1.) Richard Lobb of the National Chicken Council says in the film, “In a way, we’re not producing chickens, we’re producing food.” What does this statement mean? Do you agree or disagree with it? How might this perspective affect the way that chickens are raised?

 I strongly agree with Lobb’s statement of “In a way, we’re not producing chickens, we’re producing food.”  The foods we are consuming today are not being naturally produced.  With all of the chemicals, GMO’s, chemical additives and human growth hormones etc. that are being injected into our foods, the end product has become something  taken out of God’s will and entirely created by man.  Lobb’s statement is implying that we are just creating a product for the demand of fulfilling the populations societal needs.  Everything has essentially fallen under one distinctive category; Food.  We are no longer producing chicken for the sake of consuming the real product of chicken or poultry.  We are no longer harvesting vegetables such as corn or potatoes or rice for its purposeful enriched flavors.  We have instead created such foods to make other products, to feed the consumer, and take any character out of the natural production of that product.  Our goal is to preserve and mass produce for the consumers, bringing in the highest income possible at the cheapest cost.  Chickens and other animals are no longer naturally grazed, but are drugged and treated inhumanely to increase production rates.  We have outsourced so much that our food is no longer food, but instead a result from the cheap labor.  In a sense it can no longer be considered as food, but just another product on the shelf. 

2.) In the film, food science professor Larry Johnson says, “If you go and look on the supermarket shelf, I’ll bet you 90 percent of [the products] would contain either a corn or soybean ingredient. And most of the time, it’ll contain both.” Why might it be a problem that the majority of our food is made mostly from just corn and soybeans—so that nearly everything we eat contains them?

There are many truths that lie within Professor Johnson’s statement.  After personally researching items in the supermarket that contain either corn or soybeans, I too found that there were overwhelming results.  Almost every item that I picked up contained either corn or soybean ingredients in the product.  This becomes a problem because much like the previous discussion with the chicken being interpreted as just “food,” these “products” containing corn and soybeans can also be considered as “fake” food as well.  It is ultimately leveling the playing field for nutrients within foods and altering the natural process of production.  The health content of meat products can be compared to that of a cracker because they contain the same ingredients.  Corn and soybeans are also some of the easiest products to mass produce, making it easier for large industries to create products by utilizing the fewest and most common ingredients.  Once again we are blind to these tactics and fall for the most appealing products. 

 3.) In the film, union organizer Eduardo Peña says, “We want to pay the cheapest price for our food. We don’t understand that it comes at a price.” Do you agree or disagree with him? What evidence do you see in the film that led you to agree or disagree? What evidence do you see in your life that informs your position as well?

I completely agree with Pena’s statement.  As consumers we have fallen for the products that are introduced to us at the cheapest price.  We don’t understand that these cheap foods are being produced in a way that makes it un-equivalent to real food.  The production tactics of these industries fall under inhumane treatment of the animals, inhumane treatment to the service workers and employees and inhumane treatment to us as consumers.  These products that have been stuffed with additives, chemicals and exposed to diseases due to unsanitary conditions are all in the long run affecting us consumers.  Evidence that support Pena’s claim is in the value menus that were stressed in the film.  How come we are able to get so much food at such a low cost, and how are they producing it all? We have unconsciously allowed these industries to reconstruct the face of our diets by introducing an easier, faster way of life.  Personally I would have to admit I go for foods in the grocery store that are on sale and items on the menu that would essentially get me the fullest at the cheapest cost.  Our generation doesn’t realize the health risks of these products that we are consuming and the fictitious lifestyle that these corporations are creating to appeal to the audiences. We are no longer in control, they have created the norm and have made it so we essentially have to demand their products. 

4.) As portrayed in the film, cost and efficiency drive our current food system. Should price be the most important force behind our food industry? Why or why not? How might our food system change if it was driven by other values, like health or environmental sustainability?

