Food, Inc. Discussion Guide - TakePart

easons. Do you think economics is a good enough reason by itself forcompanies to make changes that affect our society? Why or why not?• What do you think of Gary Hirshberg’s statement that “nobody can challengethe fact that a sale of another million dollars to Walmart helps to save theworld”? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?R e f l e c t i o nGive students copies of The Company You Keep student handout, asking them toindicate where they would place themselves on the spectrum between “I’ll buywhat I like to eat, no matter who makes it” and “I’ll only buy food from companieswhose values I agree with.” Have them write about their position.I d e a s f o r A c t i o n• The film suggests that many small food producers have been bought by largecorporations. Help the class explore the companies behind different foodproducts. Have students choose a product, identify what company makesthat product, and then find out whether that company is owned by a parentcompany. If it is owned by a parent company, what else does that companyproduce? To find the information, they may look at labels, search on the Web,and ask local store managers. Have students share and analyze their findings.How easy was it to find the information?• Invite a farmer to talk with your students about organic versus nonorganicfarming and about why organic food products are often more expensive thannonorganic products. To locate an organic farmer in your area, check www.eatwellguide.org.6 7F o o d , I n c . D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E© P a r t i c i p a n t M e d i a