Foodie Film Review – Food Inc.

Since the content here on thewaspyredhead.com has taken a decidedly foodie turn as of late, it seemed appropriate that I would share with my readers my take on the documentary, “Food Inc.” Let me preface this review by pointing out that I am not a film critic by any means – there are no delusions of grandeur here that I will be the next Roger Ebert. I am passionate about food, and passionate about movies, so this seemed like an opportunity to get others interested in learning a bit more about an issue that I find important.

Here we go…

Food Inc. aims to shed light on the “business” of food in America. By exploring the relationship between multi-national agricultural corporations, and the policymakers/regulatory agencies tasked with ensuring the safety of food, the filmmakers attempt to frame an argument that our food system is facing serious issues. With topics ranging from overproduction of corn, to the increase of food-born contaminants, to the economics of undocumented workers in meat processing facilities, to the manipulation and control of farming by genetically modified patented versions of corn and soybeans – it was an ambitious film. While the production values were high and the film is artfully done, I felt like they fell just short of bringing together a clearly articulated analysis of these complicated issues. This film raises a lot of questions, and unfortunately I felt like in most instances it stopped short of fully developing a debate or providing adequate information. In short, this movie was all over the place.

As a life-long foodie, and aspiring public servant, I genuinely enjoyed the film. Unfortunately, I must admit I am somewhat disappointed in that I feel like there was a golden opportunity missed. Narrated by Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser (two of the most influential authors on modern food industry), and with promotional backing and support most documentaries could never dream of, the film seemed to have the potential to blow the lid off of this topic and push it to the forefront of the American consciousness. I doubt that will be the case. I think this film was produced in such a way that it preaches to the converted. Foodies and politicos will see it, and they will enjoy it – the fast-food loving masses probably won’t see it. If this movie does find a broader audience, it won’t have the power to affect change because it fails to present unbiased and concise analysis paired with reasonable and tangible solutions.

At several points I was frustrated with how they glazed over the surface of a topic without presenting statistics or meaningful analogies. I found myself thinking “just tell people where the conflict is, and then provide reasonable alternatives, damn it!” It wasn’t till the final credits of the movie that the film-makers presented ways you could get involved in the solution to these issues. They listed “10 simple things you can do to change our food system” and provided a website for more information. I think that my problem is that going into the movie I had very high expectations. These are issues I am passionate about, and I felt like I was going to get to see the anthem film that would finally inspire the population to get on board with affecting positive change. I’m hopeful that this will bring a level of consciousness about the problems with our food system to a wider audience… but to me, it didn’t do enough to arm the populace with the information they need to make informed decisions.

In summary, I think that even though I was a little disappointed, you should see the movie. I wasn’t disappointed with the story telling or the quality of the film, just that it didn’t do enough to educate and empower people. Please see it. And if you are interested in these topics please continue to read and research for yourself. And if you aren’t going to see it, please consider implementing one of these changes the film-makers presented at the closing of the film.

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.  You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage.

2. Eat at home instead of eating out. You consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.

3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.  Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to their customers.

4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.  Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years.

5. Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week.  An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.

6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.  According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.

7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s market.  Farmer’s markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

8. Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS.  The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate.

9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.  Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.

10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.  Poverty among farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.