The food industry of the USA has recently come under severe scrutiny from the public. The way food is produced has changed dramatically in the past 20-30 years. Two films, “Tapped” and “Food, Inc.,” unveil multiple issues behind the billion-dollar profits of food companies.
Environmental justice is a multidimensional notion, which, according to Lee, has proved to be “highly resistant to positive change” (141). Some of its important issues are explored in two recent documentaries. The first critical issue identified in the documentary “Tapped” refers to the changed perception of water as a free-access resource and a basic human right. Then, there is an issue of public not being able to trust food corporations in terms of claims about their products. Finally, there is an issue of poor quality of response from the authorities, which do little to actually protect people and ensure an adequate quality of life for them (though food-related policies). Another three environmental justice issues highlighted in “Food, Inc.” include an overwhelming representation of unhealthy and sometimes hazardous foods on the food market due to ways of growing and processing foods being defined by the industry and not by the customer; the illusive nature of food diversity and its nutritional value; and the hidden costs of cheap food. The latter refers to such costs as environmental, social, and health costs, which result from its consumption.
Access to municipal water is restricted for citizens in many communities across the USA. Still, local water resources are depleted by corporations, which do not cease operations even during droughts. From their point of view, they produce better water for everybody. Though food companies market their products as healthy and safe, multiple independent studies show otherwise. Moreover, the public is not informed about the company’s activities that are potentially harmful to the community. In turn, corporations insist that the results of internal studies show no hazards for the people. The FDA is ineffective and does not fulfill its actual responsibilities. Local authorities cannot withstand the powerful corporations on site. Still, on paper, it may seem that the authorities do control the bottled water industry.
Food corporations control the food market from planting a seed and birth of an animal to the shelf in a supermarket. Profit and efficiency are primary objectives in the decision-making process. All the same, the companies maintain the position of no wrong-doing and pretend to act in the customer’s interest. Many processed foods have similar basic ingredients, like corn and its derivatives, and are chemically altered to taste better. Pseudo-independent brands are owned by a few large corporations. The latter insist on striving to give a cheap, but tasty and filling product. Finally, the cost of food is low because of shortcuts taken throughout the production process, and includes the cost of abusing animals and workers’ right and environmental damage.
It is important not to ignore the problems of food industry in general and question corporations’ claims about their products. Everyone should acknowledge personal responsibility, …