Food Films Waterloo IA

It’s tough to imagine a scenario where I would casually recommend Food, Inc. to a friend or acquaintance. So… why am I writing about it? We receive a lot of inquiries about food. Mostly, we receive complaints about the cost of organics and local foods. That’s why I’m reviewing this movie, because the film deals directly with this issue and how we view the cost of food.

If you’re immediately interested in taking a closer look at the food industry (and I do mean a close look), please run out and purchase a copy of Food, Inc.

Not sure yet?

If, like me, you’re not sure you want to see that kind of thing — I’m a pretty strict vegetarian for a lot of years running so a lot of it didn’t apply to me directly — rent it or find it on demand.

Here’s what stands out to me about this film, just one man’s opinion:

I’m sincerely worried about the toxification of our food and I know that many of our readers are as well because they write me to tell me so. It’s disconcerting to me that there seems to be little consumer protection and regulation with regard to our food products. It’s not surprising but it is upsetting and disappointing because what we put into our bodies unquestionably affects our quality of life — I always believed Margaret when she told me, “You are what you eat.”

It’s infuriating to see the way that independent farmers are victimized by large corporate interests; it’s one of a million examples, of course, but it’s difficult to watch hardworking people try to make an honest living and stand up for what they believe in only to be further mistreated for their efforts. That’s not the America where we want to live.

Enough of the negative stuff, here’s the good news

Organic has become synonymous with quality in the eyes of most consumers and large food sellers are reacting to the demand; whatever your feelings might be about WalMart, they’re carrying a good selection of organic foods now. Gary Hirshberg from Stoneyfield Farms says that represents tremendous progress and also makes the point that every time you make a food purchase, it’s like casting a vote telling stores what foods you want them to carry. If you want to see more organic foods on the shelves, buy them.

This inevitably brings up the cost issue, and this is what so many people who subscribe to our Lazy Environmentalist newsletter ask about when they write in. It’s true, quality carries a premium. I don’t own many expensive things that I don’t use for work (you’d be amazed what can be accomplished with a MacBook and a Palm Pre) but I make it a point to eat nutritious foods because I see it as an investment in my quality of life. On paying for quality: I cut out meat a w...