Food for Thought at Slow Food Nation

Hi! First, I wanted to let you all know that I’ll be starting back up the “At the Table” column – it will probably be bi-weekly due to lack of time (this sustainable food work has gotten so popular! – that’s the reason there haven’t been any columns for a while) – but I miss writing something about what’s going on, so At the Table is now back…

Almost everything we’ve been doing these past few days has revolved around Slow Food Nation, the huge citywide event happening in San Francisco next weekend. Sustainable Table is one of the many groups sponsoring the 4-day food extravaganza – our contribution is as host sponsor of the Slow Dinners, local sustainable meals being served at 45 restaurants around the city during the course of the event.

If you’re planning to attend Slow Food Nation and want to say hello, drop us a line and let us know!

Among the many exciting things happening, including concerts, taste workshops and food tours, is a panel discussion including Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, and hosted by Participant Media (the social action arm of Participant Productions). Also included will be several clips from their upcoming movie Food, Inc.

Read on to find out what Participant has to say about the event!

(From Participant Media…)

“Please join us at Slow Food Nation on Sunday afternoon with Participant Media, producer of An Inconvenient Truth, Syriana and the Kite Runner, for a special free “Food for Thought” film event.

Clips from their upcoming documentary, Food, Inc., about the industrialization of the food industry, will be shown along with a panel discussion. Speakers include best-selling authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, the film’s co-producer, and director Robert Kenner.

Food, Inc., lifts 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. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli–the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.”

For details and to reserve a seat, please click here: slowfoodnation.org/events/the-main-event/food-for-thought-free-films/

For more information about the film, visit: www.takepart.com/foodinc