Film Review: Food Evolution

Food Evolution film posterFilm Review: Food Evolution

Studio: Black Valley Films with Boomdozer, Inc.

Director: Scott Hamilton Kennedy

2016

Reviewed by Anne Elizabeth Cundiff, RD, LD, FAND

Description: Food Evolution is a documentary portraying and discussing both sides of GMO controversy between science and human fear. It represents individuals with personal experiences and passions against the safety of GMOs in our food systems and experts in science and medicine who share their own passion for the safety of GMOs in our food systems.

Synopsis: This film discusses global GMO crops and foods in our food systems. Each component of the film provides both sides of the conversation for the viewer to be equally educated to develop their own decision on GMOs. This includes the following: the science behind a crop possibly going extinct because of disease and how a GMO crop can preserve it, maintain the livelihood of the farmers and the economy of a county; the safety of a GMO food if consumed by humans based on science and from personal human choice; the explanation of certain studies of GMO foods and their accuracy; companies behind GMO science; and media representation of GMO foods/farming practices of popular authors, activists and marketers.

Pros and Cons:

I felt this entire film was a pro. Most films take one side of the story, but this film did an excellent job of providing all angles of the controversy. As a nutrition expert, this was a documentary I did not want to stop watching after 10 minutes into the film – and I have turned all the others off because of the extreme fear-mongering. I appreciate the director giving the film a scientific angle and a personal angle because no matter the science, food is very personal. Viewers are given both sides of the GMO story and how many different factors influence scientific studies, human interest and marketing of relatable, realistic situations. I also very much appreciated highlighting how some “experts” are considered to be doctors and scientists when they might not be an expert of anything or they are siding with certain industries because of their own personal or monetary interests.

I get tears in my eyes when people are fighting against a safer food system, a sustainable food system, disease prevention and keeping agriculture, farmers and certain populations flourishing. I always think about what Dayle Hayes, MS, RD, once said when I heard her speak: “It’s not nutrition if you don’t eat it.”

Bottom line: I would recommend this entire movie to all types of viewers. I think it is a particularly great film for the average person to watch to debunk so much of the fear-mongering they experience in everyday life from television, social media, friends and co-workers. It is not too science-y and is very relatable. Two thumbs up!

Read more Food Evolution film reviews.

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Anne Cundiff
Anne Elizabeth Cundiff, RD, LD, FAND, is a retail dietitian in Iowa, author of "I’m a Registered Dietitian ... Now What?" and host of Conversations with Anne Elizabeth podcast. Read her blog, Nutritional Noshes, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram