Although it may be hard to believe, corn is an ingredient in many products we consume. The documentary I’m featuring today looks at how corn got there.
King Corn (2007) is a documentary that follows Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis to Iowa as they learn first hand how to grow corn. King Corn also looks at why exactly corn is a popular crop in the United States, which is basically due to subsidies farmers get from the US government (also known as the farm bill). For more information about the farm bill, you can read about it on their website. Listed below are just some simple facts about corn production in the United States.
By the numbers: (From the King Corn website)
- In the last 15 years, taxpayers paid corn farmers more than $77 billion
- 10% of America’s farmers collect more than 75% of the subsidies
- Since the late 1970s, the real price of fruits and vegetables increased by 30%, while prices for soft drinks decreased by 34%
As always, I’m including a trailer from King Corn below.