It’s no secret that the world’s food supply is controlled by a handful of big companies. But it may come as a surprise to many people that just four corporate conglomerates have total control over half of all commercial seeds in the world. This means they dictate what farmers can grow, how they grow it, and ultimately what ends up on our plates.
But how did we get here? And is there a way out of this troubling food situation? These thought-provoking questions are addressed in the documentary Seeds of Time, which follows renowned scientist Cary Fowler as he embarks on a journey to preserve global biodiversity and develop systems of open source seeds—seeds that are freely available to anyone who wishes to use them.
The documentary highlights issues such as climate change, crop diversity, seed ownership, and more; making it clear that our global food security is at stake. In order to protect our planet’s future, Fowler argues that we must keep crop diversity alive by preserving traditional varieties and creating new hybrids adapted for extreme climates. We must also ensure these seeds are open source or owned by public trusts so that farmers everywhere can access them without restriction.
Seeds of Time takes an eye-opening look into the world of big agriculture and the potential risks associated with corporate control over global food supplies. The film offers an urgent call to action for us all: if we don’t take steps now to create sustainable systems for preserving crop diversity and protecting open source seeds, then we could be doomed to a future with limited choices in terms of what we eat —and far worse consequences than mere inconvenience and hardship.
If you’re interested in learning more about the state of our food system and how you can help make sure it remains safe and secure for generations to come, then be sure to watch Seeds of Time!