Gritty reality of where food comes from depicted in movie
After the bill signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this month, a sequel to “Food, Inc.” may be necessary.
All eggs, no matter the origin, sold in California starting in 2015 must meet the standards set forth in the 2008 voter approved Proposition 2. This legislation says all hens must be able to freely lie down, stand up, extend their wings and turn around. 2015 is the year the proposition takes affect.
“Food, Inc.” is the 2008 documentary about where animal products in the United States come from well before consumers buy them at the grocery store.
It’s graphic. It’s raw – in several meanings of the word. It’s disturbing. It had Sue and I turning our heads several times, but the audio told us what was going on.
Why watch it?
For one, too many people think their food comes from a grocery store. There is no thought beyond that. No thought about who grew it or raised it. No thought about the chemicals involved or what the animals may have consumed. No thought about what conditions the animals lived in.
I was familiar with much of the commentary in the movie. I had not seen all the pictures. I hadn’t seen chickens unable to move because it was wall-to-wall chickens.
Suddenly, the fact that in my vegetarian diet I do consume eggs – and bake with them all the time – I was alarmed. I had heard stories, but to see the conditions and hear from the farmers made my stomach turn.
The unfortunate thing about the new California law is that it does not address processed foods. Just think about all the food products that contain eggs. Then think about if the bill would cover the hens laying those eggs.
But maybe, just maybe, this law will change how some hens are treated. That would be a movie sequel worth watching – how food production has improved in the United States.
Another alarming aspect the movie brought forward is how agricultural is dominated by a handful of companies. It’s right up there with big oil. It was pointed out how people in government who are there to regulate the industry came from the industry. Sound familiar?
It’s one of those movies that everyone should see so they have an understanding of where food comes from.
The movie does show a farmer who has no problem doing things in what would be labeled a more organic way – having cows eat grass instead of a corn product. Corn isn’t a natural food product for cows – it’s something people have found cheap and easy to feed them.
If you want to know more about where food comes from, I highly recommend the book “Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser.
I’m pleased to read of this enlightened piece of legislation. Since leaving the beloved Tahoe area, I have been living in Oregon and am very involved in the localized food movement. We have nineteen chickens which are a constant source of amusement as well as great eggs. They are surprisingly full of curiosity, have differing personalities, and are a real pleasure to live with. One will peck my leg to get picked up. Another likes to sneak into the house at any opportunity. One follows my husband around like a dog and “talks” to him all day. I must admit that now that we know them, we eat almost no chicken. But we love their eggs! Factory farms are hideous for cattle as well as chickens. Much healthier and better karma to raise one’s own.
This movie is free through Netflix streaming. The book & DVD are available through the County Library (also free).
A new movie is out called “Fresh the Movie”, and I think is available to show in your town, if you can get over 100 people to view it. It is a kind of follow up to Food Inc, in that it shows the creative solutions that people have started to improve the quality of our food.
http://www.freshthemovie.com/
A review:
http://www.ecosalon.com/movie-review-fresh-the-movie/
Whether the chicken can flap its wings or not, after it stops laying you eat it. Then you are a carivore and you facilitate the killing of harmless creatures for your own selfish desires. You would be healthier and live longer if you did not eat animal flesh.
It all goes back to who was first. The chicken or the egg? I wonder if dinosaurs had these kinds of conversations before eating their prey? Anyone heard of the food chain?
Local food can be grown and raised in Tahoe too. Please bring us more coverage of this very positive part of community life here. Thanks for this.