Farmageddon, Essay Example

Consumers’ Rights for Raw Food and Ethical Issues of Farmageddon

The sovereignty of consumer choices is in the spotlight of the film: Farmageddon. People who would like to buy organic, unprocessed and safe food for their families seem to have their rights violated by the actions of legislative authorities that seem to target small farms. The question of fairness and ethics related to the raids and seizures described in the documentary is something that needs to be addressed. While Veblen states that the idea of consumer sovereignty is just an idea and people do indeed depend on market, advertising messages and policies.

Indeed, in the food market, the big players are favored by the U.S. government; they spend a huge proportion of their profit on advertising, taxes. Still, there are many consumers featured in the documentary, who can be called “sovereign” consumers instead of dependent ones. They see through policies, choose not to listen to state propaganda stating that raw milk and organic food is not safe. They refuse to consume food that was produced in an unethical way and feel offended when small farms offering their choice of food are targeted by legislative organizations.

Distributive justice theory states that the distribution of benefits and burdens should be equitable. It seems like this theory is not put in practice by the FDA, as organic farms have to face with increased legislation, administration and compliance regulations compared to large food producing firms that have the power and resources to comply with the state regulations. Further, as processed and GM food is available at a lower price, according to Veblen,  the price influences consumer choices. In the documentary, consumers and farmers act in a responsible manner. One of the main motivations of consumers buying from local farms is the lack of chemicals, pesticides and the fair treatment of the animals. On the other hand, large food manufacturers are accused of focusing on profit and reducing the number of consumer choices available through government lobbying.

Corporate responsibility should be enforced by governments, and consumers also have the right to address their concerns about the food industry and messages communicated by the companies. As Veblen states: the ultimate power is in the hands of those owning capital power because they have a control over the government.

Works Cited

Farmageddon. Dir. Canty, K. Netflix. 2011. Film.

Veblen, T.  “The Place of Science in Modern Civilization”. American Journal of Sociology , Vol. 11,  No. 5 (Mar., 1906) , pp. 585-609 The University of Chicago Press. 1919. Print.