Rotten

Rotten is a powerful and revealing documentary series produced by Netflix that aired first in 2018 and continued into 2019. Stepping away from the glossy, filtered portrayal of food often depicted on social media and lifestyle channels, Rotten delves into the less glamorous, yet critically important aspect of our food supply chain. Placing a firm focus on the production, distribution and consumption of food in today’s global marketplace, this hard-hitting series presents a forensic analysis of the industries that not only feed us but also form a crucial part of the world's economies.

Each episode of Rotten takes the viewer on a journey deeper into the realities and challenges faced by those who produce our food, often unveiling stories of corruption, waste, and danger. With cases sourced from all around the globe, the audience is introduced to a broad range of food items, each presented with an accompanying narrative that frequently verges on the investigative and suspenseful. The series deftly humanizes the individuals involved, highlighting how these global industries impact local communities, traditions, and livelihoods.

The first season plunges into commodities so common they are often taken for granted. Peanuts, garlic, honey, chicken, and milk each take center stage in their respective episodes, as the stripes of major commercial food production are laid bare. Rotten covers everything, from criminal enterprises operating in plain sight to the environmental impact of food production, the rights of workers, and the pushing of profit over ethical concerns. Rather than creating distance between viewer and subject, the narrative is set up to generate empathy and understanding for those trying to make a living in the exceedingly fraught food industry.

Carrying the same critical investigation into the second season, Rotten shifts focus to include the impact of changing climates, ingredient fraud as well as dissecting the economic and regulatory complexities faced by small-scale producers. With commodities ranging from chocolate, wine, sugar, and avocados, this season demonstrates the broad-reaching effects of global trade on food availability, price, and quality, while further exposing the unsettling underbelly of the world's most lucrative food industries.

In each episode, the audience is educated not only about the unsavory aspects of each industry but also about their importance, the myriad variables impacting each sector, and the challenging job of striking a balance between supply and demand, economic viability, and sustainability. The viewer discovers that the control over our food can often fall into the hands of a few corporate powers, demonstrating the frighteningly slim line between scarcity and abundance.

The creators of Rotten ensure the series is multidimensional by blending macro-level investigative journalism with real, human stories. One moment, viewers are learning about the business strategies of world-spanning corporations; the next, they are introduced to small-town farmers trying to survive in the shadow of those giants. The issues of sustainability, climate change, exploitation, and corruption are repeatedly brought to the forefront, forcing viewers to reconsider their knowledge and preconceptions about where their food comes from.

Rotten is cinematically filmed and beautifully paced. The production quality ensures that it has the visual appeal of a high-budget drama while remaining a fact-filled docu-series. Its eye-opening narratives are enough to make even the most unaware consumer question the origin and ethical status of their daily sustenance. It reveals how what we eat can be a political act and serves as an urgent and vibrant call to action for consumers to demand better transparency and ethical practices in our food production industries.

In essence, Rotten is a provocative and shocking wake-up call, exposing the gritty details of what's hidden behind our global food production. For anyone interested in food, society, global politics, or simply becoming a more informed consumer, it is an essential and compelling watch. It goes far beyond what's on our plates, delving into the industry landscapes that are shaping our world, and forcing us to question our role within it all.