Introduction
Global food production processes are essential for the world community and population due to the fact that people cannot survive without a well-developed food supply system. At the same time, various drawbacks and issues can occur during the procedures related to animal food factories, food production distribution, as well as legal regulation concerns. In the film Food, Inc., the authors discuss the considerable problems that arise in the American network of food production and dissemination and provide factual evidence regarding the negative consequences.
Summary
Documentary film producer Robert Kenner explores how massive businesses have monopolized every part of the food supply chain in the United States of America in his film Food Inc. In order to accomplish this, he examines how the food is transported from the fields where it is produced to the network of restaurants, markets, and grocery stores where it is distributed. The video, which is presented by scholar and activist Eric Schlosser, includes distressing imagery from huge animal processing factories. In addition, it consists of various conversations with common Americans concerning their eating habits and the opinions of food specialists, for instance, Michael Pollan. The movie got favorable reviews and was shortlisted for a number of honors, along with the Academy Award and the Independent Spirit Awards, both for documentary production.
The first part of the movie focuses on factory animal agriculture and criticizes it for being cruel and inefficient, both economically and ecologically. The second section examines the industrial output of vegetables and grains, particularly corn and bean, and once more labels this as being untenable from a financial and ecological standpoint. The third and last section of the movie is related to the political and financial authority, such as laws governing food labeling. It is generally connected to the large food corporations, whose revenue is derived from selling inexpensive but tainted food. However, the widespread usage of chemicals made from petroleum and the encouragement of unhealthful eating patterns by the American populace are underlined.
The negative effects of America’s industrialized food system are highlighted in the movie Food Inc. Within a certain level of demography and economics, it applies to a variety of international development topics. The movie emphasizes the drawbacks of industrialization, unjust trade regulations, the influence of multinational businesses in America, and the unfavorable effects of their dominance over the food chain (Food, Inc.). The opening of the movie outlines the absurdities of the contemporary American market, where there is no seasonality and no bone fragments in the meat products (Food, Inc.). Afterward, in a definitive claim, it is said that the reality of the food supply chain, which is essentially a factory system and an industrialized system, is concealed on purpose (Food, Inc.). The common consensus is that McDonald’s was the catalyst for the transition to an industrial food sector. In order to sufficiently diminish expenditures, the McDonald brothers eliminated their servers and created the drive-through. That changed significantly, and as McDonald’s and certain fast-food restaurants grew, so did the general need for standardized food items.
Furthermore, the authors of the film underline how the purchasing power in relation to a specific sphere of food production can be concentrated within specific organizations and corporations. McDonald’s is currently one of the biggest buyers of beef in America, as well as potatoes, vegetables, apples, and cane sugar (Food, Inc.). The need for vast quantities of standardized food products drove consolidation of the food industry into enormous factories and farms. Moreover, the chicken that has been developed by Tyson, the greatest food production firm around the globe, developed in half of the period it previously used to and had increased breasts (Food, Inc.). Additionally, the chicken producer and the entire process of raising chickens have been revamped. The movie continues in the huge factory, where heinous abuses occur, and Tyson maintains the poultry producers in debt by continually pressuring them to switch to new equipment.
Viewers can repeatedly notice in the film how food is produced along industrial chains; they visit the inescapable battery chicken production, food processing facilities, and vast cornfields. Substantial quantities of cattle are raised together in feeding clusters with no special separation needed before processing (Food, Inc.). The business incentive is mentioned as the justification for the industrialization and rationalization of the agricultural system. The firms that manage the overall food chain in the United States seek standardized food items for robust distribution since it is less expensive (Food, Inc.). As corm manufacturing is subsidized by the American public authorities so that it may be offered for less than it requires to produce, prices are further maintained constant and reduced.
Reaction
There are a number of drawbacks to the industrialization of agriculture that is depicted and explored in the movie. First, since there are numerous photographs of animals being held in appalling circumstances and dying, it is important to underline the exploitation of animals and cruelty (Food, Inc.). Furthermore, the issue of labor exploitation must be raised since migrant laborers who pack hens, who are sometimes undocumented, are paid even less than the proprietors of battery farms. Another cause is the growth of illnesses and health issues associated with animals maintained in abhorrent circumstances. Children who suffer from various diseases are also included, as are the businesses that are accountable for their continued production. Eventually, the issue of environmental harm should be raised since when swine and cattle are housed in large areas, their waste turns into a contaminant rather than a fertilizer. Due to the fact that corn rather than hay has replaced grass as the primary nutrition for factory farms, corn is transported to meat packing facilities before being delivered to customers, incurring additional fuel expenses.
In particular, the food industry is unstable due to a lack of food ingredients, a lack of businesses, and a significant reliance on petroleum. The population may reject this sector every time they recognize the reality since the flaws are obviously visible. The fight against the cigarette industry serves as an example of how oppressive dominance over a market by a few large firms may be overthrown. People can purchase goods from moral and ethical businesses that treat their employees and animals with compassion as a potential solution. Additionally, individuals may request that the state implements food safety regulations and chooses products that are natural, locally farmed, and seasonal.
Conclusion
To summarize, the first section of the film focuses on factory farming and condemns it for being inhumane and ineffective from an economic and ecological standpoint. The industrial production of vegetables and grains, notably corn and beans, is examined in the second section, which again declares it to be unsustainable from both a financial and ecological viewpoint. In the third and last part of the film, regulations controlling food labeling and other matters of political and financial authority are discussed.
Work Cited
Food, Inc. Directed by Robert Kenner, Los Angeles, CA: Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2009.