What did you have for
supper last night?
Why did you choose
to eat what you did?
Where did the food
come from?
Some possible reasons…
It was fast or easy
It was what I usually eat
It was nutritious
It tasted good
It was a good price
It was in season
My friends liked it
I did not have any choice in what I ate
The Meatrix launched in November 2003
Has been translated into more than 30 languages
Over 15 million viewers worldwide
The Factory Farm
A factory farm is a large-scale industrial operation that
houses thousands of animals raised for food—such as
chickens, turkeys, cows, and pigs—and treats them
with hormones and antibiotics to prevent disease and
maximize their growth and food output.
The premise for factory farming is that we need to
produce food more efficiently to feed 7 billion people!
The Three Pillars of Sustainability
Social Pillar
New diseases
Pathogens
Dangerous hormones
Unethical treatment of animals
Confinement
Mutilation
diseases due to stress
Economic Pillar
Threats to family farms
Unfair competition
Regulations
farmers lose jobs and livelihoods
less people to look after the land,
Lower property values
“Cost” and convenience of meat
Environmental Pillar
Animal Waste
Air Emissions
Ecosystem Damage
Destruction of Land
Alter-ego Perspective
Five Groups
1. Chicken
2. Chicken Farmers
3. President of the Poultry Company
4. Chicken Consumer
5. Chicken Farm Worker
Write one statement that you think your
character would say in reference to factory
farming.
Discussion Question
If we are in consensus that even food animals
deserve to have a certain quality of life,
who has the responsibility to oversee the
treatment of chickens or other food animals?
What responsibility do individuals and consumers have?
The government? Companies?
Discussion Question
In a way, we’re not producing chickens, we’re producing food
Richard Lobb, of the National Chicken Council, in Food Inc.
What does this statement mean?
Do you agree or disagree?
How might this perspective affect the way that chickens are raised?
Old McDonalds Farm
Resources
11 facts about Factory Farms
Factory Farms/What’s good about it
Factory Farming…Winners and Losers
What are the pros and cons of Factory Farms
Primary Kids – Factory Farming
Factory Farming Index
Factory Farm Facts
Sustainable Table
Beyond Factory Farming
CEC Manitoba
Food Inc. Discussion Guide
The Meatrix