Chipotle attacks large scale ag in satirical video comedy series

Chipotle is launching a four-part comedy satirical series today that attacks large scale agriculture.

Called “Farmed and Dangerous”, the series will appear on Hulu TV and is about a fictional industrial company named Animoil Global, which plans to feed cows petroleum-based pellets to save the company money. Unfortunately, the pellets cause the cows to explode. A link to the two-minute trailer can be found here.

The first season will consist of four 30-minute episodes, and Chipotle plans to add more seasons. The fast-food chain is promoting the series, which stars Ray Wise of “Mad Men and “Twin Peaks”,through advertising, poster and cups. The series comes on the heels of two animated films that criticized corporate agribusiness and received 20 million hits on YouTube.

Chipotle, whose slogan is “Food with Integrity”, said in a press release that the series “satirizes the lengths to which corporate agribusiness and its image-makers go to create a positive image of industrial agriculture.” The company advocates for sustainable agriculture and said the TV show is about “values integration” and not “product integration.”

Agriculture businesses and organizations nationwide have expressed concern about Chipotle’s continued attack on large-scale farming and are recommending the agriculture industry respond with authenticity, integrity and transparency to build trust with consumers.

The Center for Food Integrity, an organization dedicated to building consumer trust and confidence in today’s food system, is planning to use their Twitter feeds (@BestFoodFacts and @FoodIntegrity) and engage in the conversation on Twitter through the use of Chipotle's hashtag #FoodWithIntegrity. Viewers will have access to Farmers Feed US videos, facts about how food is produced and links to Best Food Facts articles about relevant topics such as farm size, responsible use of antibiotics and animal care.

The Animal Feed Industry Association is encouraging those concerned about Chipotle’s aggressive marketing program to follow CFI’s tweets and re-tweet them.