Food, Inc.
For preview only. Get it on Amazon.com  #ad.

Food, Inc.

2008, Health  -   106 Comments
8.08
12345678910
Ratings: 8.08/10 from 273 users.

Perhaps the definitive cinematic investigation of the modern American food industry, the Oscar-nominated documentary Food, Inc. exposes a system rife with corruptive, secretive and abusive practices, and whose products contribute to the rising epidemic of obesity and all the deadly diseases that result.

The reality of agriculture in America is no longer the romantic farmer with the white picket fence and the sputtering tractor. Food production has become entirely corporatized, and it operates with limited regulations and absolute impunity. The demands of mass production have led to disastrously diminished quality standards, and have placed the health of all consumers in peril.

For the most part, the farmers themselves remain hesitant to speak out in fear of the overly litigious corporations that employ them. But in one of the film's most revealing segments, a chicken farmer does comes forward, and sheds light on some of the most egregious demands placed upon her by the industry. Her coops are overcrowded with forcibly fattened chickens who exist in extremely unsanitary conditions. Many of them are sick, and have developed immunity to their steady diet of antibiotics. The industry utilizes a cheap labor force, much of which consists of illegal immigrants, to load and transport the chickens.

From grain to poultry to vegetables, less than a handful of companies control the production of the foods we eat. Their too-big-to-fail monopoly comes at a disastrous price. The film delves into big agriculture's operational practices, reliance on dangerous pesticides and other chemicals, cost-cutting measures, unprecedented legal and political lobbying power, and insidious marketing tactics. Industry insiders and assorted food advocates testify to the changing nature of food consumption. We're also presented with the intimate stories of several ordinary citizens who have suffered under the industry's reign, including a grieving mother whose son died after eating a hamburger infected with E. coli.

The filmmakers don't let consumers off the hook, however. After all, the industry is only responding to the public's insatiable cravings for more food at cheaper costs. Many aren't aware of the consequences exposed in the film. That's just one reason why Food, Inc. is required viewing.

Directed by: Robert Kenner

More great documentaries

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

106 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
my she
my she
7 years ago

I watch my hip when eating.

LiftingTheVeil
LiftingTheVeil
8 years ago

What's eerie how this food standard in this film, reflects Codex Alimentarius, a global food standard. Codex was implemented into the U.S. Food Safety laws just a few years ago. In my opinion, it's important to reduce consumption of toxic foods, but it takes eliminating certain foods from your diet, and increasing nutrition (which is severely lacking). After watching this movie, I didn't eat meat for a month. What i found, that by the time i started eating meat again, my body would reject industrialized meats. Look for labels: Grass Fed Beef, Hormone free chickens, eggs and milk. Corn corn, everywhere gmo corn - which heavily used in our food system. For me it meant cooking meals from scratch, reducing meat intake and increasing produce consumption. Due to financial restrictions, sadly, it is like 'pick your poison' at times now. :(

Now with Monsanto at the helm of the FDA, i guarantee those standards are worse, than since this movie was made. Find safe seeds (heirloom), find farmers markets in your area, grow your own food. Sorry so long, watching this film was a rude awakening for me, but in the end - it forced me to eat differently, for me and my family's sake and we are healthier because of it.

Brandon H
Brandon H
8 years ago

This video helped me understand just how controlling the food industry is. It was very impactful and made me want to change. That the food industry could have so much control over everything and how ruthless they are against anyone who speaks out. We are really blind to what we eat and whats in our food. This video really opens my eyes.

Wendy Delgado
Wendy Delgado
9 years ago

Does anyone know all the different names that has corn that is modified. After watching this and connecting my own sons ecoli scare, and how it all connects to CORN. I do not want my family to eat anything that had corn.

Betts
Betts
9 years ago

I used to eat two burgers a week, i can barely stand to look at them now!
Amazing work, thank you so very much!

lovemedo9
lovemedo9
11 years ago

this movie changed my entire life style. i love it, a must see!

