There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America ¨C a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat.
The Future of Food offers an in-depth exploration of several important developments in agriculture today including the diminishment of biodiversity, patenting of life, loss of family farms, consolidation of seed companies and the globalization of our food system. Using genetically engineered crops as a primary cause and result of these new developments, the film delves into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled the world's grocery stores for the past decade.
From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, The Future of Food gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by new, patented GMO seeds. The film uses animation to explain the process of recombinant DNA technology which allows "genetic engineering", the movement of DNA from one species to another. The legal foundations for, and consequences of, patenting life are explored in depth. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are presented as some of the reasons why many people are alarmed by the takeover of our food supply by corporations and their genetically engineered crops. The global battle over agricultural genetic engineering is as fierce now as ever.
Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and contrasting local trends with global realities, 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 also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis.
This 2-Disc Educational Edition DVD features a stunningly comprehensive University level Curriculum, tailored for use in a variety of course settings and durations, as well as numerous bonus features and action resources. The curriculum was created by Dr. Joshua Muldavin who has put into this course the wisdom and knowledge gained over 25 years of international fieldwork and teaching about food and agricultural issues.
DISC 1 includes The Future of Food feature presentation as well as a supplemental web-enabled toolkit on DVD ROM, which provides the viewer with a wealth of information and educational utilities: essays, bibliographies, web resources, charts, tables, lesson plans, discussion questions, even nearly an hour of additional video content comprised of interviews with scientists.
DISC 2 is a treasure chest of special features; including a series of short films about family farmers, CSA's, seed saving, farmer's markets, and food in schools.
Reviews
~ "One of 2005's must-see documentaries!" -San Francisco Chronicle
~ "This stylish film is not just for food faddists and nutritionists. In the end, this documentary is a eloquent call to action." -The Telluride Daily Planet
~ "Quietly inflammatory. Unsettling." -Stephen Holden, New York Times
Awards
~ Best Documentary - DeadCenter Film Festival, OK
~ Best Documentary - Empire Film Festival, NY
Audience Award: Best Documentary - Ashland Independent Film Festival, OR
~ Human Rights Award - Taos Film Festival, NM
~ Honorable Mention - Ann Arbor Film Festival, MI
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