New Documentary “Food Evolution” Examines the GMO Debate

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The controversy about bio-technology and genetically modified crops is an ongoing concern to agricultural producers across the world, and a new documentary movie highlights the facts surrounding the issues.


FOOD EVOLUTION, by Academy Award®-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy, explores the controversy surrounding GMOs and food. Traveling from Hawaiian papaya groves, to banana farms in Uganda, to the cornfields of Iowa, the film, narrated by esteemed science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, wrestles with the emotions and the science driving one of the most heated arguments of our time.

 

In the GMO debate, both pro and anti camps claim science is on their side. Who’s right? FOOD EVOLUTION shows how easily misinformation, confusion and fear can overwhelm objective analysis. How do we ensure that our food supply is safe, and that everyone has enough to eat? How do we feed the world while also protecting the planet? Has genetic engineering increased or decreased pesticide use? Are GMO foods bad for your health? And, most importantly, what data, evidence and sources are we using to approach these important questions?

 

Northern Ag Network was able to catch up with the film’s director, Scott Hamilton Kennedy, and asked him why they decided to take on the topic of GMO’s. Scott said that “It was timely, it was controversial, and most importantly it wasn't being told correctly.  We see a lot of fear mongering and confusion and a lot of my fellow documentarians to be quite frank getting it wrong. So, we were very excited and honored that we could go and try and tell the full scientifically-based nuanced truth around this controversial topic.”

 

It’s not too often that a filmmaker stands up in support of modern farming practices. The audience response to the film has been overwhelmingly positive though. Scott said that, “We do a poll before and after every screening and we're seeing minds change in real time. We just ask a simple question: “How many of you have concerns about GMO's for your safety and the safety of the planet?” We see anywhere from 30-100{a169222e5c003bec48f63dd57bc39383f42c8e994ade26e015ce9d78e5f0b614} of the audience raise their hands. In Seattle, Washington we had 100{a169222e5c003bec48f63dd57bc39383f42c8e994ade26e015ce9d78e5f0b614} of the hands in the air and we thought wow this was going to be a tough Q and A. We let the movie play and we came back and we asked again the same question and zero hands go up. So, we convinced the entire crowd. It is changing people’s minds. It's making people think about how they’re making decisions. We're very very honored to have the film doing that.”

 

If you’d like to see the movie, it is available for streaming on hulu and available to rent or buy on Amazon and iTunes. Visit the website foodevolutionmovie.com or check out the trailer for the movie below.




Photo Credit: Food Evolution




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