Food inc. Reflections

Today, YouthCAN watched a documentary about the hidden identities of the big corporations. Behind all the produce and meat packages are harmful chemicals and cruelty that is morally wrong. Yet we continue our daily lives unaware of all these advancing problems that harm the living things on this earth. YouthCAN analyzed the issue and produced solutions and relfections about the documentary. Here are their reflections:

Amber K.:
Food is life. Now, food is a lie. In our society, mothers want the best for their kids and people want the best for themselves. Yet, we still devour garbage that corrupts the human body. Can we really sustain healthy lives in this society with the lies of meat and produce companies? Has anyone else looked beyond the physical characteristics of the food that we put in our system? In these cliche words, I would like to tell you to look outside the box. To look beyond the scrumptious and tender meat. To look beyond the “fresh” and “pure” vegetables and fruits. What’s inside of your food? How has the food that you see now sit in front of you? Have you ever thought of these simple yet critical questions? Do food companies really care about your future? No. They deceive us by putting mutated, distorted “food” that come from labs onto our plates; their greedy, beading eyes only gaze at the money rather than the heart. You’ve now been warned. It’s your decision to eat what’s right for you. It’s your to make a stand.

Jonas M.:
I want meat companies to compare food from fifty years ago to the current produce. We need to stop adding chemicals and poison to cure humans; it’s just making it worse.

Christina N.:
I learned that we need to unite as a community and to become more aware of our food system and where our main food source comes from. We need to start our own organization or link with local organizations to promise a healthier diet by knowing how to grow forage and to inspire the next generations’ future to eat healthy and be healthy.

Ashley K.: I learned about the horrible things that are done in the meat industry. I also learned that tomatoes are picked green and ripened with Ethylene gas. To make a change in the food industry, we should come together as a community by putting the foods that are healthy for animals and the environment to increase the demand.

Jonathan C.:
The food system that we have is corrupted; the large companies that supply the farmers with the seeds or substances they need are cruel and careless. Monsanto supplies seeds for farmers but they have people inside the government that work with the FDA who tries to stop the regulations; Thus making people try to stop Monsanto. This changes my thoughts on the government and it questions my trust towards them.

Yulong T.:
After watching the hidden secrets of food in the Netflix Documentary Food Inc, I learned that McDonald’s is the largest purchaser of beef, despite the obviousness of that. It shocked me to think about the capabilities of greed and the insatiable, flaming desire of power. By taking advantage of other people and abusing work ethics, the food industry completely demoralized the workers and farmers in a mad scramble to satisfy their own selfish needs. It’s a terrible shame to know that this is a regularity in the industry and nothing is being done, despite people protesting it. Sometimes, to solve a problem you have to start small. Make small changes. Buy local food products. Read labels and know what’s going into your body. “This land is your land. This land is my land”. What is belonging if we all can’t belong together? Spread and share. Food Inc taught me that.

Tamar M.: Ours is a new generation, one so bright yet so far from the target, from the light. Ours is a generation from fast food chains, chaos running in the blood that flows within our veins. Ours is a generation high standards for technology, yet when it comes to the food that we process life energy…well then, we need to stop worrying. Food inc. is food for thought. Have you ever truly contemplated the idea that theoretically if you were plated two meals? Sadly, the majority would choose not one with organic vegetables and high cost. But the affordable one with the burger made from the meat of thousand cows that lived a life knee deep of its own feces. Which of the two meals would you eat? Imagine a world where carrots are cheaper than deep-fried potato chips. Imagine a life of lean and fit versus majority of obesity. To all the mothers. To all the fathers. They should be able to feed their children healthy, organic, and tasty treats not dependent of cash value but on their hunger for a more healthy humanity and for their children’s future identity of priorities being longevity, constantly dreaming of that world. Sadly, currently, it’s all about the currency and less about the healthy eats. Food inc. is food for thought.

Candice L.: I am a person who eats my meals without ever questioning the composition and the creation of my food. Until I watched this documentary. Food inc. shows the cruelty towards human beings and animals without any censorship. Who would have thought that cows were brutally murdered with chainsaws? Not only are animals immorally tortured, but our fruits and vegetables are also sprayed with chemicals to ripen and prevent bugs; these chemicals are harmful to the human body and the environment. This reveals the companies true aspiration: Money. They don’t really care about the health of individuals; they just want a better profit for themselves. Food inc. has opened my mind to the possibilities of solutions to help the earth and its living organisms. We, as a community, need to buy more local foods and spread the word of these large companies’ wrongdoings. By making people more aware of the situation, we can slowly change the path we are taking and walk towards a better one. We just need to start now.

Deago M.: I think that companies should change how the animals are raised, processed, and sold. They should also change the prices to best serve the community.

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Recap of July 21th

Today, we went to the Danny Woo garden for a tour. We spent the day exploring the garden and its history; the youths came up with solutions on how to create a better economy for the people in our community. We ended the day with reflections about the things we learned about the garden.

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Recap of July 18th

Today, YouthCan learned how to make Thai food with Pranee Halvorsen. She taught us different techniques to make traditional Thai foods and gave us recipes to try out on our own. We ended with a farewell to Che, Brandon, and Pranee by having a dance circle.

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Recap for July 17th

Today was the most educational day so far. The Community Alliance for Global Justice Food Workshop started off with a friendly introduction and a warm-up activity. We continued to various activities that taught us about common foods in our diet and where they came from. The Alliance also spoke to us about many global problems that affect people and the economy. Each of the Youths left with a new piece of information about food justice and different solutions to make the world a better place.

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Recap of July 16th

Today, we met at the Wing Luke to learn about the camera functions with Vivian. Then, we tested our cameras out during the Oasis bubble tea workshop. After that, we came back to the Wing to hang out for the rest of the time.

So far, the Youths have gotten more comfortable with each other; everyone gets along pretty well. The things that we have learned so far in this session is not only educational, but it is also fun. Hopefully, it will continue to progress in this positive direction.

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July 15th Recap

We have a great collaboration with Che Sehyun who leads the Massive Experience (ME) program in our neighborhood. We joined forces to connect our youth with each other and discuss relevant food justice issues and practices (as well as eating tasty local food and sharing our big dreams :) .

Poem:

When I hunger, Food is very tasty,
But which ones are good for my health?
We must learn to grow properly,
For there is no greater wealth
Help myself to be able to help others
What good is a sick sister or brother
That weighs down each other
Learn to walk on this sacred earth
Respect the earth, for she is our mother.
Cultivate and enjoy her fruits, With each step love her,
you are here now, a sacred place,
she made Space for you, above her.

Icebreaker: “Find that Person” to start off. Off to Uwajimaya for tour. Tour around and grabbed some refreshments. Refreshments and charades at Children’s Park. Park ourselves at Tai Tung. Tai Tung tour and food. Food discussions and Dreams. Dreams lead to The Beacon. The Beacon members and YouthCan chill for the rest of the day. (Written in poetic form)

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Recap for July 14th

New and old members introductions. Introductions included two games; two truths & a lie and the sticky-note game. Game of groceries was played after icebreakers and lasted for about an hour and a half. Half an hour was left for the groups’ food presentation. Presentation from Che about food taught members “You are what you eat”. (This is in poetic form)

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