A student group asked me to speak at a screening of the film Fresh last week. The 2009 documentary focuses on the role of farmers, activists and entrepreneurs pushing for a more sustainable food system in the United States.

Fresh is an interesting film, and it helped to generate some great discussion following the screening last week. Although it addresses questions at a fairly broad level, it touches on many of the key themes and debates surrounding our contemporary food system. And it ends with a strong call to action—a sort of “we’re all in this together” with a bit of “we can do this” and an uplifting soundtrack to boot.

The shortcoming, I think, was in the call to action. Like much of the alternative food movement, Fresh frames its call to action in terms of consumerism. Buy the right food, at the right place, and the shortcomings of…