I usually don't do this. I use my blog to post about the food I make, share recipes, and discover other similar blogs out there. But I just have to.
I finally saw Food Inc. It was incredible, scary, heart-wrenching, and hopeful.
Things they talked about:
-The mistreatment of animals in factory farms.
-The difficulty in being an independent farmer, growing the seeds farmers have saved themselves, and staying organic & kind to animals.
-The small number of giant food conglomerates that own the majority of the food we consume. The variety in the supermarket is deceiving.
-The technological/chemical solutions that large food companies have come up with to solve the problems that result from factory farming, like infectious diseases.
-The amount of infectious diseases and chemicals that are in our food and the amount of time it takes for the FDA to recall products that have been infected.
-The amount of unlabeled foods the contain infected products and/or genetically-modified crops.
-The unavailability of healthy foods to the majority of the people in this country. Why do healthy vegetables cost more than cheeseburgers and soda?
The one statistic that stuck with me:
90% of soy products are made from something called "Roundup Ready soybeans" made by Monstanto. They have basically cornered the market on soybeans, making it illegal for farmers to save their own seeds. These Roundup Ready soybeans are resistant to pesticides, meaning the final product contains pesticides and harmful chemicals.
Luckily the movie didn't leave it at that. They showed a lot of graphic stuff, and the quotes that they got from farmers and people like Michael Pollan, union workers, and others were depressing. But they had a whole section at the end about what consumers can do.
Money is the most powerful tool. How you spend your money is the most powerful message you can send.
Buy organic when you can.
Know where your food comes from.
Buy from the farmer's market.
Shop for smart bargains.
Write your senator.
Make sure your farmer's market takes food stamps.
Put healthy food in schools.
Sign the petition.
Read more about it here.
I've been getting asked a lot why I'm vegan and how on earth I can do it. Well, I've got my answer.
3 days ago
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7 comments:
I am hearing such good things about this, I need to check it out.
Thanks for the info.
I can't wait to see this movie, thank you for writing about it.
Unfortunately we have very few organic fruit or veg options in the entire country, it is very disheartening. And when we do have them the prices are way out of my budget. 15 US dollars for a small pack of cherry tomatoes? I wish.
It isn't right that healthy food is out of reach for so many people.
This film was great. I really enjoyed it and think it may reach a lot of people. Fingers crossed that it receives a nomination for Best Documentary.
I've been reading about this stuff for years and am shocked that I continue to be shocked.
What we do to each other and to our animals is a nightmare. Sigh.
Thanks for the run-down. It is really shocking. I know in Canada, we face a similar situation to that of the US, but it seems that we have less corporate control/domination. I've also found that organic produce and food keeps getting cheaper and cheaper here. The tofu we buy is organic and made close-by and a brick of it is only 30 cents more than the regular stuff.
Hi! Btw, your food looks GREAT!! Thanks for the write p on this film...wasn't sure exactly what it was about...will definitely see it now that you've written about it!
Also, we're hosting a giveaway of two Earth Cafe organic, dairy-free/vegan, raw, healing cheesecakes delivered straight to your door. (Retail value over $50 each at Whole Foods)! We're on a mission to highlight all things fabulous in the world of vegan weddings. (I also need nifty budget/DIY wedding advice after my father withdrew his support of our wedding, due to the vegan menu!) We're also looking for interesting stories of real vegan weddings, as well. Please send any good candidates our way, & check out the happenings at www.VeganBride.com/blog (www.VeganBride.com -coming soon!:)
Thanks so much for the support! Love! :) C
I really want to see this movie, but I can't handle watching videos of animals being tortured, so I tend to avoid films that I think will include disturbing images. I don't even like fictional movies that include scenes of animals dying!
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