Film tip 'Land Rush'

This documentary of the excellent 'Why Poverty?' series addresses the serious issue of land grabs in Mali.

So called land grabs are a great international human rights concern which affects many people on the planet, especially in Africa. Big corporations are buying huge plots of land for agricultural developments. The problem is that local farmers are loosing their land and become depended on foreign corporations for work to feed their families.

Land grabs are of one the biggest drivers of poverty and dependency for small-scale farmers in Africa today. For more information about land grabs check the website of Oxfam.

You can watch the full film here...

Film tip 'Origins'

'Origins' looks at the ways of our ancestors and what can we learn from their ancient wisdom for our life today. Living healthy, sustainable and in symbiosis with nature are values which are equally important today.

Most people are disconnected from nature and live unhealthy lifestyles. In contrast to that our ancestors and indigenous people of today have to become part of nature in order to survive. If we want to stop the destruction of the environment and our living habitat then there is a lot to learn from theses ancient wisdom when it is combined with useful modern technology.

'Origins' encourages us to question the modern way of life which is often unhealthy and unsustainable. Well worth a watch!

Film tip 'Our Daily Bread'

This documentary shows the unaltered reality of the daily routine of industrial food production.

Beautifully shot in an observational style the film does not attempt to give explanations but simply and insightfully documents the industrial side of our food, which is usually hidden from our sight. Machinery, animals, workers..all seems to be part of a big mechanism which leaves no room for individuals.

A daring and interesting film which raises concerns about how the food is produced we consume every day.

Watch the full film here...


 Here you can visit the official website.

Film tip 'Earthrise'

Earthrise is a series of short documentaries by Al Jazeera which explores positive solutions to the environmental challenges of today.

While most other environmental films would highlight what goes wrong in the world, these films attempt the opposite by looking at innovative ecological, technical, social or design solutions which help to save the environment. From revolutionary recycling products, farming without pesticides or collecting waste oil, Earthrise looks at the positive achievements which are often overlooked. Many examples not only benefit nature but also also the local population.

Here you can watch one of the short films which looks at the issue of mountain top removal where hilltops are blown up with dynamite in order to extract oil. What is left is a wasteland. But a project in the US shows how these barren areas can be re-transformed into greening forests.

For plenty more positive examples of green initiatives and developments visit the Earthrise website.

 

Film tip 'Future of Food - Part 1: India'

This is the first part of a very informative series by the BBC about issues related to food. Traveling not only to India but Mexico, Cuba and Ethiopia the first episode of the series gives a very good overview about food related problems at present and in future.

The documentary looks at the environmental impact of food production, the water shortages it causes, oil consumption as well as health issues. Britain imports about 40% of its food from abroad which means that our choice in the supermarket has global consequences. Waste of food, unhealthy eating choices and overconsumption are other factors which contribute to that.

A well recommended watch...


Here you can watch Part 2: Senegal and here Part 3: Cuba.

Film tip 'No Impact Man'

Could you live without having an impact on the environment for a whole year? No flying, no cars, no fridge, no meat, no electricity, no plastic bags, no toilet paper? Well - this is exactly what Colin Beaven and his familiy tries to achieve.

Eating only local food and avoiding any packaging the family struggles to break through their comfortable habits embedded in their daily lives.

The family becomes a media sensation. But despite criticism and their own mental challenges it becomes a wonderful experience which brings the family closer together, improves their health and helps to spread the word that a different, less wasteful way of life is very possible - even in our modern society.

Watch the full film here...

 

Film tip 'The Dark Side of Chocolate'

This engaging documentary explores what is behind the sweet taste of chocolate. As the film crew travels to African countries such as Mali and Ivory Coast it becomes apparent that child trafficking, child labour and even slavery is all to common on cocoa plantations.

As Ghana and Ivory Coast alone supply 75% of the world's cocoa market the scale of the problem is hard to ignore. But while the problem seems obvious and is supported by evidence, large corporations like Nestle continue to make huge profits without making efforts to tackle the issue.

You can watch the whole film here...
 
 Read more about the issue here. Find out more about child slavery on cocoa plantations here.

Film tip 'Canned Dreams'

Fancy some ravioli? Even if not, you should watch this amazing documentary which shows how the ingredients for this cheap canned food are sourced.

From metal in Brazil to beef in Poland or tomatoes in Portugal, this film travels all through Europe and beyond to track down the people who are involved in the production.

We not only witness some shocking production processes but also learn about the people and their dreams. A very intimate insight into their lifes makes this a unique experience which extends our views on what and who is behind our every day food.

