NEW YORK—Chipotle is producing a satirical series on Hulu about the industrial agriculture sector, according to an announcement on Jan. 27.
The series is called “Farmed and Dangerous,” and the initial four-episode season will begin airing on Feb. 17.
The show will “satirically explore the world of industrial agriculture in America,” states the press release.
The first season focuses on the introduction of PetroPellet, a new petroleum-based animal feed created by fictional industrial giant Animoil.
PetroPellet promises to reduce industrial agriculture’s dependence on oil by eliminating the need to grow, irrigate, fertilize, and transport the vast amount of feed needed to raise livestock on factory farms.
The series is produced by Chipotle and Piro, a New York-based studio. The show will feature Ray Wise (from “Mad Men” and “24”).
Chipotle has produced two similar short animated films, “Scarecrow” (2013) and “Back to the Start” (2011).
“Much of our marketing is aimed at making consumers more curious about where their food comes from and how it is prepared,” stated Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer at Chipotle.
“By making complex issues about food production more understandable—even entertaining—we are reaching people who have not typically been tuned into these types of issues,” he said.
The company claims it is the first national restaurant company to voluntarily disclose the use of GMOs in its food, and the first to announce plans to eliminate GMOs from its ingredients.
Critics say the company is trying to improve its image as a product of McDonald’s investments. There are still some misconceptions that McDonald’s owns Chipotle.
McDonald’s was a major investor of Chipotle up until 2006, according to Chipotle’s website.
When McDonald’s began investing in Chipotle in 1998, the company was a 14-store chain in Denver. By 2005, Chipotle had grown to 460 stores, according to Huffington Post.
