5 of the best Agriculture, Food, and Sustainability Documentaries
Feeding the world’s growing population is only going to get harder in the years ahead. RTD’s agriculture documentaries examine the threats to sustainable agriculture and the resources such as water needed to maintain production. The films look at how the promise of technology has put people and crops at risk.
1. The Peril on your Plate
The documentary the Peril on your Plate investigates the health issues surrounding GMO foodstuffs, and the parallel use of glyphosate weed killers. We look at the damage it can cause to people who eat the products and the farmers who produce them. RTD also exposes how big agricultural businesses are riding rough-shod over growers and consumers with little accountability.
2. H2WOE
The dramatic water shortages in India are a warning to the world, as documented in the film H2WOE. Vast areas of Punjab can no longer sustain agriculture due to lack of water. People who live there are rationed to just eight litres a week, as the most abundant element on earth has become like gold.
3. Paraguay: The Weed of Discord
Poor farmers all across South America have to rely on cultivating illegal drugs to earn a living. Paraguay has become the biggest producer of cannabis in the world. The plants are grown alongside soya, and with it come lawlessness and violence. The film Paraguay: The Weed of Discord looks at the effect cannabis production is having on everyday lives.
4. Apples of Discord
When Russia issued counter-sanctions banning the import of EU agricultural products, it had a devastating effect on farmers across the continent. From Spain to Poland, a massive market for produce was lost. The farmers affected were outraged by the political decision and their fight for compensation is highlighted in the documentary Apples of Discord.
5. 100% Cotton: Made In India
Thousands of cotton farmers in India were persuaded to take out loans for seed and fertiliser, only to find themselves mired in debt and their harvests ruined. The cotton scandal is investigated in the film 100% Cotton: Made In India. The GMO cotton seeds promised higher yields, but were harder to grow, which led to many farmers committing suicide in the face of mounting debts.
Don’t forget to check out more documentaries about agriculture, food and sustainability on RTD.