Dennis
Dennis
11 years ago

I will not trust the corporations that tell me that nitrites and phosphates are not harmful when used as a preservative. Forget trying to convince me I will not hear or read what you say or write. Phosphates were removed from soap detergents four decades ago because city water systems could not remove them from drinking water. Phosphates and nitrites are a source of free radicals in the human body. I think that I will cut my own lunch meat. I will boycott Stauffers, Nestles' and Marie Calendar for the phosphates they put in food.

Dennis
Dennis
11 years ago

The food industry can complain until the end of time, I will not read or listen to any evidence that some m*ron who writes or says that nitrites or phosphates are in small and non-harmful amounts as preservatives. I will never except that statement as an honest evaluation, if I have to become a vegetarian. I will not hear you. I will not trust you. I will not purchase your product. The truth in labeling laws will be altered soon, you can bet your life on it. The food industry is too rich to tell the truth. I am not a political liberal. I do not trust corporations.

Brian
Brian
11 years ago

Where to begin? How about acknowledging that we all need to take a closer look at 'where' we buy our food. Where I live in New England we have access to an increasing number of local growers and farmers for both meat and produce.
I'm not against vegetarians. Each to his own. However you might want to open your mind and read NY Times author Gary Taubes: "Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It."

He goes to great lengths exposing a number of food myths, including the fact that the food pyramid is completely wrong. But he uses science to reveal why the FDA and USDA have it all wrong.

Americans eat WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR & WAY TOO MANY CARBS> We also have the highest obesity and cancer rates. We eat far too little protein and fat. That's right. The FDA has convinced Americans that every package screaming 'FatFree' equates to healthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Diabetes is another disease that we Americans have a strangle hold on. As do other cultures who eat a similar diet to ours..better known as a 'western' diet....

The best thing about Taubes book is the science is irrefutable. In other words it's not just his opinion, or the opinion of some fad diet doctor. His conclusions come from studying the science... something the FDA knows little about..or chooses to ignore.

Homo Sapiens have been roaming the earth for over a 100,000 years. During that period. For all but the last 100 years, Man has been a MEAT eater. Our bodies have evolved to function best eating a high protein, high fat diet. People in cold weather climates didn't have access to warm weather fruits or vegetables..but they did have access to meat, fish and fowl.

But don't take my word for it. Read Taubes book and see if you can refute what he scientifically shows to be true. If after reading his book you still want to eat only vegetables...good for you. But as an active, healthy and fit 60 year old, I'll keep eating my grass fed protein and fat.

Sol Aris
Sol Aris
11 years ago

Documentary Addict has full version.

CherryBombpop
CherryBombpop
11 years ago

Just a heads up that this movie is now available streaming on Netflix. I'd rather watch it through TDC of course, but this film is important enough that I want to encourage everyone to watch it.

Emily Forde
Emily Forde
12 years ago

I was a vegetarian before I saw this video and yet I am still soooo thankful for a video like this to exist. I have made it my business to spread the information I have learned with any and everyone. I find it sad and confusing to think about how little control I have over how the FDA regulates what can and cannot be sold/ eaten by the public. America is said to be the land of the free...if this is so I would love to show this documentary on the sides of buildings, in schools, and clips inbetween McDonald's commercials and then vote on the laws that regulate the food indusrtry. I am not saying that all people should stop eating meat, it would just be nice to see the public ask more questions about where it comes from and push for more affordable organic options. I truly believe that this documentary saved lives and for having the courage to make it I want to say thank you.

F. Therry Jackson
F. Therry Jackson
12 years ago

GO VEGAN, end of story

Clarion Timewalker Smith
Clarion Timewalker Smith
12 years ago

Thank you all for putting up an amazing film!
My name is Clarion - I go by many names for different fields of life, but for film-making, I like to ring true with new ways of accomplishing tasks - I filmwalk like a pro from doing Qi Gong...

