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Answers

Question

What is your reaction to videos like Food Inc. or the restaurant Chipotles Farmed and Dangerous series?

Submitted by: JamieR


Answer

Expert response from Nebraska Corn Board

Thursday, 04/12/2014 23:27

The following selected excerpts are from the post, “Using fear to sell movies (and food)” from the Nebraska Corn Board blog, Nebraska Corn Kernels.

 

“Food Inc. was contrived by people who believe that the food system in this country is broken. They have a hammer-esqe view of how food gets to the grocery store, so everything to them appears to be a nail that needs pounding. They play loose with the facts and complain that nobody in the food industry would talk.”

 

“People who spend a lot of time complaining and misrepresenting facts about the modern food miracle generally do so with full bellies. Others have found that scaring people about the food they eat is a great way to increase sales of their books and movies, or to promote and sell their own food products.”

 

“There is no one best way to grow corn, soybeans or wheat, or to raise hogs, cattle or chickens. Organic, conventional or whatever - all have important roles in our food supply and all are produced by farmers who work hard to do the best job possible. And, by the way, all farmers work to be sustainable - from financial, social and environmental points of view.

“Farmers who raise livestock and poultry for Chipotle do a great job and meet the qualifications of the burrito chain, just as do farmers whose products end up at the grocery store or other restaurants. (Also see this post: When a burrito loses its integrity.)

“It’s all about serving the market you want to serve and being as good as possible at it.

“What it’s not about is fear mongering and truth stretching.”