A One Sided Argument

Robert Kenner's documentary Food Inc. produced in 2008 reveals the flaws of the agricultural system in the United States, but it does not provide a counter argument. It explains how the system came to be, but it does not explain why the system works for our society. Kenner only points out the cons of the current system. He provides a very accusatory argument towards large food corporations with only the negative aspect that they bring. The start of the documentary is meant to lower the opinion of large food corporations, while the end is meant to raise the opinion of organic farmers. The documentary is not an attempt to let a viewer form their own opinion on a subject with new information, it is meant to open the viewer’s eyes to the bad side of the food industry. It does not say that it would be nearly impossible to feed the growing population in the US with organic meat. The US, with around three hundred million people, could not possibly be fed by organic meat farmers. They may raise livestock in better conditions with better quality, but these upgrades cannot be accomplished on a massive scale in the US. There physically is not enough space. On the other hand, the documentary does point out severe flaws in the system. The conditions the livestock are raised in are poor at best. True improvements in the food system would not change the mass quantities that are being produced, but the conditions that animals are raised in should be improved. All animal cages should be open air. Cattle should be fed grass instead of corn. It may not be possible to supply enough living grass to cattle, but grass should be produced like hay for horses. It would not even have to be a full grass diet. A corn and grass mixed diet would be healthier for the animals and it would be possible. All in all, I thought that the documentary sheds much needed light on the food industry, but it does not give a plausible solution to the problem. Kenner should not have set his standards to an impossible goal, but set them to something that can be accomplished or at least something that would be easier to accomplish.