Call me on team for next features up!

Peace be, I'm a dude who can fly with it - in humor I like to roll the beats backward and forward, beatbox while I work even sometimes - make music videos all from scratch of nothing at all, or everything at once.
Freestyle my lyrics and go on & on on the dancefloor of life, making cinema all the while. Here I be for it - call me on team to make romance of films, together with the universe of us all making teamwork occur - I'll show you how I work, put things together fast.
Keep it in motion with the Qi Gong level of Cinema, arts of the world combined into one ritual of life, making happenings converge - call me on for cinema basics of mastery from a new profound movement - discourse of arts combined... I'll show you how I work, again I say it - I'm a dude who can roll films all night and not get tired, Qi Gong wunderkind I be - making art out of everything I see in front of my eyes - I hold to on it and pull forward with new feet maneuvers, keep it coming on page with the universe to get guidance and do things backwards and forwards a bit differently with the timing on things - here we be for more later... Peace!

Debra
Debra
12 years ago

why is this site not showing the entire documentary? it is available for free on other sites...and people need to see it. Why are you showing just the trailer???

tllearner
tllearner
12 years ago

Watched the film on PBS last night, very frighting.
Does anybody know how that Hog killing machine works ? It looks like a trash compactor

Babs
Babs
12 years ago

I saw this full dvd as a college student in Ireland only too look at the history of food and how it has changed in the last couple of years... I'm horrified!

The standard of care in slaughter houses is so bad that if that was in Ireland, the place would have already closed down, heavy fines and even criminal charges due to incompetence and total disregard for human life. When people... especially children end up with food poisoning because of something so small all that meat is recalled in the next couple of weeks if not the week of the occurring incident.

There is a vet to make sure that the animals can walk properly, that they are healthy and clean as they come into the slaughter houses. Weekly visits from the Health officers and sanitized (not just clean) equipment in all areas is pretty much basic.

We can trace our meat and in fact most whole organic foods back to the farm it came from because its printed and recorded down by the supermarkets.

It's kind of ironic when you think that we took our standards from NASA and adapted it to the food industry, isn't NASA based in America?

Cold Rapport
Cold Rapport
12 years ago

Much love Kaspar. I've been wanting to see this badly... Thanks for keeping the information flowing. Believe me, it's much needed when people become so disassociated from the source of their food as we, the "modern" society have.

consiiii
consiiii
12 years ago

After I saw the movie, I could not eat any meat for 3 weeks...after 6 months I'm sort of back to "normal"...I think, we should see this movie every 3 months....

KIMESENKO
KIMESENKO
13 years ago

Tha documentary FOOD.INC was on detroit public late last night. What an amazing documentary. This should be on at a time suitable to the mass being able to view it, if it has not already. Kudos to the entire crew for producing such a powerful documentary making so many facts public. I was horrified at what is going down by all parties involved. Keep up the excellent work and hopefully you will have the same effect on others as you did on me. Thank you for your dedication, your honesty, your loyalty to mankind. Unfortunately businesses control government throughout the world and it will be the demise of the human race. Bin Laden is not the major concern we north americans think he is. Our own government is allowing our businesses to destroy us a bit at a time!!!!!

Ron
Ron
13 years ago

"harried workers who don’t have the time or income to read every book and eat non-genetically modified produce every day."

so is it the ideal meal for "most" or is it a matter of convenience

take away the fertilizer and technology and we can watch documentaries about starvation.

jack1952
jack1952
13 years ago

This could be the most important documentary on this site. I'm not much for conspiracy theories but this is something that has to change. We like that we can buy cheap food so we don't pay much attention to how it gets to the supermarket. I grew up on a farm and I can tell you that the family farm that I knew is almost gone in North America. Agri-business is now the new farm economy. The control of our food is quickly going into the hands of an elite few. This elite few are trying to legislate the remaining control into their hands. When they get this control they can now plan for the supply and demand market. Food availability and prices can be set artificially the same way Debeers controls diamond prices. The problem is when you use a just in time inventory system for the nations food supply you can't increase productivity by asking people to work harder and overtime when there is a crop failure or drought. You have to wait for the next crop to mature. If our seeds are owned by a corporation then we have to go to them to grow our own foods. It is a recipe for disaster.

