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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2009 8:47:12 GMT -5
Anybody see this yet? I drove to St Louis this weekend to watch it. Awesome movie. Flew by, felt they could've had several hours more of information. It pisses you off and inspires and motivates you at the same time. Everyone needs to see it. On a side note, has anyone seen King Corn? I've been wanting to see it too, but haven't come across it yet.
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Post by robwhite on Jul 13, 2009 9:53:53 GMT -5
I've seen King Corn. Its a bit boring for the first 2/3 of the movie (might appreciate it a bit more if your American), but its interesting to note how having 'corn-fed everything' is really crippling people's health in the US. Theres quite a gross scene where they are pulling loads of crap out of a surgically-opened cows stomach (anaesthetised and still concious) to illustrate the effect all of the corn has on its digestion. To say its innards are suffering is an understatement.
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Post by erictalmant on Jul 17, 2009 8:05:45 GMT -5
Anybody see this yet? I drove to St Louis this weekend to watch it. Awesome movie. Flew by, felt they could've had several hours more of information. It pisses you off and inspires and motivates you at the same time. Everyone needs to see it. On a side note, has anyone seen King Corn? I've been wanting to see it too, but haven't come across it yet. I was just in St. Louis, Jared! Some friends of mine have seen the Food movie, and all of them said basically the same thing as you did. I think it is a good thing that people are beginning to become more aware of what they put into their bodies, and the positive and negative ramifications of it all. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2009 9:00:30 GMT -5
Eric, Rob, or any other Europeans,
Several of us were discussing this movie and someone asked what was the state of the food industry in Europe. Nobody had any idea. How is it different? Do they feed cattle grain, hormones, antibiotics and have huge meat packing plants? Anything similar to the FDA and USDA? as corrupt?
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Post by robwhite on Jul 28, 2009 11:31:04 GMT -5
It seems to vary from country to country in Europe, for example in the UK lamb is a very good meat to eat - its pretty much free range, and very little antibiotics / hormones are used on it. Beef is not so great - it tends to be shed-reared for 50% of the year and given some drugs and a grain based diet, but free-range grass-fed beef is becoming more available. I think Switzerland has very clean, free-range cows by default. The use of Bovine Growth Hormone is banned in most European countries now i think. I know in Denmark and i think Germany the treatment of pigs is atrocious and they are are nearly all intensively cage reared with loads of drugs. The UK treats its pigs better (more room to roam) but are still given drugs. Not sure about other European countries, but i know in the UK poultry is treated absolutely horrifically - thousands of chicken packed into to sheds never to see daylight, given a corn feed loaded with drugs, and they are often de-beaked and de-clawed to stop themselves killing each other.
I buy organic and some free-range game as well to ensure the best quality life and lowest contaminant content of the animals i eat. The Soil Association is responsible for most orgainc standards in the UK, and they are quite stringent. My only gripe is that organic doesnt necessarily mean free-range, which means the diet of the animals is not always natural.
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Post by erictalmant on Jul 29, 2009 8:08:09 GMT -5
I will check with my friends in Greece and Crete and report back with specifics. I know that the things we eat when we go over there are all locally raised and grown and about as clean as it gets; but that may not be representative of the entire country or the island.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2009 8:26:59 GMT -5
Eric,
Anything new on this? Thanks.
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Post by erictalmant on Aug 19, 2009 8:36:07 GMT -5
Eric, Anything new on this? Thanks. Mainland Greece does have some of the same "horrors" as we do here the US, but not to the same degree-yet. Improper feed, hormones, and anti-biotics do exist; but they are (in my correspondence) almost the exception rather than the rule. On the island (Crete) these types of things are almost non-existent. That is why I have invested in property there and continue to save my pennies...  Are you interested in any one particular country? |
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Post by robwhite on Aug 20, 2009 5:59:48 GMT -5
My parents are intending to purchase a place in the northern (Turkish) region of Cyprus, near Famaghusta. I've been with them all over Cyprus (St Hilarion Castle is a truly amazing experience, with the upper quarters taking you above cloud level!) and the northern region hasnt been so commericalised as the southern side. All of the staple foods are grown / raised traditionally, or imported from mainland Turkey, where the food supply also has not been corrupted much by massive pesticide / herbicide / antibiotic / hormone use.
I've also visited Greece a number of times and stayed on most of the islands. Crete is a lovely place, and i also really enjoyed Zakynthos (for its hills and cliffs) and Kefalonia (for its forest mountain region). I think you could be very happy in the region Eric, as the climate and environment would suit you well i imagine.
A concern i have in Europe is that the Soil Association is slowly caving in to allowing more presticide use and grain feeding of animals.
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Post by joeldibattista on Aug 21, 2009 2:10:53 GMT -5
I thought the way cattle and pigs were reared in Italy when I was there was pretty attrocious.
My mother's family are all farmers (sheep & cattle) here in Australia and everything is free-range (we have lots of room I guess...) and use of hormones in cattle is illegal.
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Post by erictalmant on Sept 2, 2009 17:09:31 GMT -5
This just goes to show that we can't really assume anything about a particular geographic region. The best idea is to get in touch with the exact local farmers and ranchers where you will be purchasing your food and ask them the important questions. I lived in Crete back in 2001-2002 and I really enjoyed it. December-February was a bit rougher than I am used to here in middle southwest Florida; but for the most part the climate, environment, and culture suits me well. There are already goats and sheep on the property, and more fruit and olive trees than I can count |
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Post by robwhite on Sept 3, 2009 6:27:19 GMT -5
So, are you going to slaughter your own meat then Eric?
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Post by erictalmant on Sept 16, 2009 15:55:27 GMT -5
So, are you going to slaughter your own meat then Eric? I don't believe I could do that. You know, it is sometimes funny how our attitudes change on a particular thing. I grew up hunting and fishing, and then as I got older and began to become closer to my dogs I just have a ton of compassion for animals. I appreciate them for all that they are, and find extreme beauty in perhaps even the smallest of things. Unless we are starving, I will pass on slaughtering my own meat for now. |
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