Factory Farming and Sustainable Food Systems in “Sustainable Table: What's on your Plate?”

A Discussion of “Sustainable Table: What’s on your Plate?”
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A Discussion of “Sustainable Table: What’s on your Plate?”
As a documentary aimed at raising consumer awareness about food choices, “Sustainable Table: What’s on your Plate” does an exceptional job. Through an insightful evaluation of modern farming practices, Mischa Hedges (the director) provokes critical thought into the feeding habits of people today. However, it must be acknowledged that this documentary does explore its fair share of contentious issues, particularly with regard to factory farming and sustainable food systems.
In the documentary, Mischa Hedges manages to paint a horrifying and negative picture of factory farming. From the images showing slaughter of animals to the cages holding several chickens, the message conveyed is quite clear-that factory farming is a horrible enterprise that must be abandoned. However, while the argument against this mode of farming has some merits, the documentary fails in its approach to factory farming. This is because it presents factory farming solely as a venture undertaken by greedy and money-hungry individuals and corporations that have no regard for animals or the health of the society. In reality, the current practices of factory farming are only symptomatic of the individual and societal needs and values. Factory farms, in essence, are responses to the increasingly high demand for food products in the USA and, by extension, the entire world. Factory farms ensure that the US can feed hundreds of millions of people every day through numerous products and at different categories of prices. They have supported industries that provide cheap affo...