Food, Inc.

Awhile back, I spotted this post on Black Eiffel titled "Food Conscience". I read through it, and even commented on the post, saying how much I love when people bring these issues to light about our food and where it comes from. She highlighted several other movies about the issue, and also discussed some books that focus on natural and organic food, so I made sure to add them to my Amazon wish list, and then went about my day.

And that was it. Yes, I always cook from scratch and try to completely avoid anything that's pre-packaged or loaded with preservatives, but I never thought much more about it, until last night. Food, Inc was airing on PBS, and I sat, transfixed, for the whole thing. Have you seen it yet? I cried. A lot. It showed me what I was afraid to see, but deep down knew all along - that the path that our food takes to get to us is one big, convuluted trip, full of nightmarish scenes. Animals, human workers, and the environment are all being mistreated, abused, and disrespected, all in the name of fast, cheap, and quick eats. The statistics that the movie highlights are staggering.

It made me thankful that I can afford to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and organic foods, which, as one researcher mentions, is the whole problem with the system. Rates of obesity are directly linked to income level. This makes perfect sense - we've created a world where a hamburger from McDonald's costs less than a head of broccoli.

I could go on and on, but I'll just stop here and tell you that if you're at all interested in making a difference, or at the very least eating better, go rent this movie. You will learn a lot, it will make you sad (and may make you cry, like it did to me), but it will make you aware of what's going on with your food. It may even convince you to start eating locally, or at least only buy organic. And that's a great start.