 

Film tip 'Seeds of Freedom'

This 30 minute documentary presents the history of seeds as a part of community life all over the world. From being a basis of our agriculture, some species of seeds became a part of ruthless business, game of control and domination by corporations involved in genetic modifications of plants.

Watch the film here...

Find out more about the film on the official website of Seeds of Freedom.

Film Tip 'Making the Connection'

What we eat has an immense impact, not only on our health but also on the environment. Meat production for example contributes more green house gases than all transport together! (Read more facts on meat here)

This is a short and very beautifuly made documentary about the benefits of a vegan diet. Without being preached at, we learn more about a healthy lifestyle simply by listening to the experiences of vegan people like chefs and athletes.

This visual treat which will hopefully inspire more people to consider a change to a more healthy, compassionate and environmentaly friendly diet.

Watch the full film here...



Find out more about veganism for example on the site of the vegan society.

Film tip 'King Corn'

King Corn is about Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis as they move from Boston to Iowa to grow and farm an acre of corn. While doing that, they explore the massive impact of corn.

It is astonishing how many products contain corn nowadays and its sheer production scale.

The film is about the industrialisation of food production as well as health issues caused by our diet. It is an entertaining piece which reveals some suprising facts about the innocent looking crop which are releveant not only to the US but all over the globe.

Watch the trailer here...



Here you can watch the whole film online.

Visit the official King Corn website here where you can learn more about the issue and take action.

Film tip 'Waste = Food'

The amount of waste we produce as human beings is staggering. In the UK alone We throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink every year. But food is not the only issue, almost everything we produce contributes to landfills or is being burned in incinerators.

However some people try to come up with creative solutions to turn waste into bio-degradeable products. Inspired by nature where every waste product is useful, waste becomes food.

German chemist Michael Braungart and American designer-architect William McDonough invented waste solutions which could transform even industry giants like Ford and Nike. This is an inspiring story of how to turn rubbish into a valuable resource.

Watch the whole film here.

Waste = Food from Global Change 2012 on Vimeo.

You can find out more about how to reduce your own waste on lovefoodhatewaste.com

Film Tip 'Super Size Me'

Morgan Spurlock, an American filmamker, sets out for an extraordinary experiment. Inspired by the unhealthy food habits and obesity rates in he US he commits to eat only fast food meals at McDonalds for one month.

While he started in good health condition the consequences of the diet changed his physical and mental health severely.

The film takes a close look at the fast food industry and its impact on society. A funny and at the same time serious and important documentary about the food industry and diet.

Watch the first part here, to see following parts choose from youtube's sidemenu.

Film tip 'Power of Community: How Cuba survived peak oil'

When an economy based on oil and import of food products to Cuba collapsed dramatically people of this country decided to take lives in their own hands and sustain themselves.

For us this documentary transfers a very important message - local solutions are not a only a hope for the global situation but a very practical way to reverse upside down financial systems.

Film tip 'We Feed the World'

There are about 1 billion people starving worldwide. The tragedy is that the food we produce would be enough to feed 12 billion people, though there are just about 7 billion people living on this planet.

The amount of food which goes to waste is enormous. It is an economical and ethical disaster. 'We Feed the World' shows the current situation in a very powerful way, giving a voice to critics as well as to producers. Featured are for example interviews with the UN and with the Chairman of Nestle International, which is the largest food company in the world.

This film is a wake up call to one of the most crucial and overlooked issues – the waste of food.



Find out more on the official website of 'We Feed the World'.

Film tip ' Food Inc.'

Big food corporations don't inform us what exactly is in food they produce. Finding this out exposes the whole chain of production. The business branches who are involved, processing, chemistry and in the end real risk - a danger to our health as well as to environment.

Producers of this film went into deep and precise investigation of the food industry. The results will shock you.

This is the first part of the film, others you can find among related videos:

Film tip 'The World According to Monsanto'

Ever heard of Monsanto? Probably you are eating their products on a regular basis.

Monsanto is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. In fact it is one of the biggest players, selling 90 percent of the world's genetically modified(GMO) seeds. The corporation is controlling the farming industry from USA to India.

The price for this is high and we are all paying it. Most of all the farmers, whose survival is depending on a company who does not seem to care about any health or social affects of its actions.

Find out more in this comprehensive and investigative documentary about Monsanto.



You can watch the whole film on youtube. Like usually the film is separated into parts. To see part 2 click here and then choose the following parts on the right side on the youtube website. Note that part 6 can be ignored as it is a repetition of a previous part.

If you want to find out more and take action visit organicconsumers.org