Food,+Inc+Response

Please open the MS Word document below. Respond to the three questions. Please submit your work to Mr. Sowash by the end of the hour.

=**Helpful Links:**=
 * Monsanto's (Seed Company) response to Food, Inc.
 * Food, Inc. Movie Website

=Summary of Movie:= 3**. Unintended Consequences**--This chapter of Food, Inc. focuses on one of the unintended consequences of our current food system: the occasional contamination of the food supply and the very real risks presented to the population. The film puts a face on this problem by interviewing the mother of a toddler who died from E. coli contracted from eating a hamburger. The film describes how feeding cows corn—a cheap and abundant crop because of subsidies—has increased the incidence of E. coli, since corn raises the level of E. coli in cows’ guts. In light of this higher risk of contamination, the film shows meat packers taking such measures as using ammonia to cleanse meat meant for human consumption. The owner of the organic farm from the previous chapter talks about industrial food not being “honest food” because it doesn’t include the environmental, societal, and health costs associated with it. The CEO of a once-small organic yogurt producer that has been bought out by Groupe Danone (Dannon Yogurts) walks the filmmakers through the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim. He points out other small companies that have been acquired by corporations, and explains how Walmart is now selling his company’s organic yogurts. owns the patent on most soybean seeds used in the United States today, the company has the legal right to protect their patent and keep people from saving the seed. In the film, three different farmers and the owner of a small seed cleaning company (which cleans seeds so they can be saved) describe being sued or investigated by Monsanto for alleged violations of its soybean patent. One farmer says that he doesn’t plant Monsanto soybeans, but his fields have been contaminated by his neighbors’ and he is still held accountable. Another says he was wrongly accused of violating the Monsanto patent but decided to settle the case because he lacked the money to fight it. The third also agreed to settle and must speak anonymously in the film as a condition of the settlement. possibility of a world food shortage, the tremendous amount of energy that goes into food production, and the impacts of industrialized food on our health and environment. The film points out that while the average consumer may feel powerless in the face of these issues and the vastness of the food system, the system does respond to consumer demand.
 * 1. Fast Food to All Food**-- This first chapter of Food, Inc. opens with a brief history of the fast food industry. It depicts how fast food has transformed not only what and how people eat, but also farming practices and the entire global food system. As one example of this transformation, the chapter focuses on how the food industry has altered the way that chickens are raised, including changes in farm operations, the living conditions of chickens, and even the chickens themselves.
 * 2. A Cornucopia of Choices**-- In this chapter, the film explores the pervasiveness of corn in the foods we eat today and illustrates how government subsidies of corn and other commodity crops have greatly altered the way that food is produced and consumed in the United States. As the film describes, corn is a cheap ingredient compared to other sources, and food producers have found many uses for it, including high-fructose corn syrup, saccharin, xanthan gum, and a whole range of other food additives.
 * 4. The Dollar Menu**-- This chapter of Food, Inc. focuses on the fact that fast food and processed foods are often less expensive than healthier foods like fruits and vegetables because many of the ingredients come from crops subsidized by the federal government. The film highlights one family’s dilemma at the grocery store: Since the father has diabetes, the family members are aware that a healthier diet with more fresh foods would be best for him, but they must choose foods they can afford. As the film suggests, people with lower incomes are more likely to eat cheaper, processed foods, and are also more likely to suffer from obesity,Type 2 diabetes, and other diet-related health problems.
 * 5. In The Grass--** This chapter of Food, Inc. explores differences between smallscale farming and industrial farming, and introduces issues of workers’ rights and immigration. The chapter opens with an organic farmer comparing his farm to industrial agriculture practices. After showing the small-scale butchering of some of his chickens, the film moves to show the large-scale processing of hogs in the biggest slaughterhouse in the world. The film portrays that while the unskilled laborers in large slaughterhouses have one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S., they have low wages, little job security, and no union to represent them. It also describes how meatpacking companies have actively recruited workers in Mexico, where 1.5 million farm jobs have been lost since 1994, partly due to U.S. policies. The final scene of the chapter shows immigration agents arresting meatpacking workers at a trailer park.
 * 6. Hidden Costs**-- This chapter takes a look at the economics of our food system and some of the market forces that influence food companies.
 * 7. From Seed To Supermarket**-- This chapter of Food, Inc. focuses on soybean seeds that were developed through genetic modification and patented by Monsanto. It explains that farmers used to save seeds from one year’s crop for the next year’s planting. Since Monsanto now
 * 8. The Veil**-- In this chapter, Food, Inc. explores why consumers are unaware of the details of how food is processed and what it contains. The film describes some of the measures taken by businesses and lobbies to protect the image of their products, to hold onto intellectual property, and to avoid providing more detailed labels or warnings on their food products. It points out some connections between government regulators and agribusiness and suggests that these connections affect the regulation of the food industry. It also shows the seed cleaner (introduced in the previous chapter) defending himself in a lawsuit brought by Monsanto for “inducing farmers to break the patent law” through his seed cleaning business.
 * 9. Shocks to the System**-- In this chapter, the film touches on some of the other major issues raised by our current food system, including the