Food for Thought

Beney and I went to Bethesda this weekend for lunch, shopping, and to see a movie called Food, Inc., that had generated some good reviews in the Post. I was expecting something like a Supersized Me movie, but really, it was more of an indictment of corporate America and the food industry. Generally speaking, I don't usually care too much about social issues (I am not a crunchy granola tree hugger), but this was downright disturbing and got me thinking more about my own actions and my contributions to this corrupt and grossly unfair system. Apologies for the following rant, but I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I see such greed and stupidity occurring.


At the heart of the movie is the premise that a handful multinational corporations control over 80% of the world's food supply, much to the detriment of the consumer, the workers, and the environment. These companies raise animals in a pretty nasty environment and do so with the singular goal of raising the "product" as quickly and cheaply as possible. The chickens that are a major product of Maryland's eastern shore are grown and fattened at such an accelerated rate that they literally cannot support their own weight (I have to admit, my sadistic side giggled a little bit when they cut to a shot of a porky chicken taking two steps and then collapsing in a heap, panting...not unlike myself after I run). These animal factories are frequently staffed by illegal immigrants who were recruited to come to the US to work. Of course, these same companies that recruited and bring the illegals across the border have also never been charged with exploitation of workers or breaking any immigration laws. Instead, they have unspoken agreements with authorities to arrest and deport certain numbers of employees.


More disturbing were the corporations' actions against the average consumer and the very farmers who produce crops on their behalf. In one case, it was noted that almost all soybeans grown in the US are actually genetically engineered by a company that actually patented a seed that was resistent to a particular pesticide. As a result of that patent (in which the US courts granted the company the right to effectively own life), farmers who try to plant soybeans using their own "public" seeds (seeds that are basically organic and saved from the prior year's harvest rather than having been GE'd by this particular company) are being shut down. This company actually has 75 employees on its payroll to go and investigate farmers suspected of using their own seeds, then prosecutes those farmers to force them to buy and plant only the GE'd seeds. The tactics that the company uses to enforce this divine right to farming include physical intimidation (think of the mafia sending their heavies over to break some knees) to threats of financial ruin (drawing out a legal case to the point where the farmers declare bankruptcy or are forced to settle in order to survive).


The most frustrating part of the movie was when the producers interviewed a women whose 2 year old son died as a result of eating a hamburger tainted with e. Coli. For almost a decade this women has begged Congress to pass a law that would give the USDA the right to shut down and clean up factories that have been contaminated, especially when there are repeat offenses. This should be a no-brainer, but we are dealing with politicians here, so this common sense measure (Kevin's Law) still has not passed. From the number of food recalls in recent years (spinach, peanut butter, etc.), it is clear that this problem will only get worse if proper oversight is not given to the federal regulators. What was so sad about this whole story was the reason why this woman was fighting so hard. Her crusade was really about trying to get the company responsible for the contamination to admit their failure, apologize, and say how they were going to make things better. Instead, she has been slapped with the threat of legal action if she so much as says how she has changed her food buying practices or naming the company responsible for her child's death.


I left the movie feeling pretty disappointed with the inaction on the Hill and wondering how many dead babies it would take for Congress and the public in general to figure out that companies do not have the upperhand in this argument. I truly believe that it takes a personal tragedy for politicians, and really, the American public, to pay attention to these issues. In the meantime, lobbyists and corporate donations rule the day. I am perhaps one of the few Wharton grads who actually believes that corporations have a responsibility to their customers, and that profits are not just a measure of what comes through on the P&L. There is a cost associated with the reputation of being unsafe, unclean, and unethical. Is the damage really that much greater if a company spends a couple more pennies per share to ensure that it is producing safe food and that it is working cooperatively with the farmers who support this whole system? To them, the answer appears to be yes...that would be the greed talking. Personally, a company that has a catastophic product failure needs to do everything it can to ensure that the same mistake doesn't happen again and that no one else gets hurt. Its response should not be coming up with new ways to further consolidate its power over its suppliers and regulators in order to stymie the negative publicity that would develop the next time the same errors are made.


The good news is that there are very simple ways to start turning this situation around. Most of it boils down to the choices we make in the grocery store. Buying organic or bypassing the grocery store altogether and buying from farmers market, co-op, or community supported agriculture (CSA) farm would step outside of the manufactured food chain and hit the MNC's where it hurts...in the pocket. The other simple thing that can be done is to petition to get common-sense laws passed to protect the food chain. If Congress can even suggest debating a resolution to honor Michael Jackson, they sure as hell can pass a law protecting the food we eat.

Go see this movie and check out the website for more on how to get involved, listings of organic markets and restaurants, and other useful info.