Jamalogist
Jamalogist
13 years ago

Economies of scale make the more common food more affordable. Part of the reason those burgers corn products etc are so cheap is also due to their more common use. Like anything else, price should come down with wider adoption. Of course it's a bit of a catch 22

Katie
Katie
13 years ago

I want to see some real solutions for people who are uneducated and poor. How am I supposed to go out and buy all of these expensive organic fruits and vegetables? Not to mention the vitamin supplements? Do you have any idea how much it costs to buy a bottle of spirulina or a bag of chia seeds?

I cant afford it and neither can a whole lot of other poor people. So tell me what am I supposed to do to stay healthy? Why is it that all of these things that are apparently so abundant are so expensive? What kind of help is it to me if i cant have it to better my health.

Bliss really is ignorance, if i wasnt aware that every single day of my life others are literally trying to limit access of nutritionally sound food to me and others, i wouldn't be so f@#$%^& enraged right now. I suggest you all watch Food Matters as well, an excellent documentary. Guess ill start having to steal to be healthy, i dont really see any other alternative.

Holmes
Holmes
13 years ago

Watson (to whom it may regard),

Well stated, though major media outlets are seldom the place for quality, complete information -- especially in times like these, the czars of these outlets will inadvertently dabble with the bias of their distributed news to fit their own ends, usually by the "Don't bite the hand of your feeder" rule.

A chief example of this is Jeffrey Zucker, who was recently fired from his position as President of NBC Universal -- though he had biases of his own, NBC Universal had 51% of its stock purchased by Comcast Corps. and gave its respective President (Stephen Burke) the chance to kick Zucker from his position. Stephen Burke is the Director of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., as well as Berkshire Hathaway, Incorporated. Burke's direct affiliation with the U.S. financial sector probably provoked him to kick Zucker from his position because under Zucker was allowed a wide-angled, hostile view toward banks and their investments -- exemplified, in fact, in many interviews with former bank directors, coordinated by none other than Tom Brokaw of NBC Nightly News. Burke's bias would and likely will lead to a lighter temperament toward banks nationwide as an effect, because Brokaw, his writers and reporters would not want to risk their employment with NBC.

Another such politically-slanted bias found in major news outlets as a reaction to this biting rule is found with media mogul Rupert Murdoch. FOX News (and a number of its subsidiaries) is owned by News Corporation, whose Chairman and CEO is capitalist czar Rupert Murdoch. Ever wonder why Glenn Beck is on FOX News? It's because he's a Conservative Christian. Ever wonder why FOX News is Conservative and pro-Christian? Because its founder and CEO is Murdoch, a Conservative Christian. This same trickle effect of bias to appease the boss is found in every major news source, from News Corporation affiliates to Viacom's.

Perhaps it was enlightening, or perhaps you haven't so much as read this far. But the underlying point to all of this is to avoid trusting such sources as Tom Brochaw. Even though it's seldom their fault, the fullness and validity of their information, as well as how they go about examining it, is profoundly biased. Instead, one might consider taking the time to shovel deeper into a relevant subject such as this for a stronger opinion on it than just the evidence of Tom Brochaw of NBC Nightly News not addressing it.

Elementary, Dear Watson,
C.S.

Gracie
Gracie
13 years ago

Alot of these comments seem to be very extreme. In order to truly understand the theses (Yes, there was more than one in the movie)of this documentary,you must remove yourself from your personal opinions and look at it for what it really is; Not how YOU think things are. I found excellent points made in the movie. It was well thought out and the rhetorical devices used to convey the theses were well used.

