Food, Inc. Scratches the Surface of Food Production Issues

On Friday night I went to view the premier of Food, Inc. in Nashville at the only location daring enough to show it: The Belcourt Theater in Hillsboro Village. Not much of the film provided new insights to an industry I have already spent some time learning more about. It was structured in short chapters on:

• the fast food industry and the economic benefits of eating fast, cheap food
• illegal immigrants working in meat processing plants (yes, that's a euphemism for slaughterhouse)
• industrial meet processing
• industrial livestock raisers (esp. chicken)
• corn farmers and genetically modified seed
• public & legal policies
• government influence
• sustainable & local farming
• call for action and change

I cannot remember all of the names and titles of the sections, but this list provides a fair overview of the major talking points of the film. I think the earlier NYTimes Review was accurate in saying "Time and again the movie stops short before it really gets started." With so many sub-topics, there is no way to do justice to any of them in a 93-minute film. It simply provides a nasty taste of the major issues surrounding food production in America.

Everyone who sees this film is guaranteed to learn something shocking enough to inspire the curiosity to learn more and to spark the momentum to change the system. Food, Inc. will be most influential in introducing newbies to the realities of food production in America and the possibilities that with each item scanned in the supermarket, we can slowly increase the demand for local, organic, and healthy food in our communities.

As was discussed in the post-viewing panel discussion at the Belcourt, people choose to eat local or organic foods for a variety of reasons: animal treatment, pesticide use, local agriculture, local economy, health, taste, etc. I think this is the kind of film that is outrageous enough, yet brief enough to start more serious conversations and change.

Check out the Food, Inc. website for more info, including reading lists.

NYTimes Review of Food, Inc.

Meet Your New Farmer: Hungry Corporate Giant

Thanks, Emily, for passing on this NYTimes review of Food, Inc. The ultimate review is that the documentary opens up a world of potential questions but ultimately falls short of truly digging deep into the myriad of issues discussed. I can't wait to see it (already bought tix!) two weeks from now at the Belcourt, followed by a panel discussion with local members of the food industry. I CAN'T WAIT!

Everyone in Nashville should go!

Food Inc.

Check out this trailer for a new movie coming out about the food we eat. I cannot believe this movie actually made it into production! I'll be curious to see how readily available it is for viewing. It looks like there is commentary throughout from farmers and authors like Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore's Dilemna) and Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation).

I am so excited that there is finally room in our society to question the methods and the madness behind food. We do this with politics, immunizations, environmental concerns, faith and religion, etc. etc. We have finally seen the point where the actions of the tobacco industry are more transparent. Why not food? Why is the food industry not more transparent so that we can be aware of what goes on behind the scenes - good or bad? And why are some people so resistant to the idea that things may not be how they seem? In the name of exploration, I say Americans (including myself) need to learn more about this!

This is only the tip of the iceberg, but I'm still thankful for it.

Imagine where we'd be...

Heard this interesting article on NPR this morning on my way to work. It's about the rise of organic farming in India, where 30 times more farmers use organic methods than in the United States. Unfortunately, there is little choice involved—now the soil there is so leeched of necessary minerals and nutrients that the amount of fertilizer required to grow any crops at all has grown exponentially. " 'Imagine how much organic farmers might be able to produce,' Sharma says, 'if India's government spent even a fraction of the billions of dollars it has spent promoting chemical farming.' "

Happiness for Consumers

Interesting blog post from No-Impact Man about women's happiness in a consumer-based society: research that examines whether the ability to have and to make more choices than ever before provides greater happiness in women.

Worth the 5 minutes it takes to read and digest the thoughts. Probably also worth the number of times you will recall this article as you make choices over the next several days: "5 grain Italian loaf, or 7 grain wheat loaf? Milk dated June 3rd or June 5th? Would you like to super-size that? Should I buy the same exact sweater in red or blue?"

It is interesting to think how some people take consumerism so seriously by swearing by only one particular brand of such-and-such. . . Do they believe that the ability to make that choice provides greater control in their life? Is that just a red flag reminding us that sometimes we are out of control of the choices that really matter in our lives?

Feminism, Schmeninism

So Chris and I were in the car last night, and he asks me what I think about "freezing my eggs." Keep in mind that this what not relevant in any way to any conversation we were already having. He had recently read an article where a woman said that freezing eggs is degrading to the cause of feminism. (If I find out which article, I'll post it.) That made me think of another issue I had read about recently, which is that in Turkish state goverments and universities, it is unlawful to wear a headscarf, even if a woman prefers to do so. A new generation of women in Turkey are now fighting to have that right again as a form of free speech and expression. Ironically, some women there think that only anti-feminists would ever want to "degrade" themselves in that way. This sparked a whole coversation about feminism.

To me, the whole purpose of feminism (historically and currently) is for women to have the same inherent rights as men (and therefore, as all humans). So why do people insist on labeling feminism as a task list in which doing or not doing certain tasks allows someone to be a feminist!? Who cares?

I think that by having the right to make that choice freely is what allows all women to be feminist. If a woman chooses to stay home and raise 20 children, then she has made a choice which shows her feminism in a very traditional way. If I woman chooses to not marry or have children, and becomes a major CEO for a bigshot company, that is her choice! She expresses feminism by stretching the parameters of how other people perceive the role and capacity of women to do tasks traditionally occupied by men.

Grr...It's just another thing that frustrates me about the world. Women and other minority groups will never entirely break out of their pre-conceived shells until they stop talking about the parameters of the label itself. It people want to be seen as "not women," then they need to stop talking about why they are such "forward-thinking women" and just go into the world the way they are. We'll never be equal until we forget that labels ever existed.

Thoughts on Change

I have just finished reading Zaatar Days, Henna Nights, in which I read this simple yet powerful statement:

"He was not so much against change as against the changing of principles."

I can see the relevance to so many things: the environment, media-centered culture, even Facebook! I don't think people are against preserve the environment, reusing/recycling materials, etc., but I think many people are resistent to the idea that they are asked to change the way they shop, choose packaging, choose food, reuse items, and recycle more than the occasional plastic water bottle. In other words, I think all people are united toward the goal, but not all people are united to change their lives in ways to help the world meet that goal.

Another quote: "I was beginning to realize that places mattered less than the spirit and connections forged along the way."


Speaking of change in my own life, we have found an apartment to move to across the street (literally) from where we live now. This change is the right one for us to make at this point in our lives, although I will admit that I'm losing several things I have become used to: a bright, large kitchen, a fabulous balcony that gets plenty of sun, and a general "newness" in the whole place.

I am also trying to come up with an answer for an offer someone has recently made me...cryptic I know. Doing this is rewarding, but I have had some bad experiences with it in the past. I am trying to prayfully decide the right thing, but saying "yes" could lead to more decisions that I cannot make yet. Some people might say that being ready is not the point. They may be right.