Parents need to know that Food Chains is an eye-opening documentary about the plight of migrant farm workers that focuses on the economics of our food-supply system. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no … Some say our film is “pro-GMO” but we would counter we are simply “pro-Science” because currently every major scientific institution and all the data and peer-reviewed science tells us, as a process, it is as safe, if not safer, than any other seed breeding technique available. But, we, as storytellers, showed them, in the words of writer Nathanael Johnson of Grist that “The GMO debate is not about GMOs at all at this point.” GMOs had become a metaphor for almost every issue we have with food and our food system and we wanted to explore if that metaphor had any merit or scientific truth to it. I was already of high school age and attended Lely High and I remember being in class at 6:50 a.m. and then we had early release like at 1:30 and my father would be waiting for us to get our work clothes on so we could go work the fields. The Robots are Coming to Harvest Your Food. And that was the film we made — a fully independent investigation into the topic of GMOs every step of the way, interviewing experts on both sides of the aisle and including all points of view. But before we get to that, some context. Does Regenerative Agriculture Have a Race Problem? With Eve Ensler, Barry Estabrook, Dolores Huerta, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Rent Food Chains (2014) starring Forest Whitaker and Eric Schlosser on DVD and Blu-ray. It could’ve been 1911, not 2011.”, Rawal has been a strong supporter of the local food movement, but he realized he knew very little about food production. This App Aims to Help SNAP Users Make the Most of Their Benefits, A New Study on Regenerative Grazing Complicates Climate Optimism. My family born and raised in the US traveled to a small farm outisde of Naples Florida when I was a teenager to work the fields. Now Rawal is releasing his third film, Food Chains, about just this topic. Almost next door to one another were these two eating facilities–one for whites one for ‘coloreds’. In 2008, Kenner produced and directed the Oscar nominated, Emmy winning documentary film, Food, Inc., which examines the industrialization of the American food system and its impacts on workers, consumers, and the environment. The film also looks at how the American supermarket industry operates and the way CIW has worked with everyone from Trader Joe’s to Walmart to enact change. First, as scientists they understood the importance of an independent investigation into a topic as polarizing as the science behind how we grow and produce food, and as such, when we insisted on complete creative control and final cut before we could participate in the project, they willingly granted that control to us. 3. Supermarkets earn $4 trillion globally and have tremendous power over the agricultural system. Food prices overall are very cheap in supermarkets and the price burden has to resonate in the salaries of farm workers. This documentary follows filmmaker Michal Siewierski as he explores the impact that food choice has on people's health, the health of our planet and on the lives of other species sharing our world. I know how hard this must be for so many people and I really appreciate that you did this movie. Food Chains exposes the human cost in our food supply and the complicity of the supermarket industry. It’s also the home to one of the most respected, important fights for food worker’s rights in the nation. Meanwhile, the farm managers were eating at a separate facility nearby. Why Aren’t USDA Conservation Programs Paying Farmers More to Improve Their Soil? With Pam Popper, T. Colin Campbell, Joe Cross, Ashlee Piper. IFT was somewhat concerned about this change, because they, as food scientists, did not see genetic engineering, technically considered an agricultural science, as an issue relevant to their members. 10 Fast Food Chains That Are STRUGGLING To Stay In Business!!! The Invisible Vegan is a documentary that explores the problem of unhealthy dietary patterns in the African-American community, foregrounding the health and wellness possibilities enabled by plant-based vegan diets and lifestyle choices. They say you make a film three times – when you write it, film it and ultimately edit it. But, most importantly, neither the motivation nor the funding for this film would come from any grants or from any particular company or industry group, but solely from the scientific society itself on behalf of its diverse membership. There's no objectionable content, but extremely poor living conditions are shown, sexual harassment is discussed, and modern-day slavery is described. The economics are made easy to understand for middle schoolers and up. A few years ago, Sanjay Rawal was driving past a farm in Immokalee, Florida and he saw a group of migrant farmworkers toiling away in the fields. Read more >. Voila! I live 20 miles from Immokalee and although aware of the