The Future of Food

The use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is not only altering our food but upturning ethical assumptions about ownership of living things, as public interest advocates, scientists and farmers attest in "The Future of Food." Without resorting to fear-mongering or condescending attempts to be entertaining, documaker Deborah Koons Garcia lays out the alarming facts about the effects of unregulated corporate activity in the realm of bioengineering. Her talking heads' sober, clear-eyed testimony holds viewer attention with its intelligence and big-picture insights. This is information every citizen should know.

Around the world, most people have indicated a preference for food grown without GMOs, the genetically modified bacteria and viruses that engineers use to introduce new traits to plant DNA-- traits that offer no nutritional, flavor or cost benefits to consumers. One scientist calls genetic engineering the "largest biological experiment that humanity has entered into." Except that humanity hasn't exactly had a say a say in the matter. Chemicals giant Monsanto is the Goliath of the story, aggressively targeting thousands of family farmers with the long, tentacled reach of patent law. In a well-known case, Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser bravely aimed his slingshot at the behemoth when he was one of the farmers Monsanto sued for copyright infringement. What had he done? Nothing. But the company's genetically altered seeds had blown onto his fields and taken root. At great personal cost, Schmeiser fought the good fight, and the corporate-friendly courts absurdly upheld Monsanto's claims. The film uses this case as a vivid example of how, by patenting life forms, global industrial powers are reshaping economies and redefining accepted notions of privacy, property and individual rights.

Exacerbating industrial might is the hardly surprising collusion of the U.S. government, and the film's depiction of the cynical quest for economic control can be dispiriting. It's only in the last 15 minutes that Garcia offers glimpses of hopeful alternatives: sustainable farming, organic food products and legislative initiatives that aim to stem the tide and address the far-ranging social, environmental, legal and health concerns that engineered food raises. While the docu's articulate experts never approach hysteria, there's an undeniable urgency to their eye-opening commentary and the film's fast pace. The first 10 minutes are especially jam-packed -- to the point where viewers might welcome the film's slower moments simply for the chance to breathe and reflect. There's plenty to reflect on in this important documentary. And with the industry eyeing genetically modified fish, poultry, livestock, insects and trees, the battle is far from over. Directed and written by Deborah Koons Garcia. Produced by Deborah Koons Garcia and Catherine Lynn Butler. A Cinema Libre release. Documentary. Unrated. Running time: 94 min