However, the call to action at the end of the movie seemed to lack something. It seems to me, the only solution they gave was to buy organic yogart and shop exclusively at farmers markets and Trader Joe's.(A bit of a hypocritical statement in regards to my 1st paragraph, I appologize)

I would also like to adress the fact that if you really have a passion for changing the way our nation packages food, you also will understand that it cannot be done over night. You saw the video! Look at all the machinery. Look at all the poor people clinging to those terrible jobs because it is what ensures that their children will have something in their stomachs when they go to bed. There are major positive and negative outcomes to ending the way our food is processed.

To those of you who believe that organic food is killing the Earth; That was the first time I have ever heard that theory. If it was really THAT big of a deal, I think we would be hearing more about it. You know why you dont see Tom Brochaw on the new reporting how veggies are killing the earth? Because that is BS.

In my personal opinion, I dont think anybody in Washington is going to give a rip about any of this until too many innocent people have died. Maybe it'll take more than that. All I know is that sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better; sadly.

I know I violated my opening statement. Sorry about that.

nottobetried
nottobetried
13 years ago

Do I still want to watch this after reading the comments? No. Am I going to? Yes. Wish me luck.

annie
annie
13 years ago

hey everyone i can honestly say that the movie food inc has change my prospective on the food industry for ever. this movie is amazing watch it and tell all your friends to also!!

krs
krs
13 years ago

Ok, I read Rajan's second post about choking on a huge sausage. You, sir, are awesome.

krs
krs
13 years ago

"I personally love eating meat though. I really want to stop eating meat but its hard considering meat is everywhere around us. I love putting meat in my mouth and thats the way it is. I will try to stop eating meat." - Rajan Kauldhar

I'm sorry. I'm so immature, but that was the funniest thing I've ever read.

Marian
Marian
13 years ago

This film is awesome and about so much more than can be said in words and about so much more than just food and farmers even though that is the focus. It relates to many attitudes and practices that need to be known and better examined and understood and changed and that relate to ALL aspects of our lives and relationships, but that each one individually must see for themselves what that is. And if one does want to know what can be done...it was not needed to be covered in the film...it is more dealt with in websites and other sources by people who saw the film as well as the simplest and most important message anyone can get and do which is to stop supporting the practices that are undersireable in the production of food by knowing what companies are doing them and buy instead from local sources, grow your own food and if possible raise your own animals and live where and how you can do that. Otherwise learn and live where you can acquire it from those who do. period.

All the discussion about meat here is just one point among many others and a bigger picture is revealed in this film than to get hung up on just that. It even helps to see the film a number of times as there is so much that is often missed at first that is vital in making decisions about what you eat and what you support or don't support and why.

Whether it may benefit someone to eat or not eat meat...There are many many interesting truths about the importance of meat to a human body and that it isn't protein per say, as it is there are certain types of protein that have certain affects on DNA and tissue and muscle of animal for man that vegetable protein just doesn't...tho the amount of protein may not be so important. However, every body digests and metabolizes food and stores food and utilizes the energy from food differently; even attitudes and thoughts conscious and unconscious, about food affect that. So there are as many factors for supporting the eating of meat as there are reasons for eliminating it and being a vegetarian. I have done each for many years and with alot of study to know this and won't go into the specifics here and now for that is an individual choice to make, based on more than one person's research or opinion or experience or THEIR state of health. The real issue here is IF you choose to include meat in your diet (and i was very healthy with or without it, yet found something out many years after a vegetarian diet that is not well known, that saved my life going back to meat, but being very smart about WHAT meat, how much and how it was grown/cared for and packaged, etc..) As i was saying the issue is that IF you choose meat, it may be wise to consider to just eat meat from a local grass fed cow farm and one where the cows/animals are not caged, are loved, have room to wander/live and be clean and well fed and good water, but not given what makes them ill...period. And if there are none where you live, find some, or move. Support farmers that do treat animals kindly and wisely, be informed who they are and to investigate yourself as was shown in the film these kind of farmers do exist. Do not support the horrible and corrupt factory farms. Period. No need to argue over whether or not to be a vegetarian or meat eater. That is a choice every one has a right to make for themself and investigate as they see fit for themselves and/or experiment with.

