enter the meatrix

19 Oct 2006 at 10:38 pm

I’ve always been interested in nutrition and food quality, but I’ve been exposed to a lot more information while in school, much of it I either didn’t know before or think to question.

The more I learn about what corporations are doing to our food, the more disgusted I become. For a couple of years now, I’ve been aware of the awful conditions of the meat and dairy industries, but I see time and time again that lots of other people aren’t. I get the sense that awareness is on the rise, but it’s still information held by only a few when it ought to be information held by all. I mean, shouldn’t people know what they’re eating?

Mass production and convenience have created a marketplace where food is unhealthy and produced unethically. It’s our food, dammit. It’s how we sustain life; it shouldn’t be messed with. Bad food doesn’t just upset me as an aspiring chef, it upsets me as someone who has to eat.

For those who would like a quick overview of the atrocious conditions in some factory farms, check out The Meatrix. Sure, it’s a silly parody of The Matrix, but its message couldn’t be more true.

I don’t expect people to change their habits in droves, but the more people know about what they’re buying and eating, the more meaningful their choices become. The only way anything will change is if people learn what’s happening. Even if some people don’t change their habits, I’d rather they know than remain ignorant.