Greed in the Seed: The "Inconvenient Truth" of How Food Gets to Your Table Revealed in Food, Inc.

The riveting documentary Food, Inc. (opening in select cities tomorrow) presents elements of the food industry that can put profit ahead of food safety, workers' rights, animal welfare, the sustainability of the environment, and the livelihood of the family farmer.

How much do we really know about the food we buy at our local supermarkets and serve to our families?

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA.

Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli -- the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield Farm's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.*

Get a "taste" of Food Inc. here:

This isn't a film about not eating meat. It is film about looking at the systems through which our food is supplied. It looks at how animals as well as workers are treated, the nutrition of the food, and the effects of factory farming methods on the environment.

Food, Inc. is a film whose time has come. With the economic meltdown and the change at the White House, people are demanding more transparency and accountability from those in charge. One thing we as a human race have in common is that we eat, and it's time we knew what's in our food and how it gets to our table.

Food, Inc. employs the use of powerful visuals to deliver its message. It takes its audience to amazing locations to see how food makes it to the grocery shelf, and it graphically demonstrates how the people and animals involved in its production are treated.

The film doesn't shy away from revealing treatment of animals at slaughterhouses, it exposes the often-corrupt politics involved in food policy, and it reveals the poor treatment of workers at some factory farms. It takes an in depth look at the strained relationships between Monsanto and the small farmers -- and issues resulting from the patenting of seeds.

This film is anything but a dry exposé on the perils of food production. The use of clever animation and appealing graphics keeps you engaged throughout the entire film.

Journalists are often criticized for not warning us of the economic meltdown and the lead up to the Iraq War. With the offering of Food, Inc., as well as the writings of experts such as Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), they can't be accused of not warning us of the importance of taking a look at how our food is prepared and its impact on our health and the environment. If you eat food, Food, Inc. can certainly give you some food for thought.

The documentary uses eerie footage in to portray the dark side of food production. The story is not meant to be doom and gloom, however, but a call to action and the hope for a better future. One of the bright and hopeful scenes was a visit with Joel Salatin, owner/farmer of Polyface Farms, who is committed to sustainability, humane treatment of animals, and direct marketing of meats and vegetables to consumers. His customers travel from far and wide, claiming that they can't find food as fresh tasting as what they get at Polyface.

As much as there were surprising and shocking visuals and facts presented throughout the film, the scene that got the most response from the audience during the screening I attended was one that involved Wal-Mart. The idea that Wal-Mart might be part of the solution was surprising, to say the least. A discussion between Gary Hischberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farms (a leading yogurt producer with sustainable practices), and Wal-Mart executives demonstrated the point that larger chains will respond to the request for more organic products if consumers demand it.

More Controversy

The press notes that can be found on Food, Inc.'s website state: "It is important to note that the filmmakers attempted to interview representatives from Monsanto, Tyson, Perdue and Smithfield, but they all declined."

However, Monsanto has set up a response on their website to the allegations against it in Food, Inc. and claims that they never declined to participate.

In addition, SafeFoodInc.com, an alliance of associations that represent the livestock, meat, and poultry industries, is debating the ideas presented in the film. On their website, they present a section called "Myths & Facts" -- their response to Food, Inc.

What You Can Do

Food, Inc. leaves the audience with a call to action. Ultimately, we vote with the dollars we spend on groceries, and the film encourages us to support companies that use sustainable practices. The Food, Inc. website offers ideas for 10 Simple Things You Can Do To Change Our Food System.

*Synopsis from Food, Inc.'s website

Comments

[KJLSanDiego]

even though most of us can't afford to go all natural or organic fully, it is possible even on a tight budget to hit up the alternative store where you can get meats that are both!

[ckmotorka]

One of the more striking (to me) statements at the (yeah, right) safefoodinc.com site is there reference to modern cattle production as "traditional" methods while implying that free range and organic are some kind of new Frankenstein's Monster of food production. Wouldn't the "original" method of growing and producing food qualify as the "traditional" method?

And another one--they talk about how much of the global food production problems regarding deforestation and rainforest depletion, etc., don't happen in the U.S. Of course, they fail to mention that much of those "foreign" issues are at the hand of U.S. owned corporations!

Very frustrating stuff these Monsanto and meat industry P.R. sites.

[Neco223]

Thanks for a great review. I have been waiting to see this movie and plan on seeing it tonight. I hope that a lot of people see this movie, and even if everyone makes one change for the better in terms of food choices, we can affect a shift. A shift in policy has to start with a shift in consciousness.

