That's kinda hard since we live in Houston. It's so much easier to go to a grocery and buy chicken/cow meat.
I saw this trailer a while back. Looking forward to seeing it. Money, money, money. Until a major corporation sacrifices profit for the greater good, you will not see change. It's easy to talk about eating healthy, but when you start seeing the prices of healthy alternatives... it's easy to revert back to old habits. It's all about the Almighty Dollar.
How can you tell a poor family that they should be buying all organic foods instead of ordering from the value menu? Until there are CHEAP alternatives there will be no significant change in demand. I guarantee that. A similar argument can be made for the energy crisis. People need to realize that the only way to change the way the masses think is through the all mighty dollar. EDIT: stipendlax's post is nearly identical to my post.
Of course its all about Money. and Big Agriculture / Big Business combined with their lobbyists and legislators have our diets in mother****ing checkmate. It makes me almost lose faith in our capitalist society the way these big companies are squeezing the life out of the employees, the animals, and the consumers just to bring in the bucks. It is a backwards system that needs to be exposed or nothing will ever change. The opening statement of the movie is all you need to know to wake you up "The way we eat has changed more in the past 50 years then it has in the past 10,000 years" Sadly, many folks will continue to bury their head in the sand because it just simply isn't economical for them to eat any other way. This is how they've put a stranglehold on us.
Not really. Other alternatives. 1) government intervention 2) market readjustment (if there becomes a demand for healthier, more organic food, it becomes profitable!)
But you're still missing the point... How can there be CHEAP alternatives when the ****ing American Government itself is stacking the deck so that the only way a farmer can succeed is to get dirt-cheap corn and shove it down the throats of their livestock? They are keeping us in the dark like a bunch of ****ing sheep to feed their corporate greed. You're getting the cart before the horse here. But I understand exactly where you're coming from, I'm a poor college kid who doesn't cook. Its easier to grab something moderately healthy from a fast-food joint than it is to go find a farmer's market and pay more money for fresh-grown produce. The lower-income people are getting ****ed again, what else is new? Maybe i should have started this thread in the D&D... (and mods please move it if you feel the need to) I thought this America here was supposed to be a democracy in where the people made the decisions. OH thats right. The needs of the few (rich) outweigh the needs of the many.
This was my point. We are aware. Shouldn't we be focusing on getting Big Agriculture's hands off of our necks? Make it cheaper. They will buy.
Actually it's pertty easy because you live in houston. Lot's of nearby options. I've done this once now (3 families split one cow). Actually a great price.
And it won't with that attitude. Do you remember what happened with Big Tobacco? There is no reason to think we can't make a difference.
I totally understand what you're saying. You're right, and this is a HUGE focus of the movie. So, how do we get Big Agriculture's hands off our necks? For an industry that literally squeezes every penny they can in a ruthless manner...I highly doubt things will just magically change, and will make it cheaper. Widespread awareness will at least make a dent. It is a crucial step to cause more demand and lobbying. Companies only respond to consumers - they will make what people want...what will make $$$.
I agree. But I'm not sure how to go about it. I thought for sure media-types would make quite a story out of the facts regarding beef sales to schools in America as outlined in fast food nation. Usually, a rallying cry of "think of the children" works reasonably well in this regard. Not to be, this time. I am perturbed everytime I go to large public areas and see such an absurd number of obese people, particularly children.
I don't know where it's like everywhere, but I don't find organic produce to be all that expensive (and I'm a poor college student). Free range, grass-fed meat products are definitely plenty expensive, but I think as a country we eat way too much meat anyway. I think there are a lot of people that have to take an attitude towards eating better quality meat in smaller portions, and getting more whole grains and veggies into their diet. Eat slowly, eat less, savor your food. I will say that knowing how to cook (and in some cases having time to) makes a world of difference. There are a lot options, many of them overpriced and unhealthy, to those who are afraid of the kitchen.
You're absolutely right. Convenience again is one of the reasons fast food is the more accepted lifestyle. And the movie makes a point to show that the average lower-income American family actually can afford to eat healthier if they know what to look for. Sadly, a lot of the Big Name Companies who control the food shelves are preying on people trying to eat "healthy" by marking up so-called healthier meals. Like I always say, knowledge is key. Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me helped show how absurd portion sizes have gotten. The average American eats 200 pounds of meat per year. I think the suggested daily serving size for meat is 4 ounces per day. That comes out to about roughly 90 pounds per year. I'm not against eating meat, but I'm sure as hell against eating this straight out of science-fiction bull**** the big companies are putting on the market.
Its going to be a harder nut to crack, thats for sure. Taking down Big Tobacco was no small step, and there were much different factors involved. Smoking is a vice that even smokers will admit is terrible for their health. This is about eating. Something everyone does multiple times a day. For some its a very personal thing, for others it barely registers. I'm hoping this movie and movies like this will start to creep into our thoughts as a whole and make more people think about what they are putting into their bodies. It is a huge problem that cannot be ignored, usually I'm not one of those protester, make-noise types, but whats going on is just flat-out despicable. I don't think I've ever been as passionate about a cause before in my entire life.
Hit the nail RIGHT on the head on every point. Cooking all your meals is cheaper than any other thing you could do. It's also so much healthier as you mentioned and IMO promotes eating slower...I mean, when I get fast food, I'm usually eating it in my car, and I'm usually eating it too fast. When I take the time to prepare a meal, it makes all the difference. Buying unprocessed food is a LOT less expensive than fast food or packaged food chock full of artificial flavors and preservatives. It's just a matter of committing to preparing your meals.
Very informative interview with the guys involved with the film here. http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7791713
So the Monsanto corp is pretty much ****ting their pants over this movie, kind of like Philip Morris did when Big Tobacco starting getting exposed. For those of you who don't know... you can check them out on wiki... they are behind Agent Orange, Roundup Herbicides, and most recently... Bovine Growth Hormones (rBGH) They've already launched a website to "counter" Food Inc, http://www.monsanto.com/foodinc/ This Washington Post article with the Director of Food Inc addresses their so-called "rebuttals" excerpt There was a documentary made by a French woman about Monsanto a few years back called "The World According to Monsanto" here is a link to the entire film http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6262083407501596844 ^^^ Full Length there is a campaign called "Millions against Monsanto"
