An Analysis Of The Movie Food Inc And Its Impacts On Agricultural Practices

Running head: FOOD INC. AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES 1

An Analysis of the Movie Food Inc. and its Impacts on Agricultural Practices

Name

Institution

FOOD INC. AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES 2

An Analysis of the Movie Food Inc. and its Impacts on Agricultural Practices

Selected Agricultural Company: Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

Food Inc.: An Overview

First released on the 7

of September 2008, and later on the 12

of June 2009, Food Inc.

stands out as one of the many outcries against unhealthy food practices that lead to numerous

health complications on the animals and crops produced using unhealthy means as well as those

who consume them and their surrounding environments (Kenner & Pearlstein, 2008). It identifies

unhealthy trends in the food industry, analyzes them, and suggests answers to associated

problems.

The documentary film is written by Robert Kenner and Elsie Pearlstein, and produced by

the two alongside Kim Roberts, who also doubles as a co-writer and editor. Other major players

in the film include starring commentators Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan. Production and

distribution companies involved in the film encompass Dogwoof Pictires, Participant Media,

River Road Entertainment, and Magnolia pictures. In a unified approach, these participants come

together not only to expose for the public the problems associated with the current agribusiness

trends of mass production and indiscriminate use of agricultural chemicals, but also to propose

some solutions to these challenges (Weber, K. (2010).

In a nutshell, the documentary is segmented into three parts with the first focusing on the

industrial production of meat products and the animals involved like chicken, cows, sheep, pigs,

and goats. By analyzing the industrial trends involved on the processes of producing meat

products and the use of these products in the fast-food and other processing systems, the

documentary presents the industry as inhumane, economically unviable, and industrially

unsustainable (Reader, 2013). In the second segment, the film reviews the existing systems in the

FOOD INC. AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES 3

industrial production of groceries. The grains and vegetables analyzed in this section include

corn and soybeans among others. Again, these emerge as inhumane, unviable, and unsustainable

(Weber, 2010). Lastly, the documentary tackles prominent issues relating to economic and legal

powers surrounding the production, processing, and sales of food products. It reviews major

issues like the labeling of food products, compromise of quality for large sums of profit, heavy

use of harmful pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals, and the combined effects of all these

elements on the industry and ultimately the consumers and their environment (Magnolia

Pictures, 2009).

As explained by Reader (2013) and other authors and commentators who have reviewed

the documentary, Food Inc. stands out as a significant expose of the ongoings in the food

industry. It helps the society by highlighting unhealthy food practices in various ways. Overall, it

is an analysis of the food and safety consequences of factory farms. In poor animal practices in

agribusiness, the film specifically outlines the use of battery cages, fast growth chemical for

birds, the forced feeding for foie grass, the use of gestation crates and veal crates, and issues

related to long distance transportation of animals (Weber, 2009). Further reviews evaluate the

effects of genetic engineering on food as well as associated arising issues. By so doing, this film

makes the society aware of the source of their food as well as its safety. The film also assists the

society in making decisions about which foods to consume and which ones to avoid. Perhaps, the

greatest contribution made by the film is creating an opening for actions against unacceptable

food practices to result in a better and safer society (Schlosser, 2012). It is considerably a strong

source because it is based on primary research and evidential presentations that cannot be

disputed. Again, it is well organized and methodically presented.

FOOD INC. AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES 4

Background Information on Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service is a community based agricultural service

whose aim is to expand agricultural opportunities for farmers and other agricultural

entrepreneurs, assist the communities in the proper management of natural resources and the

environment, advice the community on food safety, nutrition, and health education, and

encourage youth, family and community development on the basis of agricultural production

(Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, 2016). The extension departments in this

organization include the 4-H and Youth Development, Agricultural Economics, Animal Science,

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Entomology & Plant Pathology, Family & Consumer

Sciences, Food & Agricultural Products Center, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture,

Natural Resource Ecology and Management, and Plant and Soil Sciences (Oklahoma

Cooperative Extension Service, 2016). With these, the extension services focus on healthy crop

growth and animal farming, and the conservation of the environment for better agricultural use.

Thesis on the Influence of Food Inc. on Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

Thesis: By interacting with and reviewing the information given in Food Inc., the

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service will improve its research and awareness on healthy

food practices and environmental conservation, thereby informing the communities in a better

way.

The interaction with the information in the film is likely to improve the way Oklahoma

Cooperative Extension Service delivers services to their consumers. These range from healthy

crop practices, good farming techniques, better ways to handle animals in the process of

production, the types of chemicals used in food production, and the unhealthy foods that families

should avoid when purchasing food for consumption.

FOOD INC. AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES 5

References

Kenner, R., & Pearlstein, E. (2008). Food Inc. United States of America.

Weber, K. (2010). Food, Inc: How industrial food is making us sicker, fatter and poorer -- and

what you can do about it. New York: Accessible Publishing Systems.

Reader, C. (2013). Summary of Food, Inc. Cork: Primento Digital Publishers.

Magnolia Pictures. (2009). Food, Inc.: A film by Robert Kenner. Press Notes. Retrieved 8

October 2016, from http://www.foodincmovie.co.uk/img/downloads/Press_Materials.pdf

Weber, K. (2009). Food, Inc: How industrial food is making us sicker, fatter and poorer-- and

what you can do about it. New York: PublicAffairs.

Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast food nation: The dark side of the all-American meal. Boston: Mariner

Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. (2016). Welcome — Oklahoma Cooperative

Extension Service. Oces.okstate.edu. Retrieved 8 October 2016, from

http://www.oces.okstate.edu/

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. (2016). Extension Departments — Oklahoma

Cooperative Extension Service. Oces.okstate.edu. Retrieved 8 October 2016, from

http://www.oces.okstate.edu/extension-departments

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