[tgv4567]

I like this article because it was a strong review of a subject that I tend sweep under the rug as i eat my burger and fries at the fast food restaurant on my way to work. I'm afraid to see this film because i know once I see it , I will never be able to cry ignorance again and I will have to make some tough choices on how I am going to eat from now on.

[Samalabear]

I pretty much stopped eating at fast food restaurants after seeing "Fast Food Nation."

[MJinCanada]

The absolute worst thing are the grains designed to produce sterile seed, so that farmers cannot grow next year's crop from part of the current year's harvest. Instead, they have to buy seed from Monsanto or other conglomerate.

Just imagine if such crops began crossbreeding with normal crops. My nightmare is that these corporations will deliberately plant these terminator crops to cripple natural crops and force us to depend largely on them for food.

[CintiBlue]

Either I'm in your nightmare, or you're in mine.

[armacas]

"Just imagine if such crops began crossbreeding with normal crops."

It is already happening - and Monsanto & Co. have even been SUEING farmers who's crops they spoiled/infected (e.g. by running trucks with open cargo areas and loaded with GM (genetically modified) seed along fields with traditional crops) for STEALING their product (GM seeds are patented!)...

This way, they force farmers who refuse to use their products into submission... Their business model is unethical, criminal and has the potential to increase hunger in the world (at present, 1 billion people suffer from chronic hunger) many times over, longterm (50-100 years).

[CintiBlue]

I was never a cook, so I was throwing stuff in the microwave when the "beware toxic material" labels were strung down the sides of meat and poultry packages.

I started to cook about five years ago and those warnings were startling. It took a full two weeks to get a smooth handle/wash routine down - the entire time I was absolutely steaming over: How did it become normal to feed our families such filthy product that needs to be cooked beyond taste to be safe and is dangerous to touch?

I've done my homework, found a 60 year-old sustainable farm that provides meat, chicken, eggs and produce in season and make use of the numerous farmers' markets during the growing months.

Of course it's back to a grocery store for a few winter months, but I keep it in the US and as seasonal as possible.

[byrdland49]

"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan, mentioned in this article, is an amazing book, well worth reading. The up close views of agri-business are terrifying...and go a long ways towards explaining how we have become such an obese and diabetic nation.

[CintiBlue]

I've heard of it - I'll give it a read.

"Fast Food Nation" gave me a huge look into agri-busuness. I'd picked it up just because of the title and found it to be fascinating in that "makes you angry" way.

[Crowhaul]

Great stuff.

I've been railing against the machine on this one for some time now. I wrote to Sen. Reid, as well as the head of the FDA, about two years ago, requesting that they author a bill I fondly call "Shelf Life Be Damned" (SLBD). This bill henceforth requires that "all domestic food producers must place a date/time stamp visible on all food packaging". Simple & straightforward stuff: Consumers have a basic, fundamental right to know when the food they are buying was made. Shelf-life be damned...

[bmonaghan]

It is not just our foods. Have you ever wondered how old those herbs are in your herbal tea? Or your supplement? Where they were grown and what exactly is in them.

http://www.prlog.org/10254135-popular-herbal-supplements-found-to-contain-deadly-toxins-study-finds.html

[Soule23]

Why don't you demand country of origin labeling? Food distributors are importing and selling fruit and vegetable products grown outside of the US with domestically prohibited pesticides known to be carcinogenic

[Crowhaul]

I've given this some thought. I believe that your point is a good one and am taking steps to incorporate this element into the body of the SLBD bill.

A) The date/time stamp of when the food was prepared/packaged, as well as B) the country of origin, are both vitally important to the consumer. The days of vapid, mindless consumerism are over: Shelf Life Be Damned.

[Pantelleria01]

This is great. Nice to see this subject addressed in prime time. I moved away from the USA 5 years ago and live on a small Mediterranean Island (Pantelleria). Here all of our food is local, nothing farther away than 75 miles on Sicily. The diet is fresh food, seasonal food and my health and body have never been happier. One thing I grew to absolutely detest was shopping in a big AmeriKan supermarket. Where is this food from? All the vegetables taste like styrofoam to me over there. The vegetables I eat here are so filled with flavor, you should see how much people enjoy eating fresh food here. We organize great feasts around a few simple ingredients and it is one of the great passions of life here. Eating like this has become impossible for most Americans. The markets here carry no junk food, very very little canned food The emphasis is on fresh....and local, small farm food. My body totally feels the difference. .Best regards.

[AngieMom57]

Gosh I enjoyed reading your post! Thank you! This is why the internet has become the "village" that we as a civilization have yearned to reconnect with.

