Brian Grey Blog

Upton Sinclair must be turning over in his grave.

Last night I went to check out the documentary Food Inc., a movie that chronicles the far reaching industry that one would describe most aptly as the “food production and distribution” industry.  Now, what I learned from the movie foremost is the fact that there exist what are referred to as veggie libel laws (the laws that got Oprah in trouble for her comments about the beef industry back in 1996), so I will keep many of most sacred opinions about Food Inc. to myself.

That said, here are a few thoughts:

1.  Go see the movie now (if you can find an art house near you that will be showing it) or at least rent the movie when it shows up in Blockbuster or on Netflix (hopefully the latter two aren’t owned by Tyson or Monsanto).

The producers of Food Inc. do an admirable job laying out many of the component parts of the food industry that when taken as a whole make you really think about how the food you eat gets to your table — and once on your plate what’s really in it.

2. Find a cause somewhere in the food industry ecosystem

There seem to be so many pieces of this puzzle — from early onset diabetes to e-coli outbreaks to labor practices to questionable policy making — that everyone should feel compelled to do something that has a positive impact on the food industry.  As the movie points out quite effectively, there are parallels here to the tobacco industry, (hint, hint).

3. Act and vote locally

Ever wonder why a fast food cheeseburger costs less relative to a bunch of broccoli or a pack of organic carrots?  Well, next time you feel the sudden urge to swing in to a drive-thru, keep going until you run in to a local farmer’s market or supermarket that carries something organic (heck, as the movie highlights, this could even include your local Wal-Mart).

4.  Don’t think of this as a date movie fellas

Unless your girlfriend or wife is super liberal (e.g. Berkeley grad?), is looking for another cause to take on (e.g. African malaria cure isn’t enough), only eats organic food (e.g. she’ll be able to name the Stoneyfield CEO when he appears in the movie), and you’re not planning to go to dinner afterwards (e.g. this may be a conscious tactic on your part to save a few bucks?), find something else to see as a date-night flick.