This is an extremely well made film. REvealing what it does in ways words just wouldn't do. Many people i know that saw it changed a lot of things almost immediately, that they never would have even with what they knew befoer the movie. That is how important it is sometimes to SEE something not just be told about it. Things i used to rationalize and reason were okay, i just can't even bring myself to do now. That is a successful presentation of information that the information alone and how it was presented did affect change, immediately and in significant ways.

The film not only shows things as they really are that need to be seen and should be by everyone, but it did so in a wonderful way to learn what we don't know and to see better what we think we know...without high drama but yet fast moving, interesting scenes and dialogues with fabulous intention and film making that was artistically creative and very provocative without being over dramatic...just show what is as it is but was hidden from us prior. It makes us ponder and evaluate our interest and choices in ways we never thought to before. And best of all, even if we watch something potentially rather depressing and shocking , it is so well supported by scenes that take us to other realities and possibilities rather than dwell on the undesireable, or drum it in to us and leave us feeling like we were stupid or/and powerless, It reveals these things in ways that it empowers us, not in ways that leave us feeling victimized and depressed as we might feel just from reading about or being told of these conditions and practices of food producing companies. It is a revelatory experience and one that you can be happy for having and for learning and knowing what you can do after seeing it...even if at first it is shocking and sad to see some things that are going on.. The film does more than just suggest there are other options that already exist and more that can be put in place and suported. IT INSPIRES. The evidence of THAT is clearly revealed in watching the reactions of an entire audience when it is shown in a theatre...as well as checking out the websites that came up after the film that people plugged into and already made important changes in their lives as they were moved and encouraged to by the film.

That is taking our power back, realizing we supported and even created (BY OUR OWN NEEDS AND DEMANDS FOR A FAST LIFE AND A FAST FOOD AND OTHER CONTRIBUTING factors that we don't realize the impact they have on the rest of our lives and the people and creatures in our lives) all along what we weren't informed or ignorantly contributing to...and WE can turn it around....and it doesn't take a war or an all out attack on anyone or anything ...just making choices that are more informed and wise about what we do with our own energy be it , money, labor, time, and what we accept in return. Just learning from our past choices and seeing the impact is enough and does not imply we need to argue, instill guilt, feel guilt, defend or judge our choices..just learn from them and change...

Check out the food inc website for more information on what people have done and what you can do and what has been accomplished. It is inspiring as was the film to me and a lot of others i have talked to.

Our local theatre agreed to show it in our town, that is something you may look into as well. Invite all your friends, colleagues, coworkers, teachers, neighbors, parents, business owners, local farmers, etc. and see what comes of THAT. If a theatre owner/manager is not too keen on it ...just ask them to feature it just one day at an odd time...like a Sat morning. Then tell everyone you know to tell everyone they know to come. If there is a big turnout the theatre manager may want to show it again and if not i don't think it is a loss to them to show it one time.

That could lead to more support for farms and farmers markets locally and support even coming from some local big businesses who want good safe food. Some people may meet to keep some kind of promotion of this kind of info going out to schools, school officials, politicians, etc. and even form a food coop if you don't already have one in your area...where the best food can be made available. our local food coop which is owned by the people locally has a huge profitable income and grows alot every year....more than most any business and it keeps the prices down as well and it works or the staff do to find the healthiest foods but without some CEO taking home huge salaries so everyone ...the buyer and the coop owners win.

