Forbes has a stupid and annoying review of Food, Inc.
Though food activists have been trying to convince the public for some time that it’s in the country’s best interest to adopt more thoughtful means of consumption, the efforts have fallen short. And that’s largely because the debate lacks any serious discussion of how much it might cost to shift the scale of production to a more conscientious model. It also fails to address how we might feed the country–or world–while dependent on such a model, an unanswered question that fuels disbelief among those the movement most needs to convince. Skeptics point out that by and large, the healthiest food is not cheapest, nor is it available in every market.
In Food, Inc., which was directed by Robert Kenner and co-produced by Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser, these considerations are barely footnotes in a narrative that pits industry against the innocent: a 2-year-old dies from e.coli poisoning; undocumented immigrants toil in slaughterhouses; the family of a diabetic man must choose between fresh fruit and vegetables and his medication.
Here’s the thing about business models: they emerge in response to demand. As demand for local and organic foods grows, farmers and food companies will figure out profitable methods to provide this food.
Criticizing a mainstream movie for not offering a business plan along with its message is disingenuous. If America has the resources to waste mountains of corn by feeding it to livestock, it certainly has the resources to feed its people a diet that’s more local and sustainable. (Via Bittman). Link.
