While occupations across the world highlight the detrimental effects capitalism and corporate greed has had on the world economy, there is little in the media about the stranglehold the industrialised west has on global agricultural production. Coline Serreau’s simple but riveting 2010 documentary is as honest and unglamorous as the farmers and scientists who are interviewed. Bursting with detail, the film catalogues the opinions of those fighting to change a broken system, from a Nobel Prize winning environmentalist to struggling third-world farmers.
Despite the sometimes-questionable camera work, the film’s rough and ready style mirrors not only its subjects, but also the lifestyle needed to rectify the damage done to agricultural production created by post-WWII industrialisation. The film hones in on the concept that life (human and agronomic) is healthier and better off financially without the “help” of commercial giants placing ludicrous restrictions on how agriculture can be shared, in order to maximise profits. The range of countries battling against the same prohibitive rules reinforces the reality that while the problem is systemic to the whole planet, it’s imposed by a relatively small number of corrupt individuals. So many shocking facts are unearthed that at first it’s hard to grasp their implications, however as they take root, it becomes clear that the current arrangement is self-damaging and rotten.