Food Evolution Movie Challenges Public Fear Of GMOs

The Food Evolution documentary, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy and narrated by pop astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, navigates the thorny landscape of a debate that often casts GMOs as a scapegoat for myriad perceived ills of modern agriculture. With the gap between public opinion and consensus on the safety and benefit of GMOs wider than with any other scientific issue, the average consumer may have more questions than answers on these technologies. Are genetically engineered crops harmful to human health or the environment? Aren’t these crops instrumental to the corporate control of our food supply? Don’t GMOs perpetuate monoculture, toxic pesticide use, and the transformation of life into intellectual property? With nations all over the world rejecting either imports or cultivation of genetically engineered crops, is it possible that they all got it wrong? The film draws strongly on viewers' emotions but it doesn't skimp on science. Marrying incisive explanations of the scientific nitty-gritty of agriculture and plant breeding with compelling discussion of why people seem wired to trust gut feelings over facts, Food Evolution adds crucial psychological, social, and moral context, without which discourse on the subject often devolves to fruitless blows. The goal is to “reset the conversation on GMOs, and the importance of science on how we feed our children and shape policy,” said Kennedy.