Food, Inc. As A Conversation Starter
July 31, 2009 at 9:55 am by Lex
I have always liked knowing where
things (food & drink) about to enter my mouth come from.
Knowing about the food or drink makes me pay attention in a good
way, and adds pleasure to my experience. Since you engage in this
activity over and over again I view this “knowing” to
enhance eating and drinking a very wise choice. Of course you can
overlay all sorts of other reasons to my simple premise of
increased pleasure.
When I previewed the movie Food, Inc. a few months ago, I was hopeful that the film might impact America's ideas about food and make more folks interest in this kind of "knowing."
I have
written about the movie a few times in this weekly newsletter
attempting to prime the pump of enthusiasm for the movie. The film
is now playing in local theaters and sadly I am hearing very little
buzz about it. A like-minded friend also in the food business
summed it up this way, “ folks don’t want to watch more
bad news.” I have even heard some say they are afraid to go.
But the film offers something each of us can do for our families
and ourselves and for our collective future. The only sane solution
for feeding America is a pay-as-you-go approach to food, one
of sustainable farming and a move away from the food of massive
industrial production that brings us 99 cent meals.
And in this new economy, instead of chasing the next thing to buy in search of happiness people could enjoy more time around the dinner table with good food as the vehicle for being together.
Lastly, our mounting national obesity crisis does not come from America loving food and flavorful food too much, but rather from us not caring enough about flavorful food. We have accepted the mass-produced, industrialized processed food that is mostly bland and tasteless. This processed food, which is little more than cheap ingredients extruded into shapes, has created our obsession with large portions and too many calories.
I recognize this is a complex issue, but a trip to see Food, Inc. could spark the discussion needed to begin the solution to our dilemma.
When I previewed the movie Food, Inc. a few months ago, I was hopeful that the film might impact America's ideas about food and make more folks interest in this kind of "knowing."
I have
written about the movie a few times in this weekly newsletter
attempting to prime the pump of enthusiasm for the movie. The film
is now playing in local theaters and sadly I am hearing very little
buzz about it. A like-minded friend also in the food business
summed it up this way, “ folks don’t want to watch more
bad news.” I have even heard some say they are afraid to go.
But the film offers something each of us can do for our families
and ourselves and for our collective future. The only sane solution
for feeding America is a pay-as-you-go approach to food, one
of sustainable farming and a move away from the food of massive
industrial production that brings us 99 cent meals.And in this new economy, instead of chasing the next thing to buy in search of happiness people could enjoy more time around the dinner table with good food as the vehicle for being together.
Lastly, our mounting national obesity crisis does not come from America loving food and flavorful food too much, but rather from us not caring enough about flavorful food. We have accepted the mass-produced, industrialized processed food that is mostly bland and tasteless. This processed food, which is little more than cheap ingredients extruded into shapes, has created our obsession with large portions and too many calories.
I recognize this is a complex issue, but a trip to see Food, Inc. could spark the discussion needed to begin the solution to our dilemma.
Lex Alexander