copyright 2010 eat.write.think

I recently watched this documentary called Food, Inc. by the American filmmaker Robert Kenner. Over the last couple of years, just when US backed MNCs have been making incursions into the third world countries with ‘solutions’ to the problem of food shortage, Americans have woken up to the fact that indeed food and health are co-related. I liked the film because it was an eye opener for me to know more about the american food production industry. The film has been edited well, very tight and to the point with some great graphics, so actually its not your boring propagandist documentary. Food, Inc. starts with the meat production industry and ofcourse I felt very sanctimonious sitting there watching it with my meat eating partner. The next segment was related to grains and vegetables, the american agriculture relies heavily on corn and soy and it was really interesting to see how products of almost all nomenclature uses some form of either soy or corn extracts. Ofcourse the industry would want that.

Now I like soya and I like corn, but to have it shoved down my throat without a choice, well that makes me uncomfortable. Ofcourse like all films of this nature, big and small, generate some sort of controversy, so Food, Inc, did too. Particularly for its portrayal of Monsanto the agro giant, which is perennially in the news anyway. Just for your information in India Monsato works with Mahyco and markets its BT cotton seeds under different names. Incursions by Monsanto and others into the Indian agro business is said to be one of the many reasons for farmer’s suicides in India.

So my humble corn on the cob waits insidiously, I know not what’s in it, but I will survive another day of food that’s not labelled. I do wonder why organic food is labelled and not the other way round. Shouldn’t it really be the other way round? This recipe is from Cynthia’s Guyanese-style corn-on-the-cob.

Really simple to put together, you need a couple of young corn, if its too large just halve them.

half a can of coconut milk

crushed peppercorn and a little salt

1 cup water

Method

Boil the whole lot in a stock pot, and then simmer till the juices are almost fully absorbed by the corn. I topped it with some vegan olive butter spread. And once you are done with the corn kernels you can suck the cob till its dry! Yum!

copyright 2010 eat.write.think

The latest on BT: India delays BT Brinjal!