Local farmers markets may well replace big company stores and may be a wise move when otherwise not only for the health and safety reasons but other potential occurances that could leave us without access to transportation of foods from far away sources anyway, could warrant a local supply all year... or due to an even more vast and serious epidemic of food bourne illness that none are available for a time nor would you want to risk eating them...if you aren't where there are local healthy food sources in place...you could be unable to feed yourself at all.

I had no intention to make such a long commentary here...but after reading all the comments up and back about meat ....when this is such a bigger picture to be looking at here...and then if feel the impulse to be actively involved in some way to affect change...even if as i said before if only in your own daily choices, i just felt urge to address that and i maybe got carried away in saying way too much more than was needed or useful...Forgive my verboseness if so and just enjoy the movie and the afteraffect, and i am sure you WILL as it is so well done it is difficult not to love watching it...except for some maybe a scene here and there, but still for the most part everyone i spoke to, loved it and wanted to see it again.

thanx for having it on this site.

ed
ed
13 years ago

I disagree with the comparison of organic vegetable farming with industrial cattle or animal production. why not compare corn production with back yard hens. clearly back yard hens are more sustainable so then we should all give up eating produce. get the point. Where do you think the fertilizer comes from for organic. Usually animals. I feel we need a diversified food system, locally based. yes we do eat too much meat but if you look at early colonialism when they had to produce what they ate it was a large garden with a few animals. If you want to be a veg go for it im not knocking it. I think its great, but if you think your holy for your choice your full of compost. And your misinformed. the healthiest the human population has ever been was as a hunter gather combining meat with a large diversity of foraged food stuff. As soon as we settled into an agrarian society we have been degrading our land base, depleting soils and directly diminishing our health. If you really want to make a difference only eat from systems of permanent agriculture. Perennial based systems integrated with efficient producers of meat such as rabbit fish and chicken. That is only my opinion so save me your holier than now cermets. Do as you wish we are all going to hell in a hand bag but at least I have a chance of riding out the crash.

anna bastida
anna bastida
13 years ago

you are severely misinformed. Organic methods replenish nutrients in the soil. raising cattle for the meat industry is causing deforestation. It takes 100 times more land to raise feed for cattle for the beef industry than vegetarian food for humans.

pacha
pacha
13 years ago

Randy and Charles. You both have a lot to learn

Charles B.
Charles B.
13 years ago

Dr. Randy! You learned me somthin' you did! That was interesting. I knew that organic food was harder on the environment then conventional veggies (they take more land to grow), but I hadn't thought of things as you showed. Thank you for that insight. Everything in moderation is the key.

Oh yes! No I member . . . in China, I had the stupidity to ask my friend why they catch the human poop in the little buckets in his hometown. He just didn't tell me, but showed me how they use it to "fertilize" the fields with it. They dump it all in a big pit, add water, stir until sloshy and then take a bucket full out to the lattage and cucumbers! rarely do I ever want to vomit, but that was petty gross. Human poo is the worst possible fertilizer there is, isn't it?

But, fortunately, no salads. We always cooked even the veggies and for very good reason I now knew. I never had a salad in China. :-(

Korea? Ok! Yum yum! I hope.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Oh, here is an interesting stat:

There are more "food borne infections" from vegetables than from meat. In my area, two or three spinach outbreaks a month.

Yes.

Think about it. Meat is more often cooked than vegetables, yes? Do you eat eat raw meat? Do you eat raw veg?

Veg can suck up the human waste from field workers and even washing in bleach can't get the salmonella or ecoli out...

Cooking meat will kill microbial organisms. That's just science. The 140 degree rule.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Also, I will say this to all you vegetarian hippies, (gosh I hate hippies...):

Listen, as vegetarians you are destroying more of the planet and more of the animal species of the Earth than people who eat domesticated cows, chickens, pigs, and etc...

These animals we eat were specifically designed to feed us. Through hundreds of thousands of years of selective breeding. None of them existed in the wild.

