Food, Inc. Discussion Guide - TakePart

c h a p t e r 9Shocks to the SystemS y n o p s i s o f F i l m C h a p t e rIn this chapter, the film touches on some of the other majorissues raised by our current food system, including thepossibility of a world food shortage, the tremendous amountof energy that goes into food production, and the impacts ofindustrialized food on our health and environment. The filmpoints out that while the average consumer may feel powerlessin the face of these issues and the vastness of the food system,the system does respond to consumer demand.R U N N I N G T I M E : 7 : 0 7 m i n u t e sB a c k g r o u n d I n f o r m at i o nIt is easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of issues raised by the filmabout our current food system. The manner in which our food is produced andmarketed affects not only our personal health, but also the health of our societyand our planet. This film chapter offers hope that individual and collective actionscan make a difference and move us toward creating a more sustainable foodsystem.One way that individuals can effect change is through their food purchases.As the film makes clear, corporations can and do alter their practices based onconsumer demand. One example mentioned in this chapter is Walmart switchingto rBST-free milk as a result of consumer pressure. A synthetic hormone injectedin cows to increase milk production, rBST or recombinant bovine somatotropin8 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