There is nothing good about industrial farming. The hormones and antibiotics injected into animals makes its way into our bodies and our environment. The animals live under unethical conditions. Big Ag releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Huge amounts of waste and pollution, in the form of excrement, pollutes neighbouring farmland and local waterways, producing problems for aquatic life.
Big Ag is a big business. The pressure to produce more for less has led to sacrifices in the quality of what we put into our bodies. You are what you eat isn't a saying, it's a fact. Eating organic and local shouldn't be an afterthought; it should be the norm. It's better food - for us and for the environment. It's no coincidence that obesity has been a growing problem since industrial farming came along in the 60s. Hormones and antibiotics are not good for us. So what can we do about it?
Chipotle, who goes by the tagline "Food With Integrity" and says that "whenever possible (they) use meat from animals raised without the use of antibiotics or added hormones," has always promoted their use of sustainably raised food. As a large chain, most people have rolled their eyes at this claim. But they couldn't say it if it wasn't true, like Starbucks and their Fair Trade coffee promise.
This spot, commissioned by Chipotle and set to run in movie theaters, features the story of a farmer who converts his family farm into an industrial animal factory. He starts with good intentions only to find himself cramming his livestock into pens and pumping them full of hormones. In the end, he comes around,realizing the error of his ways and returning to his roots as a sustainable farmer. For the most part, it's not the farmers fault. It's the system. Problem is, systems aren't easy to change.
The only way Big Ag, with their billions of dollars and thousands of lobbyists, will ever stop pumping their pigs (and subsequently our bodies) full of unnatural hormones and antibiotics is if large companies like Chipotle join the fight and make people aware of what is going on with our food. Most people think pork is pork. Unfortunately, nothing could be farther from the truth. This video educates people, and that is exactly what is needed to shift the power away from the industrial farming complex and into our hands.
Film by Johnny Kelly
The song, a Coldplay cover by Willie Nelson, is available on iTunes.
Comments