[dayala]

I envy you....I remember eating foods here in America back in the '50's and '60's when fruits and vegetables had a wonderful smell and taste...then we moved to Puerto Rico and, like what you described, everyone ate locallly produced meats and all types of caribbean grown nuts, legumes and vegetables. Livestock was free to roam around country roads...we'd see pigs, cows roosters walking around the towns and backroads....I often wish I could go back in time, back to those years and way of living.

[armacas]

You are one very lucky (wo)man...!!!

[amirtalai]

Huffington Post- that is not the trailer for the film. That is the first 3 minutes of the film. The trailer is here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0

[Archontruth]

Its a bit disingenuous to blame industrial farming for e. coli infections when studies have shown organically produced fruits and vegetables (which are fertilized with animal manure) are more likely to sicken those who eat them than the "evil" chemically fertilized foods.

But forget that, let's all switch over to organic farming. Let's make the rest of the world switch over too. After all, if the entire planet switched to organic farming we could feed 3.5 billion people. Which would be great except for the other 2.5 billion who would starve. Are you in line to be one of those?

Didn't think so.

[HelloFunnyWorld]

Organic was meant to be a term that indicated no pesticides, no chemicals or other synthetic additives, no growth hormones; that proper care was taken of the soil and proper fertilizers used; that animals were breed, at all stages, in a healthy for human consumption breeding methods and that no road kill etc in animal feed was given and lastly no GM foods - whether in seed or animal etc....
Because of the impact and result on our health from such substances....

The World really needs to change the way we farm, the way we breed cattle etc; the whole food process has to be re-worked. There is enough for all of us, if we are willingly to do things properly and put people first, all people, instead of some company profits & power, individual wealth & influence....

Michael Pollan has also recommended a book out in the UK, called 'Stuffed & Starved' by Raj Patel wherein further relevant issues about our food is addressed and it's sort of subtitled, 'the hidden battle for the world's food system' - Very helpful info. Good book, worth reading, with many recommendations from around the world.... apparently Mr.Patel the writer of Stuffed & Starved is pretty famous on the other side of the pond and in Africa too....

[bmonaghan]

That is another BS statistic. Food production through organic means would increase nutrition, reduce toxins and lead to more nourishing foods. Currently the problem the world faces is malnutrition, pesticide poisoning, obesity and poor health brought about by poor diets. Calories alone is not the problem. There are now cases of obese children showing up in clinics who are malnourished. But put that aside - I just got back from driving through the Midwest. All I saw were corn fields. Corn being grown in dead, brown dirt. I am sure adopting better farming practices, getting away from monoculture and actually developing our soils organically would ultimately go a lot further feeding the world than not.

[Roguer]

One has to realize that farms are imitations of nature and mini ecosystems unto their selves. In nature there are plants and animals living symbiotically.

We use chickens to eat bugs in our produce fields, collect eggs, etc. Grass fed beef on pastures that convert grass to food and return fertilizer to the soil. Composting manure for fertilizer for the produce. Note: manure is not the problem with food born disease but rather a product of how the food is handled. Using human waste is a problem because of viral transfer and there is no genetic separation. Thus it is illegal.

The fact is that organic production is more labor intensive and less efficient (about 50% less production as with more industrial methods). Some have suggested eliminating livestock from the equation and use composted vegetable matter which will further lower production. When ever vegetation is removed, picking, mowing, etc. Nutrients are pulled from the soil and need to be replaced for the next crop.

The sad part is... approach a store like Kro ger and try to sell them produce. They do not want local produce, everything must come from the central warehouse. What seems to be lacking in this country is a distribution system for getting fresh meats and vegetables to the consumer. Farmer's markets work but require a tremendous amount of time for the farmer when the demands of the farm are already over whelming (70 hour weeks are nothing unusual in this business).

[Roguer]

Sustainable agriculture is possible, but unfortunately, if you are living in a suburb most likely you are living on some of the best farmland. 90 acres a minute disappear forever in this country. It is up to the consumer to make changes not only in purchasing but in living. If you work in the city, you should live there. Cities should be built up, not out.

[Soule23]

There is nothing wrong with brown dirt.

[Roguer]

One can only tell the fertility of "dirt" by running a soil test. Drive by judgments are typically invalid.

I am not arguing the detriments of the corn/soy rotations or the benefits but I would suggest you return next year to the same area of corn and I would bet that soy beans or some other legume, will be growing on that same ground in an effort to rebuild nutrients.

This is why the soy lobby is promoting their products so hard and assisting in the vegan movement. They have a product that they have been told to grow that really has no market. They have down played the detriments of consuming soy products.

