Food Inc. Post 1

I found this film to be particularly persuasive and informative. Right from the start, the animations captivated you and the personal stories included throughout out the film held your attention and played on your sympathies. After viewing the factory farming conditions, I was completely appalled with the way our food is produced. I am seriously considering becoming vegetarian after viewing Food Inc. and seeing all of the contamination and underground horrors associated with the majority of the meat industry. The health concerns brought upon by the living/working conditions of both the animals and workers in the meat-packing industry are simply atrocious. I admire how the makers of the film included so many aspects of the industry in the film and brought to light issues that have been mostly kept hidden from the public before now. I was quite disgusted to learn about all of the political bureaucracies of the food industry and the infiltration of the big-head names of these food corporations being an integral part of the government regulations of the food industry itself. Consumers need to be protected by people that don't have a personal interest in the maintenance and well-being of these corporations. They should be protected for the right reasons by objective and informed inspections.

The book has complemented the movie very well so far. I like how each chapter is written by someone else, but each addresses many of the same exact issues of the current food industry. I especially liked the second chapter which basically explained the process of developing this film in order to make the most impact for American consumers. I feel like the segments that included people like Barb Kowalcyk, who lost her 2-year-old to E.Coli poisoning, were very strategic in the presentation of the included information. Things she and some of the other individuals that were interviewed said definitely made a strong impact on the validity and severity of the situation. I think the book in particular is helpful because even though the film played directly with your emotions and captivated your attention, the book includes information about what you can do to help in a concrete fashion— visit this website and check this out, ect. I am glad to have been given this resource from the book. I am saddened that I literally knew almost none of this information about the industry before I was introduced to Food Inc. The devastation provided by the food industry in the United States is a well kept secret. When I read about all of the practices that are legal in the U.S. but have been banned in Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia, I was rather appalled at the lack of regulation that currently takes place in America's food industry. I just recently made a trip to grocery store and decided to buy mostly organic and local products. My bill was perhaps $30 more than I usually spend, but I feel like in the long-run that $30 was worth it for the external costs my small contribution made. Both the film and book preach that we, as consumers, have the power to change the type of demand and supply of food to a healthier and more humane one. Now that I know about these issues, I am going to try to spend the extra few bucks to contribute to a healthier American lifestyle and environment.