Directed by Robert Kenner
Robert Kenner worked for over six years to complete Food Inc and while his investigation centres on what is happening in the United States, I wonder how long it will take before we catch up. He believes that we have lost the connection with where our food actually comes from and have no idea what is done to it between its point of origin and the supermarket shelf. Along with Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation), he believes that we value food that is cheap, fast and easy and the cost is our health and the health of the environment. And unfortunately, when Coke is cheaper than water, many people are making disastrous food choices.
How much do we really know about the food we buy at our local supermarkets? The enormous buying power of the few companies who deliver food to us has helped to transform the entire food production system so that the actuality is far removed from the picture perfect farm on labels in the advertising. I warn you – this is a really scary film and many animals are harmed in the making of it. Putting profit before consumer health has resulted in highly mechanised ‘effective’ food production that has devastating effects on farmers, workers and the environment. How do you think we manage to get perfect vegetables and copious quantities of meat required to serve our huge populations?
Kenner explains the reasons for the obesity and diabetes explosion in America how 73,000 Americans die from the E coli virus every year. There are scary revelations of how farmers and workers are silenced by large corporations who have politicians doing their bidding. It is shocking to see how people’s rights are being denied but some brave people have spoken out. Go see it, be outraged and find alternatives.
Lezly Herbert