Some documentaries entertain, but these? They pull back the curtain on the food industry, exposing shocking truths that’ll change the way you look at your next meal. Prepare for stories of power, money, secrets, and hope from these 12 food documentaries.
12. Spoil Alert (2024)
What happens to the food that doesn’t get sold at the grocery store? This eye-opening documentary answers that question. It focuses on the food waste issue in Canada, where 60% of all food produced goes to waste. This film will make you question what you know about food waste and leave you wondering how we can build a more just food system.
11. Kiss the Ground (2020)
Now, this documentary is one of hope. Narrated by Woody Harrelson, it reveals a powerful tool in the fight against global warming. The documentary explores the science of regenerative agriculture, a farming method that can draw carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in the ground. You’ll also meet scientists, farmers, and activists who are pioneering this movement.
10. Eating Our Way to Extinction (2021)
This film, narrated by Kate Winslet, explores the environmental impact of our food choices. “Eating Our Way to Extinction” connects the dots between the food on our plates and the destruction of our planet. You’ll learn how the demand for cheap meat is driving environmental collapse, and why a shift towards a more plant-based diet is essential for the planet to survive.
9. Food For Thought (2025)
This documentary talks more about plant-based diet and how our food choices can be a form of activism. “Food For Thought” is packed with surprising revelations, from the shocking amount of water used to produce a single hamburger to the deceptive marketing tactics used by food companies. Definitely a must-see for anyone who wants to eat for a better world.
8. Feeding Tomorrow (2024)
This award-winning documentary exposes the unsustainable nature of our current food system. It focuses on the consequences of prioritizing fast and cheap food production and the decline of small family farms, among others. But the film also offers a message of hope, featuring solutions like regenerative farming and community-supported agriculture.
7. Seaspiracy (2021)
This Netflix documentary rocked the boat by exposing the dark secrets of the global fishing industry. Think overfishing and the reality of bycatch, where countless dolphins, whales, and turtles are killed in fishing nets. The film also reveals corruption and human rights abuses within the industry. You’ll be shocked to learn that the “dolphin-safe” labels on tuna cans may not be as trustworthy as you think.
6. Rotten (Netflix Series)
This investigative docuseries from Netflix is a must-watch if you want to understand the dark side of the global food supply chain. Each episode focuses on a different food product like avocados, chocolate, and honey. It exposes the corruption, crime, and controversy often hidden from consumers. “Rotten” might make you think twice about the food you buy and the companies you support.
5. FAT: A Documentary 2 (2021)
For many years, we’ve been told that fat is the enemy. But this documentary challenges that conventional wisdom, revealing how the sugar industry manipulated research and public opinion to shift the blame for chronic disease and obesity from sugar to fat. You’ll hear from doctors and scientists fighting to expose the truth about the harmful effects of sugar and the health benefits of a high-fat, low-carb diet.
4. Forks Over Knives (2011)
This documentary has been a gateway for many into the world of plant-based diet. The film gives a look into the journeys of real people who transformed their health by changing the way they eat. You’ll also hear from medical experts who explain the science behind plant-based eating and expose the economic forces that shaped our current food system.
3. Fed Up (2014)
Here’s another eye-opening documentary the exposes the truth about the sugar industry and its role in the obesity epidemic. You’ll learn how the food industry has hooked us on sugar, hiding it in almost every food item. The film also debunks the myth that obesity is just a matter of personal responsibility, showing that our food environment makes it nearly impossible to avoid sugar.
2. Irresistible – Why We Can’t Stop Eating (2024)
This BBC documentary from Dr. Chris van Tulleken offers a deep dive into ultra-processed foods (UPFs). It reveals how food giants use manipulative science to make their products addictive. You’ll be shocked to see how companies use MRI scans to see how our brains react to their food, engineering products to hit the “bliss point.” The documentary might just change the way you look at the grocery store aisles forever.
1. Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food (2023)
This Netflix documentary is an exposé of the American food system, revealing up to 36 foodborne illness outbreaks occurring every week in the U.S., affecting millions of people a year. Prepare for a history of cover-ups and criminal prosecutions, showing how companies knowingly sold contaminated food.