Point of View

“The Future of Food” – A Documentary Film

A Scary Peek Behind The Scenes of Genetically Altered Food
By Fred H. Arm

In relative silence, the new documentary “The Future of Food” exposes a revolution that is happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America -- a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. In this documentary produced and directed by Deborah Koons Garcia, we are offered an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery store shelves over the past decade. This food revolution has gone on virtually silent with only a smattering of information exposed to the public view.

Although another food revolution that has swept the country in the form of the proliferation of farmer’s markets, organic produce and healthier choice in restaurants, this other silent revolution on a grander scale threatens to change the what we eat whether we like it or not. Over the past ten years, with the advent of genetic engineering and the massive expansion of pesticide companies like Monsanto into the seed business, the very nature of our food system has radically changed with potentially disastrous effects on our food security.

Patenting of life is now permitted, no labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) in food is required, research is conducted on these issues by universities beholden to the “agri-corp” who fund them, and the major regulatory agencies are run by former executives from these companies. The average American remains blissfully ignorant that they are eating GMO food and supporting the aggressive “corporatization” of their food sources.

In fascinating and accessible terms, this film illuminates the major issues that ultimately affect all of us—some surreal, some futuristic, and many really frightening. Yet, this picture offers some hope by exposing the industry through insightful and moving interviews with farmers, agriculture, policy makers, and business experts. The film envisions an informed consumer demanding natural and healthy foods sources that insure environmental integrity without fear of eating what is on our plates.

From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies, and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply. Many viewers will be outraged by the mercenary treatment of farmers by the giant seed producers like Monsanto. The film explores the extraordinary injustices perpetrated daily upon the little farmers through sympathetic courts who usually favor the “big boys” over the farmers.

Shot on location in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, “The Future Of Food” examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food system. The film additionally explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, supporting organic and sustainable agriculture as another viable solution to the farm crisis of today.

An immensely important film well worth your time and involvement. To ignore the crisis presented by this film is to tolerate a potential impairment to your own health and perhaps invite a premature death.

Posted by fredarm at October 9, 2005 01:34 PM