vote for healthy, wholesome food rather than mass-produced, nutritionally deficient garbage.
If we are still complacent once we are aware of the truth, can the cartoon above be far behind?
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