David versus Monsanto is streaming for FREE until November 10, 2012, courtesy of mercola.com. Sorry, that there is so little time left to watch for free.
The documentary is about David Runyon, a Saskatchewan farmer. He finally won his case against Monsanto after a long, expensive legal battle. Last week’s documentary called Bitter Seeds showed the horrific effects of genetically modified cotton on Indian farmers. David versus Monsanto shows the harm genetically modified canola is doing to Canadian farmers.
One more note. If you think that your family is safe from eating genetically modified crops because you spend extra money on certified organic foods, you are wrong. Certified organic farms all over the world are getting contaminated with genetically modified organisms and losing their certification. This is why many concerned people are doing everything in their power to stop the introduction of new genetically modified crops. Here are just a very few articles from the internet on how certified organic farms are becoming contaminated: GM contamination of organic crop confirmed GMO Contamination Ruins 60% of Aussie Farmer?s Organic Crop US organic food industry fears GMO contamination
This short video produced by www.foodmyths.org contrasts industrial agriculture and sustainable agriculture. I especially liked the commercial agri-guy selling his version of your future! It’s great to see young people dealing with such a serious issue without losing their sense of humor.
This second documentary by Teddy Bear Films is not light. It is called Bitter Seeds and is about the tragic effect of genetically modified crops on Indian farmers. The documentary states: “One farmer now commits suicide every 30 minutes and about 250,000 farmers have been driven to suicide by Monsanto?s false promises.” It is ironic that homespun cotton Khadi, once a symbol of India Independence, has been transformed into a new form of slavery with only one way out, death.
Bitter Seeds is worth watching for the beautiful and sometimes gritty images of everyday life in a small village in rural India. The film documents the tragedy of Indian farmers that get into debt buying expensive genetically modified seeds. The seeds give hope for a better crop and increased wealth. Many of these farmers need extra money for a bride price so their daughters can marry. The inability to pay the bride price can be the final shame that makes the farmer commit suicide. If the better crop does not occur, the farmer is not able to pay back the debt and may lose his land, nor does he have the money to pay the bride price for his daughter to marry. The farmer commits suicide by drinking the pesticide used for the genetically modified crop. This terrible story has played out all over India.
If this terrible human tragedy wasn’t enough, there is also the loss of the genetic diversity of the local conventional seeds. The local people stop using the conventional seeds because of the big promises that the genetically modified seeds will produce better crops and more profit. It has been the experience in India that in just a few years all of the local conventional seeds are gone. It becomes very difficult for farmers to go back to traditional seeds. After watching this film you will understand why many members of the Weston A Price Foundation have renamed Monsanto to Monsatan.
The Globalization Trilogy: Store Wars, China Blue, and Bitter Seeds.
If you would like to learn more about the work of Dr Vandana Shiva and her seed saving project in India please see Navdanya. If you would like to learn more about genetically modified food crops please see these videos produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology. In California, people concerned about genetically modified food crops are working to get Proposition 37 passed for mandatory labeling of genetically modified ingredients in food. Presently, no labeling is required.
Updated November 3, 2012: Do these videos make you feel confused about what is right and wrong? Are you confused about how to proceed? Well, so am I. Please listen to CBC Ideas: The Science of Morality: Part 1. It may not make the situation any clearer but the ideas are worth thinking about.
If you would like to learn how to stop the demonizing of the other side please see The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt.
