viernes, 23 de enero de 2009

The Future of Food is Frightening!


I just watched the documentary "Future of Food" for the third time and like each time I had seen it before, I thought to myself: I need to see this monthly for the rest of my life. Please watch it if you have never seen it (as well as the special features, which star a lovely old lady who teaches us how to save seed from many types of vegetables and also offers some other great gardening tips).

The documentary reminds me why I need to continue working in the things I believe in: anti-corporate ownership of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and communities, and to have enthusiasm when raising awareness about the secret injustices being done to the 'small' people of this world. The 'small' people I'm talking specifically about now are the farmers and people who have fed the world since humans existed. In the US, over the last hundred years, that percentage of actual people working the land (understanding the land) has diminished to a mere 2%!

Machinery, chemical fertilizers and genetically engineered crops basically grow themselves (with lots of health, environmental and security problems attached), while Americans move into cities, consume and despose of the entire globe's natural resources...without even noticing much. The worst part is that the machinery, chemical fertilizers and genetically engineered crops that we ALL feed on, EVERY DAY, are made by companies (which moved from producing war chemicals to agricultural chemicals in less than 10 years in the 1940/50s)that have merged into a dirty, bloody coagulate of only a few names (Monsanto, DuPont, Cargill, ConAgra, Syngenta)-and this domination or pursuit for ownership of the entire worlds food system has been done in the name of US consumers! Aren't you bothered by that?!

Wars have been fought over land and natural resource ownership for hundreds of years, but the most bothersome thing to me is that its done in the name of fighting terror, or for freedom (which these days, only means only the freedom to participate in commercialism that benefits the already rich). In the case of Latin America, the complete destruction of indigenous communities and thereby sustainable farming systems was done to 'combat communism.' It's not a coincidence that we only fight terror in areas where the worlds highest reserves of oil are-our entire lifestyle depends on it!


I’m absolutely sickened by the state of the world and the ignorance and greed that has tainted the human race, stemming from capitalism. The Future of Food begins with a history of the patents on crops and plants (otherwise known as THE GLOBAL COMMONS—these are not things to be OWNED by companies-the land should belong for those who care for it, like children or any other life-source). But, since the 1970s, the US has allowed companies to put a PATENT on seeds.

The documentary then covers a few of the 100 cases (out of 9,000 cases brought onto farmers in the US alone by Monsanto Seed Company for having traces of Monsanto's patented soybean) where the farmers actually fought the powerful multinational monopolistic dominators of our FOOD SYSTEM. And lost. The cases were brought on by Monsanto saying that farmers had stolen their genetically engineered plants and planted them (but we all know, or at least we should, that plant seeds are dispersed by wind, by bird, bees, butterflies and now, trucks, freights and airplanes). These farmers didn’t even WANT the Monsanto Round-up ready resistant crops on their land! And Monsanto took it to the Supreme Court and won.

Others tied to the triangle of power (Searle, Monsanto and the US Government): Clarence Thomas, Donald Rumsfeld, John Ashcroft (biggest receiver of campaign money from Monsanto), and a ton of other recognizable evils. Another wierd government-patent-seed/food supply oddity: the "terminator gene," owned and patented by the US GOVERNMENT is a specific gene infused into plants so that the plant will not produce seed or that the seed it does produce will not reproduce itself, meaning that once a farmer uses this seed (which undoubtedly also contains favorable traits like drought-resistance, etc), he has to continue buying year after year after year. Rather than saving seed from plant and planting the strongest or best tasting crops' seed, as has been done for tens of thousands of years. Now, I may come from a long line of conspiracy theorists, but this information sheds a little light on the fact that the Iraqi National Seed Bank was one of the first buildings to be bombed in March, 2003. Now, Monsanto supplies the largest of Iraqi farmers with their wheat seeds (which much be purchased year after year, cutting into their already very small profits). Sickening, but this I believe. If you'd like more information on the seed bank and Monsanto seeds being delivered to Iraq, please read the book "Against the Grain" as well as the UN and US government documents it cites for supplying that information.

This is something I cannot stop talking about. Its the reason why I feel better about myself today, my conscience slightly more tranquil these past few months. Living outside of the US, you begin to realize how much people can really produce on their own, how much we can reuse, how much contact you have with the things you consume: you nearly always know the farmer or at least you know the seller knows the farmer. Until recently, genetically engineered crops weren’t a part of the national quilt of diverse agriculture in Guatemala.

This also happens to be the reason I can’t wait to return. Here is a brand new administration, falling into old patterns (The Sec. Of Agriculture is pro-GMO and pro-market expansion of crops, dairy and livestock) and I want to be a force in setting straight the “collective madness” humanity has become. Me AND my little eco-warrior prince, Oliver…whenever he may arrive (he's already two days late, btw)!

5 comentarios:

sensy dijo...

if someone, someone very smart and educated, but too 'realistic' and cynical, tells you that 'sustainable' is just an empty buzz word and that resources are resources and therefore not sustainable, what do you say back??

EmilyZielke dijo...

I would say that that person just uses this excuse to live as frivously as they please, without guilt. Of course resources are resources, but there is a difference between non-renewable and renewable resources. And if renewable resources are used and used locally, population will stabilize (probably not before big disaster that is undoubtedly in the works at this moment) and we can live 'sustainably.' But on the other hand, I would also agree with this person that the word sustainable as used most of the time by press, politicians and even NGO workers like myself, really IS an empty buzz word and doesn't mean crap...I get tired of hearing it about as much as I tire of hearing the words GREEN, ECO-FRIENDLY, ENVIRONMENTALIST, and NATURE. I guess what pisses me off is that people see the misuse of natural resources as disconnected or not as urgent as other issues. I believe you need to address all problems holistically and think of the future, not just the now. Unfortunately, unless we make companies accountable for their actions (in labor themes, gender rights, environmental issues, problems related to poverty, hunger, contamination of basic necessities, etc), the wrong people are going to continue suffering. When that happens, we (as social workers/do gooders/whatever the heck you want to call us people who are motivated by things other than just money and fitting into the system) will continue to only address the symptoms and not the underlying causes.

The Peter Files Blog of Comedy dijo...

Good news, for those to whom Netflix's streaming videos are available on a subscription basis, free with the home delivery of DVD's service, "The Future of Food" documentary is currently available as a stream on demand option.

So if you are in the US at least, you can see this free if you already subscribe to Netflix. Netflix has a free subscribtion for 2 weeks offer and if you want you can get the smallest package about $9.00 per month, and get one DVD at a time sent home and have unlimited streaming.

I am betting that it is not, unfortunately available outside the US, but for your readers in the US, this is a quick free way to see the movie.

Register, see the film, cancel.

I have found though, that there is so much free to stream, that the $9.00 per month offer is an incredible bargain. I already have more than I can watch in my streaming queue for the next year.

AnĂ³nimo dijo...

what happened to this project? did it fall apart? such a clever idea. where has life taken you emily? i hope you are continuing with your work to some degree. best of luck to you!

Development Crossing dijo...

Great post! Looking forward to more.