 In the economically distressed times we are facing I believe that cost and efficiency has played a very large role in our current food systems.  This stems from the working household of balancing time, providing for the family and saving the most money.  These corporations have feed off the fact that cost and availability are some of our society’s major weaknesses.  Although we are very sympathetic about our health and environmental sustainability, these goals are not feasible at this time.  It is difficult to drastically change the way we eat, what we consume and how much we spend, just to ensure a healthier lifestyle.  And that’s the thing; corporations are knowledgeable of this concept and distance themselves more and more from the quality of their products, the sanitary environments and humane treatments of animal production, and the overall wellbeing and health of the consumer.  These industries are ignorant and don’t understand that they have the power to deplete any health risks our nation is facing through the consumption of their products.  Such disorders as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease will drastically decrease, due to the products with high fats and sugar contents no longer being produced.  Environmental sustainability would increase as well due to the decrease in facilities, factories and pastures that are involved with this mass production.  If the drive of the food industry is even slightly shifted towards another direction, all of our lives would drastically change for the better. 

5.) Saving seeds from each year’s crop is a tradition farmers have followed for thousands of years. Think of a tradition that has been in your family for a long time. What if you could no longer have this tradition because someone now legally claims it as theirs?

The restriction of farmers being able to save their seeds is one that stems from the fact that Monsanto has consumed all power over farming production.  Even though seed saving was once a tradition it has now turned into a lawsuit that cost so much it is not worth the battle.  Seed sanitation tools being banned and lists being compiled of independent farmers that have decided to not be owned by Monsanto has created a hostile situation that takes away the sanctity and tradition of seed saving and harvesting.  These farmers lose all hope and are stripped away from any moral values they had about food production.  My family doesn’t have any traditions that we participate in, but to put the situation into context I could imagine the possibility of holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving being taken away from us.  These are traditions that we celebrate every year. The memories that we create from family gatherings and traditions that we value on these days would no longer exist because of one company’s desire to withhold all power.  I couldn’t imagine something that has become a norm within our society and within my family to be taken away from me due to someone’s fear of competition. 

6.) In the film, author Michael Pollan says, “I think that one of the most important battles for consumers to fight is the right to know what’s in their food and how it’s grown.” How does his position compare with the California Farm Bureau’s position?

 Pollan’s position on the topic of ingredient awareness provided on labels is something I believe needs to be implemented on all products.  The California Farm Bureau believes differently for they feel as if this information would cause unnecessary fear.  If knowledgeable of where our food was produced, how it was produced, what additives it contains and what is actually being consumed into our bodies, us as consumer would most likely not buy these products.  He then suggests alternative ways to avoid these products such as buying foods from farmers markets and local growers.  This would provide us with a more educated outlook on all of the information Pollan believes should be incorporated on the labels. 

7.) Do you think the film privileges the experiences and dilemnas facing people in the United States?  Why and why not

 I believe this film does privilege the experiences and dilemmas facing people in the United States, for it exposes a whole side of the food system that our nation is uneducated on.  It showcases where our power lays, who is in control, how we have fallen for their tactics and what ultimately needs to be done to begin a movement.  It highlights the hard facts of what is truly occurring behind the scenes, where our food is coming from, the environment it is produced in, and how we are all blindly accepting these threats.  With this information it is truly up to our own interpretation.  This dilemma that the people of our nation are facing needs to be solved by our own interdependence.  We have become so reliant on these corporations to mass produce; we are essentially feeding to the problem and giving them the ability to create these products.  We call for demand and they provide.  It will forever be a dark ongoing cycle of societal give and take. 

8.) Overall reaction to film?

I’ve seen this film several times before and I always seem to learn something new each time.  I believe it is a great resource to build public awareness on a dark issue our nation is facing.  Even though it provides many suggestions on how to solve these problems, I feel as if this has grown so large it is out of our control.  This may sound like a statement of resistance, but if you think about it realistically how can the average working class adult, struggling to provide for their family able to change their lives just to create a healthier lifestyle.  Where do we find the time to prepare these healthy meals, go to the farmers markets; that are further away and more costly, and work all at the same time.  It all comes back to the concept of availability, accessibility and accountability.  How available is this food when we

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.