Title: The Meatrix (2006)
Summary:
In 2006 SustainableTable.com and Free Range Studios posted a series of Educational, kid-friendly interactive videos called the Meatrix. These videos take you on a tour through a typical commercial farm allowing you to click your way around an animated farm revealing facts about the ugly side of industrial agriculture.
Topic: Sustainable Agriculture
Category: Business Institutional (Multi-Media)
What is it? This is an animated video tour posted on line by SustainableTable.com and Free Range Studios.
Publication Information:
The Meatrix part one was published on themeatrix.com in 2003, followed by sequels released in 2006 by SustainableTable.com and Free Range Studios.
URL: http://www.themeatrix.com/.
Author: Jonah Sachs and Louis Fox.
Location: URL http://www.themeatrix.com/
Accessed: Feb/21, 2009, 8pm
Support:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The Environmental Working Group (EWG)
These sources act as references for statistics and other information relating to industrial agriculture. They were used by the authors to give credibility to what the animated characters said throughout the series of videos and interactive tours. Some of these sources were referenced directly and others were used as links within the website to offer background information.
Audience and Agenda:
The Meatrix was created by Free Range Studios and SustainableTable.com through a grant from the Global Resource Action Center who is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable food and energy production. The Meatrix has been viewed by over 15 million people since 2003, and serves as an educational tool for concerned citizens, especially children and those with short attention spans. Free Range Studios is a “caused-based” viral movie making firm that works in a verity of media and offers campaign strategies for non-profits, environmentally conscious businesses and even political campaigns.
Usefulness:
The Meatrix helps answer my “should” question by providing background and key information about industrial agriculture and the effects of large scale farming on the environment and local communities. It was produced by Free Range Studios who has a history of credible work dealing with sustainable agriculture and is in cooperation with SustainableTable.com who compliments the movie with links to related material and additional facts and statistics about commercial farming. Free Range Studios and SustainableTable.com work with non-profits and local governments to promote incentive programs and Eco-friendly legislation like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Clean Water Act.
Works Cited:
The Environmental Working Group (EWG)
Filed under: Source Notes
[...] This source was useful because the information in the quiz was credible and emphasized crucial issues about pesticides and how they effect the average consumer. This quiz was very “user friendly” compared to similar online questionnaires and quizzes: it had links next to the questions so users could quickly get feedback. Tisher’s quiz is also helpful because it is multi dimensional; It has information about current legislation, relevant literature and tips for steering clear of dangerous pesticides. This quiz deals with many of the same agricultural issues as another one of my multi-media sources: The Meatrix. [...]
[...] produce. This source approaches agricultural issues in many of the same ways as the animated film: The Meatrix. Through humor and artistic expression, these sources simultaneously entertain and inform. [...]