Your veggies, destroy whole countries of land masses to make thousands of acres of lettuce. Do you think no wild animals were slaughtered to make that lettuce garden?

Potatos?

Tomatoes?

Cukes...? Etc...

Do you think that nature intended for thousands of acres of lettuce, (etc.) to be all growing in one place? No. That is an abberation of Nature. A deformity. It is called a "Uni-Culture" It is wrong. And nature tries to destroy it, but humans struggle to keep those acres of lettuce alive with chemicals because that is the only way we can.

That means pollution.

All because you want to be a vegetarian. Good Job!

Enjoy your salad. But don't try to guilt me. I think my job is to eat the entire world. As every animal thinks... if you don't... then you end up in my lunchbox, I guess.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Yes, the best beef is grass fed. Corn is no good for cows.

'Course, in a few hundred years, cows will adapt and corn will be GOOD for them.

That's how life works.

I will close with the words of Dr. Temple Grandin, "Of course, we have to eat animals for food, but we don't have to be cruel about it!"

pacha
pacha
13 years ago

I used to know someone in london called anna bastida

anna bastida
anna bastida
13 years ago

A MUST SEE documentary for all Americans. Go Vegetarian, Organic, and Local. What is capitalism creating? The sickest population in the world. Children with out nutrients for propper brain function become a crop for the big business of the pharmacutical industry and prisons.

Cindy
Cindy
13 years ago

I was very disheartened when I looked up the "organic" beef company that makes the beef I have been using. They still feed their cows corn! I will never buy from them again and now I have to go back on the search for a beef company that is smart enough not to infect their cows with ecoli and kill them simply be feeding them the wrong food! By the way, I am feeling pretty bad this morning after eating their ground beef last night. I am wondering if it's because of their product...

Pacha
Pacha
13 years ago

There are some very good comments on this thread but this one from Irene wins my comment of the week prize.

'I have a problem with Eric. He obviously has passion on this subject, but he uses so many commas that I have a hard time following his thoughts.'

vik
vik
13 years ago

Where is the full video ???????
any link plzzzz
thanks

Grace
Grace
13 years ago

Hope that was my wake up call!

raman
raman
13 years ago

hey!
i can only see the preview...is the complete video available?
thanks

Irene
Irene
13 years ago

To Steve I would say: Why would anyone trust what the government agencies are telling us? They are the ones who are pushing unhealthy food into the mouths of school children and enforcing the regulations to do so.
When Echinacea was found to aid in the recovery from the comon cold, didn't the FDA come out with a study to rebuke it? Of course--it might be something you don't need from a pharmaceutical company--so they did a study that denied its benefits. I read that poonderous study and found that they did not use the right dosages--of course it didn't work. They don't want us to know that nature has provided for us the materials to be healthy--they want us to depend on the companies that pay off the government agencies: the drug companies.

Irene
Irene
13 years ago

I have a problem with Eric. He obviously has passion on this subject, but he uses so many commas that I have a hard time following his thoughts. Please be clear and make all of this understandable for those who need it most. When you are talking about plain food please use plain English. I am dealing day to day with parents and children who would like to do better, but where do they start? How about homemade tomato sauce on plain pasta with some garlic bread and a salad that is not topped off with hydrogenated "salad dressing"? At $3 and more a bottle for this concoction try vinegar and oil with some herbs and you will get really fresh tastes.

Jaz
Jaz
14 years ago

how do I actually watch the full-length feature?

Dreighen
Dreighen
14 years ago

When the timer says I watched 72 mins, I just usually hit refresh and hit play and I can continue :)

mazzy
mazzy
14 years ago

It was not easy for me to watch the 'better' chicken factory. It's creepy that the 'bad' chicken factory doesn't let their chickens see the light of day...ever. The pigs' killer elevator was horrible too. The cows waist deep in their fesis...not too great either. I'm having fish tonight. Yeah it's probably farm raised and injected with fake coloring...ugh.