situation, through our Unitarian Universalist Congregation and our work with the farm workers,I was stunned to realize the attitude of Publix and their un-cooperatve stance. By Elizabeth Weitzman. to sign on to the Fair Food Agreement last January. In the US, farm labor has always been one of the most difficult and poorly paid jobs and has relied on some of the nation's most vulnerable people. ‘Food Chains’ Documentary Sheds Light on Farmworkers’ Reality. Produced by actors Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker and directed by Rawal, Food Chains debuted at major film festivals this year, including the Berlinale Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival and opens for a limited theatrical run on Friday, November 21. Directed by Robert Kenner. There is a revolution 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. What were their conditions like? Website by. In any case, while filming, we had become more and more intrigued by the ever-present and ever-polarizing debate around GMOs. Many people think migrant workers are illegally in the US to work the fields. 2014 82 min NR (Not Rated) Documentary, Drama Feature Film SD. Variety wrote that Food, Inc. “does for the supermarket what Jaws did for the beach.” Watch the full movie online. That’s how science works. Looking forward to seeing this! A tip of the iceberg. Documentary. The film’s executive producer and Fast Food Nation author Eric Scholsser played an important role in developing the film and believes it speaks to an under-represented aspect of today’s food dialogue. I am going to let my Publix know how I feel and I will work to help get that one penny for the farm workers. It was the Recipient of the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award for Special/Documentary. As with nearly all scientific societies, they charge companies that wish to advertise, sponsor or exhibit in their publications or annual food exhibition to help finance their operations as a non-profit. I believe that the only reasonable solution would be to create a functioning. Read Less. I am now an executive office supervisor, 2 of our boys went off to serve in the military and our daughter is a civil engineer. Although the film wrapped in 2012 and ends without showing several of CIW’s recent wins–including the historic agreement by mega-retailer Walmart to sign on to the Fair Food Agreement last January—it is not without a message of hope for food workers and their advocates. What were they paid?”. Directed by Sanjay Rawal. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that’s been hidden from the American consumer with the… The Food Choices Documentary teamed up with Dr. Pam Popper Ph.D and the Welness Forum team, to create a unique plant based e-learning platform, the Food Choices Academy for Health Studies (FCA). By Molly Hannon. The ‘coloreds’ in this case weren’t African Americans, but farmworkers. 4 / 5 stars 84% 90%. And we, the filmmakers, can say with full transparency that Food Evolution turned out to be a different film than the one we first started researching. In America, farm labor has always been one of the most difficult, poorly paid jobs and has relied on some of the nation's most vulnerable people. News and commentary about the American food system. 2014 82 min NR (Not Rated) Documentary, Drama Feature Film SD. All Rights Reserved. The documentary takes a deep look at the lives and working conditions of American farmworkers, paying particular attention to the case of workers in Immokalee, Florida, one of the largest tomato-producing regions in the U.S. She has written for Al Jazeera America, The New York Times, The Guardian, Modern Farmer, The Daily Beast, Paris Review Daily, among others. And though there are still important issues with our food and food systems that can and should be better addressed now and in the future, GMOs (shorthand for the process of genetic engineering) are a process that can help make our food system more secure and sustainable in the face of major challenges like climate change, disease (both in terms of plant and human health), and malnutrition, amongst others. Food, Inc. (2008) Why you should watch it: The food we eat today is drastically different than the food people consumed 50 years ago.And Food, Inc. says that has less to do with human behavioral habits and everything to do with the food and agricultural industries. He became curious about, “who exactly was producing these organic tomatoes. With Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards. Food Chains (2014) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. 