"Cornucopia"

I learned a lot from watching Food, Inc. (2008), directed by Robert Kenner. Perhaps the most disturbing thing to me was the government’s lack of concern for the side effects of “cutting corners”. The unsanitary conditions in which the animals live in is appalling to me, and I haven’t been able to eat meat since watching the documentary. I never thought that the major food companies like Tyson and Perdue, as well as the government, were capable of being so inhumane in their treatment of animals. To many people this treatment may not seem like a bad thing, but through the many religious classes that I was required to take at Catholic school, we learned that our role on Earth was that of a shepherd, to take care of animals and the rest of the world.

Another effect of the conditions that these animals live in is that the run-off carries bacteria from the animal houses to fields in which produce is grown. This has led to a number of deaths in the country, however the government doesn’t seem phased by this. It is wrong that people should risk dying only in order to keep themselves alive and support our country’s economy. I think that there should be many more regulations passed to restrict the amount of control that these companies have over our food.

Another scene that disturbed me was the scene in which the film educated us on the excessive use of corn. Although it is useful, corn contains a lot of sugar, which leads to an increase in diabetes in the country. If these major food corporations and the government decided to put more importance on the way our food is grown and processed, the economy would improve because people would have fewer medical bills that result from poor diets. Also, if these cornfields were cut down, they could be turned in to pastures for cattle to feed on. By eating grass and being able to walk around, the cows would be much healthier, and as a result we would be healthier too.

am glad that I watched this documentary because it has made me much more conscious of what I eat. At the same time however the movie has made me almost afraid to eat anything because I am now much more aware of all of the bacteria and chemicals that the food consists of.

photo credit:

http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x2547739/tree_in_corn_field_aurora_ontario_canada_600-00171031.jpg