The documentary that exposed the food industry as a group of giant corporations running factory farms at the expense of the animals and human health has been nominated for an Oscar. Up for best documentary, Food.Inc paints a dreary picture of what is really on our dinner plates and exposes the social costs and animal cruelty you won’t read about on the food package label.

The Big Agri industry has avoided this kind of exposure to the extent that they have lobbied the government to pass “food libel laws” effectively making it illegal, in the United States, to criticize the industry for their practices.

From Wikipedia:

Food libel laws, also known as food disparagement laws and informally as veggie libel laws, are laws passed in 13 U.S. states that make it easier for food producers to sue their critics for libel. These 13 states include Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. [1] Many of the food-disparagement laws establish a lower standard for civil liability and allow for punitive damages and attorney’s fees for plaintiffs alone,[2] regardless of the case’s outcome. [3]

The most notorious case of “veggie libel laws” in action is when Oprah Winfrey dared to share her opinion about the beef industry and mad cow disease on her popular talk show. She went through a long period of litigation for daring to speak the truth as she saw it. The media covered this case extensively.

Food Inc. exposes the dangers of factory farming and the disparity between the marketing message we see in advertising and the reality of the industry. The advertising message we see is a traditional farm with the red barn and cows out to pasture. This type of farm, is being systematically put out of business and replaced by large scale mass production factories where the welfare of the animals and the nutritional value of the food is ignored in favour of low production costs and efficiency.

Food Inc. doesn’t complain about our food supply without offering a solution. They point out what consumers can do to make a change because in the end every dollar spent on food is a vote for the type of food we want them to produce for us.

I enjoyed this documentary as an informative and entertaining expose on the truth of what is going on behind the factory walls.

I am hoping Food Inc. wins the Oscar and gets more exposure as a result. Although, Food Inc. is up against another great documentary, “The Cove”, which exposes the dolphin massacre in Japan and the mercury contamination problem we are facing in our seafood.

Congratulations and good luck to producer and director, Robert Kenner and the cast and crew of Food.Inc!

Healthy foods are the foundation of a healthy life.

Over the last 50 years, as a result of the industrialization of the farming industry, the quality of our food has diminished significantly. The book, “The End of Food” by Thomas F. Pawlick,  explains in detail how the industry choice of  crops is not based on nutrition and flavour, but on efficiency of production. To increase efficiency, plant varieties that are easier to harvest using machines are chosen and developed. Genetic Engineering helps them to create food products that are easier to harvest, transport and store without damaging or spoiling. As a result the vitamin and mineral content of foods have dramatically decreased. The seventeen common nutrients and trace elements in natural soil is replaced with only one to three components: Nitrogen, Phosphate and / or Potash. Consequently, the end product is a fruit or vegetable with significantly lower nutrition. In some instances these nutrient reductions are quite remarkable. The potato used to be a good source of vitamin A in 1950 but now contains no vitamin A at all.

The giant corporate food machine has taken over the food industry. But there are a few rebelling against this evil empire. Those who remember the power of the farm!

Watch this video from the Organic Trade Association and join the Organic Rebellion. Much like The Meatrix, this video is extremely entertaining and well done.

May the farm be with you!

The Meatrix.com is a great website with interactive menus and links to help you learn about the dangers of big agriculture practices and the benefits of organic family run farms. Home of the Meatrix movies and loaded with information on the sustainable food movement, themeatrix.com is a great resource for anyone interested in Natural Health and Nutrition. On this site you can use The Eat Well guide to find organic farms in near you!

The Meatrix

The Meatrix II – Revolting

The Meatrix II 1/2