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Agriculture and Food Issues (10)
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Beef Inc.Carmen Garcia 1999 50 minA struggle for control of the world food market is waging, and the battle promises to escalate in the 21st century. Beef Inc. examines how a handful of companies have come to dominate beef production and distribution in North America.
As traditional farming falls victim to agri-business, small producers and consumers are paying the price. What has been a way of life for generations is now solely a money-making venture for big business. In the beef industry, a strategy of "intense livestock production" has been implemented to boost profit margins. Cattle are housed and fattened in overcrowded feed lots, a situation which exposes them to disease. To combat this, the animals are systematically vaccinated, given antibiotics and pumped with growth hormones. No regard is given to the potential health risks to consumers or the quality of the end product.
This film gives a voice to the independent cattle producer who, unable to compete with the corporations, find themselves being squeezed out of the industry. In French with English subtitles. -
The DispossessedMathieu Roy 2017 3 h 2 minThe Dispossessed examines the global food crisis from the viewpoint of farmers in various countries, exploring how their situation relates to the economic crisis, rural exodus, and dwindling natural resources.
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The Fight for True FarmingEve Lamont 2005 1 h 29 minIn this documentary, crop and animal farmers in Quebec, the Canadian West, the US Northeast and France offer solutions to the social and environmental scourges of factory farming. Driven by the forces of globalization, rampant agribusiness is harming the environmemt and threatening the survival of farms. The proliferation of GMO crops is a further threat to biodiversity as well as to farmers' autonomy. In Europe as well as North America, a current of resistance bringing together farmers and consumers insists that it is possible - indeed imperative - to grow food differently.
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The Great ResistanceDenys Desjardins 2008 1 h 17 minIn the 1930s, in the throes of the Great Depression, the government relocated more than 80,000 citizens to found a new settlement in the virgin forests of Quebec's Abitibi region. After enduring backbreaking work to clear the land, however, many left, seeking a better life in the city or as labourers for the large corporations that had come to exploit the North's valuable resources. The Lalancette family, however, have persisted in forging their future on the land from one generation to the next, earning their keep from farming, and defying the constraints of globalization and the mining and forestry companies that control the area. Revisiting the heritage of Quebec filmmakers who documented Abitibi, following in the footsteps of Pierre Perrault, among others, this documentary traces a defining chapter of Quebec history and raises fundamental questions about regional development.
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Home to the LandStanley Jackson 1944 21 minThis documentary from 1945 explains The Veteran's Land Act, which provided for low-cost loans to veterans who wished to purchase properties and re-establish themselves in Canada after the war. The loans were for properties ranging from town lots to full-scale farms. The Act also provided aid in purchasing farm machinery, fishing boats, building materials and livestock. Produced by the NFB for the Canadian Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Population ExplosionPierre Hébert 1968 14 minA film in cut-out animation depicting the demographic problems of the world. It shows that in many countries freedom from the old scourges of famine and disease has in turn created the new problem of more mouths to feed. The film suggests that wealthier nations might increase all forms of aid to struggling nations to create a better world
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People of the PeaceJulian Biggs 1958 24 minA summary and analysis of the Peace River district showing the economic factors necessary for an integrated and prosperous development. It is a warm and human story of change from primitive sod-busting to modern, mechanized agriculture and industry, and a tribute to the pioneer spirit which still finds scope in our northern settlement fringe.
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René Dumont: Global EcologistRichard D. Lavoie 2001 25 minIn this short documentary, revisit the 20th century through the eyes of 97-year-old René Dumont, agricultural scientist and activist for peace, justice and the environment. Angered by enduring injustice, Dumont beseeches us to look to the future: "Open your eyes! The 21st century has had a rotten start!" This film brings us his outrage and activism, his love of humanity and hope for the future. In French with English subtitles.
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What, No Beef?1943 1 minPlugger is annoyed at seeing empty butcher's shelves. Beef is needed, explains Mrs. Plugger, to feed the soldiers overseas. Plugger cheerfully buys a chicken.
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Want a Lift?1945 15 minA rural postman gives a lift to a returning World War II soldier. As they drive from the station to his home, the young man notices all the changes that have taken place during his absence. The film presents farmers' concerns while encouraging the purchase of Victory Bonds as a mean of saving for post-war needs.
