I admit I haven't seen Food, Inc. yet.  But, maybe like you, I've heard glowing recommendations from any number of sources.  And when I learned that my good friend Jessica Stackhouse was going to see the documentary at a community showing, I couldn't resist asking if she'd be willing to pass along some thoughts on it.  Jessica has a vested interest in local food issues, and has been a faithful advocate for not one sparrow as well.  Here's what she had to say about the film:

I love to eat.  I love food!  But, I have to admit that I really had very little idea that the majority of products in the supermarket contain some form of corn; that only a few companies control our national food supply, and basically write their own regulations; or that honest, hardworking farmers are being squeezed out of their land and their livelihoods by our relentless demand for cheaper food products.  And I had no idea how much the food I eat every day impacts and changes the world we live in. 

Even more unexpectedly, I gained a whole new respect for the living creatures involved in the production of the food I eat: from the baby chicks which grow up to lay eggs for my breakfast, to the cows which produce milk for all the cheeses I love, to the humans who raise these animals, work at the meat-packing plants and grow soy for my vanilla soy latte.  And just so you know, the footage about the animals was much less graphic than some I’ve seen in the past.

Most of all, I found out that every dollar I spend on food is, in essence, a vote for how I want my world to be.  Food Inc. is an incredibly eye-opening and engaging look “behind the scenes” at the American food chain.  It gives reason for hope and pushes people to be catalysts for change, to be a positive vote three times a day.  I highly recommend catching it at some point ...  

Many thanks to Jessica for her review of the film.  You may also enjoy this brief interview with director Robert Kenner and narrator Michael Pollan (of The Omnivore's Dilemma), and I also recommend Wayne Pacelle and Jennifer Fearing of the Humane Society's review, "'Food, Inc.': Cleans Your Plate," for a bit more on the animal issues which the documentary touches on: 

About a third of the film’s footage features feedlots, confinement facilities, and slaughterhouses.  In an artful and effective way, images flick quickly from living animal to dead animal to carcass to giant vats of flesh.  In so doing, the film underscores the cognitive dissonance so many people live with: identifying and empathizing with certain animals while eating others.

(image from the Food, Inc. dvd, available Nov. 3, '09) 

Update on February 3, 2010 by Ben DeVries

The Christian creation care group Flourish recently posted a thoughtful review of Food, Inc. as well, written by Rachel Stone.