Philosophy 100 Danielson
Food, Inc.
Here are several questions to keep in
mind while watching the film. These can be used for discussion the night of the
film or to write on for those who watch on their own. If you are writing
answers because you did not attend the film, or because you are writing this
for more extra credit, please answer one or more of the questions with a
two-page response. You have until the date of the final to submit your
responses.
Eric Schlosser, author of Fast
Food Nation, which was also made into a film, and Michael Pollan,
author of The
OmnivoreÕs Dilemma, The
Botany of Desire, In
Defense of Food and Food
Rules appear in the film.
1. Explore how Sean Salatin of Polyface Farms employs ideas of interrelationship on his farm. (Think of Systems Theory from ÒMindwalk.Ó) What are the benefits and problems with his approach?
2. What are the economic consequences of the Smithfield Slaughterhouse on the workers? How does this section of the film relate to MarxÕs essay ÒOn Alienation?Ó
3. Michael Pollan said at his talk that ÒOrganicÓ means one thing, ÒNaturalÓ means nothing. What are the implications for people making food choices? Does using the word ÒHealthyÓ sound like propaganda to you? Reflect on the power of who controls the definitions of terms.
4. In 1900, the average farmer fed 6-8 people. Today itÕs 126. Does evidence like this counter, to a degree, OphulsÕ concerns over scarcity? Why? Why not?
5. In 1996, 2% of Soybeans grown were the genetically modified ÒRoundup ReadyÓ type. In 2008, itÕs +90%. What are the implications of this change? Do you think that any processed food which has genetically modified crops used in should be labeled? Why?
6. What are the social implications of our food production systems in the U.S.? How do the mechanisms of food production play out against the backdrop of health care? How do the ideas of interrelationship provide a way to interpret the situation?
7. Explore how food production and the government are interrelated. Explore the competing efforts of the Farm Bill which subsidizes the growing of crops with the need to provide health care. Why do you think we do this kind of thing as a society? What can we do to counter these activities? Do we need something like OphulsÕ scientific priesthood making food production decisions? Why?
8. Michael Pollan talked a bit about a concept he called ÒNutritionism.Ó (He claimed it was a new kind of religion.) We have reduced food to minerals and parts of food – fiber. (Products are sold highlighting one of the items: Vitamin D for example.) How is this an outgrowth (ha ha) of DescartesÕ view of the world as a machine? What are the implications for our society? (So we reduce the bad thing, Fat, and replace it with sugar so the product tastes good. Are these wise decisions?)
9. Is it a case of propaganda to use the womanÕs plight of losing her son to make the point?
10. WhatÕs the moral of the film? Do you think it will lead people who see it to make different food choices? Why/why not? (You might include a reference to Laing here.)
Info from the film:
á In the 1970s, 5 beef packing companies had 25% of the market; today 4 companies control 80% of the market. Pork is the same. 47,000 item in the supermarket. There are no seasons anymore. Farms are now factories.
á Tyson is biggest chicken company in the world. In 1950 it took 70 days to get chickens ready for market for chickens. Today itÕs 48 days. Companies redesigned the chicken for large breasts. The increased size makes it hard for the chickens to walk.
á Corn is another important crop. There is an illusion of diversity – few companies and few crops. There has been a clever rearrangement of corn. In 1900 farmers grew 20 bushels of corn per acre, today they yield 200 bushels an acre. 30% of our land base is planted with corn. Governmental support allows us to grow corn below cost of production. Farm policy focuses on commodity crops, like corn, because we can store it.
á High Fructose Corn Syrup is in many products. (Soy based products as well.) Big fat kernels of starch are made into many items. We feed it to cows and fish. It drives down the cost of meat. We eat 200lbs. of meat, per person, a year. Feedlot owners buy corn below cost. CAFOs - Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. E coli 0157 h7 is the dangerous e coli.
á USDA chief of staff was chief lobbyist for the beef industry. The head of the FDA was vice president of national food processing association. In 1972 there were 50,000 food safety inspections. In 2006 there were 9,164 by FDA.
á 1970s there were thousands of slaughter houses. Now there are 13 that process the majority of meat.
á Looking for efficiency: if cattle are fed grass for 5 days before they are slaughtered, they lose 80% of their E Coli. Rather than this we use more antibiotics. A marriage of science and technology.
á One financial consequence of our food system is that itÕs cheaper to eat fast food because we subsidize the ingredients.
á We now make too many calories – we evolved to seek salt, fat and sugar. Our body wears down in metabolizing sugar. (We eat 250lbs. of sugar per person per year.) 1 in 3 people born after 2000 will develop Diabetes type 2.