Soy is the next "high fructose corn syrup" and being used as filler in more foods than you would know.

The hormone (phytoestrogens) content in soy is beyond anything you will find in any beef. Giving a child soy milk is equivalent to giving the child 2 - 5 birth control pills a day.

[armacas]

Your example not only does not work (most vegetables need to be cooked; if you are a raw food eater, you know about the dangers - and methods of prevention), it is besides the point in an argument as complex as agricultural (over) production and (ending) hunger.

In my humble opinion, you have not studied either of these topics - not even scratched the surface... may want to search for he truth, archon.

[Sarijj]

Actual you should do your own research on this subject. I did three years ago for a University paper I was writing about pesticides. There is quite a lot of usful information to be found on the internet regarding organic vs non organic. Here is a quick round up from what I learned.

All food, from flesh (we call it meat to make it sound better) to veggies have the potential to carry bacteria. Organic food has not been washed and sprayed so yes there is a change the bacteria will make it to the market. It is up the consumer to wash and clean it when they get home.
Non organic food ALWAYS comes to the market with chemical residue that cannot be washed off. I could list the food that soaks in the chemicals but given the venue I will make this short.
Further more, the studies you just mentioned have paid for by the agribusiness, who of course want you to think organic farming is evil and bad for you.
A great book on the subject of pesticides and Monsantos is Pesticide Conspiracy by the late Professor Robert Van Den Bosch.

[bmonaghan]

Can't wait to see it. And by the way... it is not just food. The herbal supplement industry and the herbal tea industry are no better. See http://www.prlog.org/10254135-popular-herbal-supplements-found-to-contain-deadly-toxins-study-finds.html

[Megson]

There are 800,000 beef producers in this country and most of them own 40 or less head of cattle. Food, Inc. is not a wakeup call at all, but an exaggeration of gross proportions!

[bmonaghan]

You must work for the industry. That is a VERY misleading fact. For starters, beef producers can be any number of positions. But regardless - all those cattle end up in the same place - where they are raised the last year or two of their lives. For the most part, a "beef producer" is little more than a breeder and a nursery.

[frantaylor]

You are the one who is exaggerating with their cherry-picked statistics.

The only fact that can be derived from what you said is that there are fewer than 400,000 producers that own more than 40 head of cattle, but nobody is disputing that.

[bmonaghan]

?? I have no idea what you are suggesting. The point is, 90% of our beef goes through the same corporate slaughter houses, where they are kept for long periods of time being fed growth hormones, corn and their own fecal matter - which they invariably digest. Whether there are 400,000 ranchers or 800,000 is largely irrelevant. It is the last year of their lives rather than the first that we are talking about.

[Roguer]

There seems to be some confusion amongst posters about beef production...

Let me first state that: I produce pastured grass fed beef, hormone and antibiotic free, I drive them personally to a family run slaughter facility where I observe the killing process. I am as concerned on how they die as how they live.

Ok... Here are some facts about the beef industry.

There are two types of beef produced: Young stock that goes for prime consumption (steaks, fillets, etc). Older or culled stock, both dairy and beef, that goes into processed foods (Dinty Mo ore) and hamburger.

[dayala]

Roguer

thanks for taking the time to educate and explain beef production here from your perspective and experience...I'm a 2 hours drive away from Joel Salatin's Polyface Farms so I can get his meat products at a local farmer's market. Consumers need to become more informed and educated about food production in this country and be the driving force behind change on this issue.

[Roguer]

There are things that need to change in the industry. Those changes are coming at a grass (pun intended) roots level. I am familiar with the farm mentioned in the article, it is not farm from mine. The biggest changes need to come from the consumer and how they purchase products such as these.

In order to move grass fed meat from a niche market to the mainstream, grass fed products have to be priced competitively with grain fed. The consumer must be ready to pay a little more and eat a little less (in this case less IS more).

Local, humane, slaughter facilities need to be encouraged. At the moment federal regulation makes small family type butchers difficult to stay in business, the biggest problem being the disposal of waste.

[Idytme]

Please educate me on why consumers need to pay more for grass fed. Grass is free, is it not? I don't mean to sound cocky, but really want to know why grass fed costs more. I understand that people have come to like the taste of corn fed or corn "finished" beef, but I do not understand why grass fed costs more. Also I'd like to know out of curiosity of someone who is in the industry if you prefer the taste of younger cured meat or meat that has been cured longer as it was done in the 50's. The longer the more tender and the more "meaty" flavor, I am told. ( I personally don't eat beef but fully support people eating grass fed)

[Roguer]

Young stock are typically raised for their first year on pasture (cost of grains are too expensive to give them grain all their lives). At 12 months of age most (not all, mine never see a feedlot) are typically placed in a feedlot where they are finished for slaughter. They are in a feedlot no more than 120 days (not 2 years). Typical slaughter age is 14 months.

