Fed Up with Factory Farming

If you haven’t seen Food Inc. yet- run, don’t walk to go see it! This film explores not just the “disgusting” factor of agribusiness but all the other more sinister sides to it as well. Factory farming deals in illegal immigration, bullying, scare tactics, and major public health issues.

I don’t want to ruin the movie for you but there were two parts that I found especially heinous. The first was the segment about the company that “washes” their meat. In order to kill all deadly bacteria the meat is put through a giant washing machine-like apparatus that washes the meat with ammonia. Now I ask you, when you go to the Piggly Wiggly and buy a package of meat is ammonia on the ingredient list? I think not. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry the health effects of ammonia are manifold. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mhmi/mmg126.html

The second part that really got my goat was the segment about Monsanto and their “witch hunt” against farmers who clean their seeds to replant again the next year. A recent law allows a company to patent their genetically modified organisms (GMO). GMO’s can be created to withstand inclement weather, certain pesticides and also certain pests. Farmers are required to get these seeds straight from the company every year and cannot replant from year to year. I am not entirely opposed to GMO’s. I think in places that face severe famine GMO’s would be the answer to their prayers. I am however, opposed to granting patents to the companies that create these GMO’s. These companies can sue anyone that may even have one seedling on their farm that perhaps migrated by wind or animal. As shown in the film, Monsanto goes after these little farmers and causes them so much legal trouble that these farmers have no choice but to settle and perhaps lose their farms. This is only one of the many reasons that family farms just cannot be successful in the United States. The government, with their subsidies and now with the patent laws in favor of big corporations just make it so inhospitable for small family (mostly organic) farms.

These are just some of the issues discussed in the movie. This little “review” doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the issues the US currently faces in regards to factory farming.

by: Simona- Blogger 2