Building on Professor Cassuto’s post below, I draw your attention to a new movie hitting documentary fim festivals: Food, Inc.
The movie claims to “[lift] the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that’s been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA.”
Those of us interested in factory farming and what it means for animals in a system with little statutory and regulatory oversight (pertaining to animal welfare) will hopefully learn a lot from this film.
-Suzanne McMillan
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Animal Blawg 
I saw this film last night. Some of the footage and information in it — including a heart-wrenching scene detailing the abuse of broiler chickens — was mind-boggling. However, though Food Inc. made some very important points, it failed to show the cruelty inherent in the dairy industry. On the contrary, the film actually endorsed Stonyfield Organic, making them seem every bit as idyllic as the vision of “Old MacDonald’s” farm that they claimed they were debunking. The film also showcased Pollyface Farms, a “humane” meat farm that claims that their animals are treated kindly before they are killed. Perhaps that was the most gruesome footage in the film. Another component missing from the film was the egregious cruelty within the egg industry, though at least they didn’t endorse it, like they did for dairy. Lastly, though a large portion of this film focused on the environmental impacts of factory farming, they didn’t explore the connection between grass-fed beef and global warming. Instead, they showed cows munching on grass as a way to cool off the earth a little. Really? What a missed opportunity. Still, the film does have some amazing footage and stories — including the human rights angle of animal rights. I only wish they stepped even further outside the status quo and told the truth about dairy. Still, it’s worth seeing, and bringing every meat-eater you know with you.