Note: that I have issues with feelots in general for my own reasons. I have had long discussions about things like hormone use. The use of antibiotics in feedlots is necessary due to the mixing of cattle from different regions and possibility of infecting healthy cattle with sick ones.

I will say this though, cattle do NOT eat their own fecal matter (where this idea comes from is beyond me). The original purpose of feedlots was for short term holding while waiting to be shipped or processed. I think we need to return to this.

Older stock is what is referred to as "canners" or "cutters". These are usually old cows and bulls. They never go to a feedlot but rather directly to slaughter. These make up a very large portion of beef production and provide most of the cheap hamburger and canned meats (stew, chili, spam, pet foods, etc).

[Alison Rose Levy - Huffpost Blogger]

Dynamite post, Patricia:

As you tie it all together, we all need to connect the dots between:

our personal health
what we eat
the regulatory and industrial policies that dictate what foods are available
what we take a stand for

So all of you who are getting the message here, remember to make both personal, and societal changes because both are important.

My last two posts address how to lessen your addiction to animal products as well as alert to a government/industry initiative that threatens small and organics farms:.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-rose-levy/how-to-lessen-your-addict_b_208691.html
http://www.health-journalist.com/HufPo/Real-Deal-Food-Safety.htm

The Health Outlook, www.health-journalist.com

[RMankovitz]

Personally, I am not a fan of eating grain-fed caged-animal foods and consider them unhealthy for a substantial portion of the population. I feel the same way when it comes to vegan and most vegetarian diets. Instead, I eat what my research has shown to be what Nature intended, which is a diet of free-range grass and grub-fed animal products and ripe sweet fruit. The largest "clinical trial" in the history of our species (conducted by Nature over 100,000 generations) has proven to me that this diet is the healthiest and most ecologically sustainable. Of course, there are no recent studies based on this diet because virtually nobody eats this way as a result of having been brainwashed by the AgriGiants and feedlot meat production industries.

For those interested in a discussion of the unsustainability of planting annual monocrops such as wheat, corn and soy (all require huge amounts of fossil fuels and manmade chemical processing to produce), and the benefits of raising animals on perennial grass (no planting, no fertilizing, no pesticides), read: "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith and "Against the Grain" by Richard Manning (researches the ethical, political, ecological, and nutritional deficits of a vegetarian diet).

For those interested in reading about a fascinating experiment based on Nature to provide a healthy life in harmony with our environment, read "The Original Diet" by me. Ask your librarian to obtain copies and you can read them for free.

Roy Mankovitz, Director
www.MontecitoWellness.com

[VicDaring]

Of course, despite being asked repeatedly, Roy here, offers ZERO evidence that any of his assertions are the least bit valid.

But he does a terrific job of self-promotion.

Turns out that Roy the SPEOE (Self Proclaimed Expert On Everything) is, in fact, pretty disruptive. Just not terribly innovative.

[xtina8o4]

Interesting, I agree with your viewpoint and I'm interested in book. I tried to eat only free-range, grass fed meat but it was too expensive so I gave up meat altogether; I don't miss it and probably won't go back to it., but who knows. I'm surprised you mentioned meat and fruit but not vegetables..?

[RMankovitz]

Yes, my multi-year research on vegetables turned out not to be anything I had expected, and I devote a lot of space in my book to reviewing references in a variety of diverse fields such as botany, toxicology, paleopathology, and zoopharmacognosy that have bearing on the issue. I also funded a researcher at UCSB in the biological sciences to validate my findings as to what nature intended us to eat in the plant world. It is not something you would likely find in any standard textbook on nutrition, and is actually quite shocking.

I have personally followed the Original Diet for many years with great success. I take no medications of any kind, and have not had so much as a sniffle in a decade. Of course, this is just anecdotal evidence, but was enough to encourage me to write books on my research in the hope it might provide value to others with a curious, open-minded, and experimental nature.

I don't have space here to review my findings, but hopefully you might find reading my book and the references therein of some contribution to your overall knowledge of nutrition.

[skippyB]

I skimmed your post, and as soon as I saw you were promoting yourself I skipped it. Your picture makes it easy to ignore the rest of your posts. I'm angry because this is a great article with great comments and ideas given freely and with true generosity and sincerity .