King Corn - A movie review

Because I rent all my movies from the library, I tend to be a little behind the times on checking out the latest and greatest. Here it is 2009 and I just recently had the opportunity to watch "King Corn" (2007). See the trailer here. 

"King Corn" is a documentary detailing the journey of corn from field to plate, as told by Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis. Cheney and Ellis, upon hearing reports that their generation will have a shorter lifespan than their parents, decided to do a little investigating into what we eat and discovered that our diets are monopolized by corn. Corn? Most people would assume wheat, right? All those pastas and hoagies? I thought we were bread eaters.

But it's true. Our food is swimming in corn. And Cheney and Ellis, in their journey towards discovery, share with us two very important lessons: 1) farming is different today than it was in past generations and 2) corn is in just about everything we eat. Let's start with Lesson #1.

Lesson #1:  Farming is different today than it was in past generations

Food shortages in the 1970's created new national food policy. It fostered the philosophy of "more is better" - basically, "get big or get out." Corn subsidies were introduced and with them came monocultures, acres and acres of crops. Farmers were encouraged to farm every acre with corn, and if their neighbors wouldn't expand, just buy them out. More, more, more. 

Granted, it's an efficient system. Machinery made it easier for less people to manage more farmland. Smaller farms no longer had a place, families moved to the city. How could they compete? As Cheney and Ellis report, in one acre, they plated 31,000 seeds. "It was not exactly a hands-on experience, but then again, it only took us 18 minutes."

Food and farming became measured in yield. Not that the plants are producing more, but the plants have been modified to tolerate living closer together. Iowa farmers are now producing up to 200 bushels per acre (that's 5 tons of food per acre)! More, more, more. Corn gets cheaper, government subsidies bail the farmers out. More, more, more.

So what happens to all this corn? How does it all end up in our bodies anyway?

Lesson #2: Corn is in just about everything we eat.

First, let me clarify that when we're talking about corn here, we're not talking about corn-on-the-cob, that wonderful summer-time treat. We're not even talking about canned corn here. Sorry Mr. Jolly Green Giant. You're not really part of this equation. What we're talking about here is corn that is meant to be processed - into animal feed and sweeteners. Go on. Get up and go in the kitchen. Check those labels. I'll wait until you come back... What did you find? Corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, hydrolized corn protien, etc...

In an effort to figure out how all this corn ends up in our diet, Cheney and Ellis went on a 1-year experiment of their own. They contacted an Iowa corn farmer and "borrowed" one acre of his land to grow their own corn. They jumped right in, applying for government subsidies and all. Learning from the corn farmers of Greene, Iowa, they planted seeds, fertilized, harvested, and deposited their crop in the local grain elevator. But what happens next, they found disturbing. 

Of the grain they grew, 32% will be exported or turned into ethinol. So that doesn't enter our food supply. But of the rest of it, most will become sweeteners or be fed to animals (aka that juicy hamburger at your favorite restaurant). 

Corn in lifestock - Anywhere from 60-90% of food rations for feed-lot cattle is corn. Here's the catch. Cattle aren't meant to eat corn and by the time they are slaughtered, their are dying from a host of other diseases. Mmm. Burger anyone? But grass-fed, the way nature intended, the cattle take far longer to mature and fatten to slaughter-weight. Corn-fed sure seems to be more efficient, right?

Of course, then there is the antibiotics that have to be given to cows to help cattle survive the conditions of confinement. A burger anyone? Still no takers?

Ok, enough about how we are killing cows with our cheap, overproduction of grain. How about some sweet talking - corn sweeteners. Well, Cheney and Ellis weren't permitted to take a film crew into a high fructose corn syrup factory, but they did get one factory to give them a recipe, which of course, they made. "It's definitely sweet," one of them said after tasting it and quickly spitting it back out in the sink.

High fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, became a player in the 70's. With corn being so cheap, it was a way to make all those wonderful processed foods cheaper for the manufacturers. And we all like cheap food, right? No wonder it took so much time to get it out of our house. It's in everything. No really. Go back to the kitchen again and check it out. I'll wait...

What we've really found in all this is that the efficiency, the so called "improvements" to the food system have actually degraded the nutritional quality of food. It has led to obesity and diabetes epidemics. Been to McDonalds lately? The burger (corn fed), the soda (high fructose corn syrup), the french fries (fried in corn oil). Getting the picture?

Ok. So that's the problem, but what is the solution? Here's the thing, people once spent twice the amount of money on food than we do today. Yes, the affordability and availability of food is important, but is the extremes in efficiency to which we've taken that goal healthy? Is it sustainable?

As 2009 proceeds, we reflect on the year that has passed and make plans for the future. I'm willing to bet that many of us have made resolutions with regards to food. Where does your food come from? Is it processed? Filled with corn, soy, and a lot of mystery ingredients? Do you want to fill your body with cheap, nutritionally devoid foods, or reward your body with quality, nutritionally dense foods. Eating well doesn't have to be a wallet-emptying experience, but we have to change our focus, becoming mindful of our food choices. 

Check out the movie. I've heard much of it before (from Michael Pollan mostly, who appears in this video WITH HAIR), but it's still a great reminder of the way our system works - for increased efficiency and productivity... not for our health and wellness. But we do have a choice. So in 2009, may your resolution be to eat well, enjoying whole, unprocessed foods. Explore your local farmers market. Renew your love of good food one bite at a time. I'll be with you the whole way!