This past Wednesday we talked about the movie “Food Inc.” by Robert Kenner on our weekly Green Chat that happens every Wednesday on Twitter at 2pm eastern standard time. We had a great discussion about the movie. I watched it last week for the first time, and I must say that it was a huge eye opener for me in terms of how little consumers think or care about how animals are raised for consumption and the manufacturing process that occurs. As consumers, we must stick up for ourselves and fight for what is right. A few large companies are dominating the food industry, and they aren’t treating workers humanely, they aren’t treating animals humanely, and they’re genetically engineering crops to be resistant of herbicides.
Some of the Major Issues Brought Up In the Movie:
- Inhumane and unsanitary treatment of animals
- Inhumane and unsanitary treatment of workers
- Genetic altering of plant crops (specifically soybeans)
- Mass production of food leads to cheaper prices and unhealthier options for lower income families
- Monopoly on the food industry by few companies
- Corn being used in virtually everything we find in the supermarket
To see the transcript of our Green Chat, click here
Here’s a great video from ABC News Nightline about the movie Food Inc. I like it because they interview the other side of the spectrum of people who work for governmental regulators and big agriculture companies, which is something the movie fails to do. They claim that they contacted the companies mentioned in the movie and government officials but no one wanted to be interviewed for the movie.
What Can We Do?
Instead of complaining about how the government supports these large agriculture companies and how they produce low quality food for us, we need to respond by choosing alternatives. CONSUMERS have the ultimate power when it comes to making choices at the supermarket. Buy more fresh produce and meat at your local farmer’s markets. Look for food co-op’s, which are easy to find in this local food and organic directory. Like the movie says, we have the chance to vote for change three times a day.
In regards to the travel industry, we want to see change when it comes to the travel industry being more green and sustainable, so travelers need to vote for this by choosing alternatives. Renting a hybrid car, choosing a hotel with green amenities, and driving rather than flying when possible are all ways that we can vote for change in the travel industry.
