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Mr. Greenjeans

The Meatrix- Review 1 

I know that by now everyone has seen the short animated films entitled The Meatrix. The three films and the website contain so much information that I feel that they must be approached one at a time, starting with The Meatrix 1.

The basic hypothesis of  The Meatrix 1 is that because of the greed of large agricultural businesses, or as the film says "Agricorp", small family farms have been disappearing one after the other since the 1950's. Furthermore the film theorises that factory farming involves or leads to animal cruelty, antibiotic resistant germs, massive pollution and destroyed communities.

 I would like to clarify one initial point about the meatrix before even beginning to examine the others. Factory farms don't exist because of the greed of "Agricorp", factory farms (and "Agricorp" for that matter) exist because of the greed of consumers. Today's consumer demands produce that is available every day, that is always the same, and that is dirt cheap. No Ma and Pa farm as shown in the film can possibly provide that, and that is why "Agricorp" exists.

Animal cruelty in "factory farms" is no more common than in the typical family farm setting. Groups like PETA spend a great deal of time filming videos of cruelty to animals on these large farms. The truth is that the only thing that has changed is the scale. An event that happens every year on a small farm, now happens every week. Usually these events look worse on film than they really are. The factory farm in The Meatrix 1 showing pigs in stalls looking grey, depressed and injured is just as much a fantasy as the family farm at the beginning of the film. The reality is that for an animal to be productive, they must be healthy and happy, no matter what the setting.

The Meatrix 1 does have a valid point when it comes to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Antibiotics have been overused especially in North America, and especially in the production of pork and chicken. It is not, however, a case of "Agricorp" doing whatever it takes to make a buck. It is a situation that farmers progressed into because of the realities of the markets, and now realise was a mistake. Most farms large and small are now putting into place protocols that limit the use of antibiotics.

The next point in The Meatrix 1 is that factory farming results in massive pollution. Agriculture today is subject to more rules and regulations concerning the environment than any other industry, yet we are repeatedly put under the microscope. It is great to respect the environment, and we do our best, but over 6.5 billion people need to eat every day. Park your SUV for ten minutes and we'll talk.

The final point of The Meatrix 1 is that "Agricorp" destroys communities. If I called my neighbour right now to say I had a problem, he would be here in a minute. Whether we work for ourselves or for "Agricorp", nobody can take that away, and that is the essence of a rural community. Urban dwellers don't understand the meaning of "community". As farms get bigger, neighbours are a little farther away, but they're still neighbours. Modern farmers have lots of gripes too, but we hang around at the local Co-op and complain to each other rather than posting nonsensical videos like The Meatrix 1on YouTube. Now that's a community activity.

Mr. Greenjeans