A Dream for healthier food

Posted By CATHY PELLETIER , CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER

Posted 2 months ago

Bring along your appetite to the DSS gym Friday night, where the next DREAM presentation will empower you to fight for healthier food.

A screening of the movie, Food Inc., will provide an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how food gets to our table, and why we should be aware of what we're putting into our bodies.

Produced by an investigative reporter, Food Inc. reveals how a handful of powerful multi-national corporations now control the entire farming industry, and the harmful effect that has on our overall health.

From the invention of drive-in restaurants in the 1930s by the MacDonald Brothers, which revolutionized the way we eat by giving birth to fast food, to today's high-tech farming, Food Inc. sheds a great shining light on the changes that have led to such significant consequences as widespread e. coli and salmonella.

At the turn of the last century, farmers normally fed from six to eight people.

Now, modern equipment and methods have enabled the average farmer to feed about 126.

However, efficiency comes at a price, says the film, and a reduction of regulatory controls in the food processing industry, along with genetically-engineered farming, has developed a whole host of problems, including unsafe work environments, and outbreaks of illness and death.

But we do have a choice, say some farmers. As consumers, we have all the power.

If we want the multi-national companies to change their policies, we must increase our demand for healthier foods and production methods.

Buying only from companies who treat animals, workers, and the environment with respect will force the conglomerates to adjust the way they do business.

Being educated and demanding more detailed labeling on our food will lead to improved enforcement among regulatory agencies, which have become dangerously lax under the Bush administration.

According to the film, people can lobby for healthier food the same way they did against the tobacco industry to effect positive change.

If we demand organic food, the food industry will be forced to adapt and make it more available and affordable to the average consumer.

Organic farmers strive to work in harmony with the environment to preserve the quality of the soil and water for future generations.

Organic produce is grown using methods that promote soil fertility and a healthy farm eco-system, without harmful pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms. The result is more nutrient- rich, healthier, tastier food.

In addition to the movie presentation, the DREAM event will also feature speakers Alvaro Venturelli from Plan B Organic Farms in Flamborough, and David McKay and his colleagues from the Canadian Friends of Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Haiti.

This group formed to support maternal and child health care in Haiti, where malnutrition is common, said Susan McKay of Hamilton, and frequently a result of factors that are highlighted in the film, Food Inc.

She and the Canadian Friends fundraise to improve parental education in Haiti and to help hospital staff find solutions to the complex problem.

"Along with these individuals sharing their passionate perspectives in the business, we are hoping to have local food producers who use this forum to network with other producers and the consumer," said DREAM founder, Dr. Reza Kazemi.

Tickets for Friday's DREAM event cost $5, and are available by calling 905-774-8841.