4 / 5 stars 84% 90%. “The segregation of these two communities shocked me. Like Scholsser, Rawal agreed that what is lacking when it comes to food issues in America, or anywhere else for that matter, is awareness, and hopes that the film will appeal to college students and to a younger demographic who are coming of age in a time when food studies programs and community gardens are becoming more common. Good for: On-the-fence vegans Why you should watch it: If you needed a push to adopt an all-vegetable diet, this film is your moral impetus.Cowspiracy (produced by Leonardo DiCapario, no less) explores the claim that animal agriculture is the number one threat to the environment—even more so than fossil fuels. And before our first call, not having heard of this group before, we have to admit that we were inherently skeptical that they were looking for nothing more than advice from a “Hollywood leftie” who was nominated for an Oscar® for a documentary about a community garden in Compton to help them along their way. From that moment on, we felt total freedom to research ideas for a film on a subject that we, as foodies and filmmakers, were already intrigued by. No matter the topic. I am now an executive office supervisor, 2 of our boys went off to serve in the military and our daughter is a civil engineer. Our Best Food System Solutions Stories of 2020. And we, the filmmakers, can say with full transparency that Food Evolution turned out to be a different film than the one we first started researching.. She holds an M.A. What Will it Mean for Farmworkers and Rural Communities? Purchasing or renting FOOD EVOLUTION via these Video-On-Demand (VOD) platforms will allow you to watch the film in your home. I saw the movie last night and it was very moving. Should Food and Farm Workers Be Next in Line for the COVID Vaccine? They say you make a film three times – when you write it, film it and ultimately edit it. Learn how your comment data is processed. (Part 2) - Duration: 14:37. Food Chains. Food Chains is a 2014 American documentary film about agricultural labor in the United States directed by Sanjay Rawal. In Immokalee, Florida, migrant … In the beginning, we thought it would be interesting to look at the challenges of feeding a growing population sustainably — from different points of view all along the supply chain — and what role science and technology play in getting food to the table, particularly as it relates to controversial topics like nanotech, irradiation and GMOs, amongst others. But before we get to that, some context. Essentially, they didn’t want to get involved because they didn’t see it as their fight — “Leave that to the ag scientists.” They were also concerned that the GMO debate was so controversial that it just about burned all who touched it and could become a distraction from the larger conversation they wanted to have about the role of science and technology in food. And if you don’t agree with the film, no problem. I t should be no surprise just how bleak the livelihoods of America’s agricultural laborers have always been, as the vast majority live below the poverty line, but Sanjay Rawal’s Food Chains looks deeper into how dismal the situation has become with the rise of increasingly powerful supermarket corporations. The reason I say this is because working in the fields taught me so many lessons and within them I knew I had to break the migrant cycle and really support my children in being who they want to be. Later that evening, he drove by the same field to find the same group still hard at work. Food Lies examines the scandals and misinformation in health & nutrition that has led to the harmful food pyramid which has caused disease & millions of deaths. This VOD purchase or rental does not include Public Performance Rights (PPR).For more about licensing, please see our Screening & License FAQ.To screen the film for a group or purchase an institutional copy for your school, business or community group, … We rely on you. Op-ed: California Sets a Dangerous Precedent for Food Delivery Workers Nationwide, What Life Is Like for Immigrant New York Street Vendors. Share on: Share via Facebook; And it was at this point that we pivoted the story to explore the good, the bad and the ugly of genetic engineering. I know how hard this must be for so many people and I really appreciate that you did this movie. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS | Nov 20, 2014 at 3:33 PM . "African Americans are emotionally connected to food because it's about community and family." There is so much interest in food these days yet there is almost no interest in the hands that pick that food. “America’s food system will never be sustainable if it’s based on the abuse of poor workers,” he said in a recent phone interview. But during that first conversation, we learned three important things that would ultimately make it possible for us to make this movie with funding from IFT. And IFT agreed — they heard several pitches and ultimately selected us to take a sweeping look at the food system from soup to nuts, or in this case, from seed to table. And third, as food scientists who were tired of seeing their work denigrated and diminished by less detail-oriented, if often well-intentioned, media and activists that focused on fear-mongering over facts, their overarching goal for this project was to promote a more science-based conversation about food, and not to advance any particular agenda. 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