Food, Inc. Takes on America’s Food System

America’s food system doesn’t just have a negative impact on our health as a society. It also effects our economy, environment, and worker’s rights. Considering the old adage “you are what you eat,” it’s no surprise that the issue of food is connected to so many others.

The new film Food, Inc. examines these connections and shows just how the food we get from the supermarket really gets there. Debunking the sweet animals-on-the-farm myth that children are still taught, it shows how animals today are produced mainly through factory farming, and how the hormones and pesticides used on animals and the plants they—and WE—eat can be very harmful.

Any American who wants to be healthy, promote health in his or her family, school, and community, or is an environmentalist should see this film. Even if you already buy local, organic food, chances are you may not know much about the campaign to properly label food, or the plight of the average farm worker. And once you see the film, you may wish to have friends and family go—or even schedule a summer field trip for camps or classes that may be in session if possible.

Food, Inc. doesn’t end with a movie, either. It also encompasses activism and lifestyle changes people can take to create a healthier food environment in America. At the film’s website there are facts about the issues covered and introductions to everything from cloning to food borne illnesses to pesticide use and more.

There is also a fun interactive page on healthy food choices in cafeterias, a petition for a reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, and a reading list for more information.

Perhaps the best tool from the site is its list of tips to use for changing our food system that everyone can use. Some of the tips include shopping at farmer’s markets, eating at home instead of at restaurants or buying fast food, and asking schools to stop selling junk food. Most of these tips are easy actions that all of us can do to create a more sustainable, healthy nation.

Finally, the site links you to another site called TakePart.com which allows you to take action on a variety of other issues, from discovering your own “foodprint” to ending world hunger. Food truly is a universal need, and has quickly become an equally universal issue.

Food, Inc. opens this month. For show times near you, click here.