SDH Captioned
Grades 10 - 12, College, Adults
Directed by Ted Remerowski
Produced by Tremer Productions
DVD Purchase $250, Rent $85
US Release Date: 2013
Copyright Date: 2013
DVD ISBN: 1-93777-248-9
Subjects
Agriculture
Anthropology
Business Practices
Canadian Studies
Capitalism
Conservation
Economics
Environment
Environmental Ethics
Food And Nutrition
Genetically Modified Foods
Geography
Global Issues
Globalization
Health
Labor and Work Issues
Law
Natural Resources
Sociology
Sustainable Agriculture
Toxic Chemicals
Examines the complex and controversial world of today's exploding organic food industry.
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"An interesting, informed and informative, nuanced and balanced movie...Highly Recommended!" Gidon Eshel, Environmental Sciences, Bard College |
The last ten years have seen a phenomenal explosion in the organic food movement as it has moved from niche market to mainstream. Today, it is the fastest growing segment of the food industry attracting all of the major food corporations. THE NEW GREEN GIANTS looks at a number of these new and old organic corporations and shows how they are managing, or in some cases failing, to live up to the idealistic dreams first espoused by the back-to-the land folk of the late sixties and early seventies.
The documentary also looks at some of the bigger questions surrounding organic food. Is it really healthier? Is it truly organic? Is it possible to grow from a mom-and-pop operation to become a huge supplier of major grocery chains? Is it actually sustainable? Is it realistic to think the world can be fed organically?
The program further examines everything from stealth ownership of organic product lines by large corporations to how organic strawberries have become the focus of a major health debate and how is it that today the world's largest processor of organic food is located in a remote province of China. THE NEW GREEN GIANTS reveals the complex and controversial world of today's organic food industry.
Among those featured are: Gary Hirshberg/Stonyfield Farms, Steve Demos/Silk, Michael Potter/Eden Foods, Maggie Brown/Swanton Berry Farm, George Siemon/Organic Valley, Arran Stephens/Nature's Path, Myra Goodman/Earthbound, and Dick Peixoto/Lakeside Organic.
Reviews
"The New Green Giants touches on the many reasons the organic industry is big business--and not always serving up what consumers expect from the label."
"An interesting, informed and informative, nuanced and balanced movie. The story of food production in general, and organic food in particular, is an often surprising tale. Telling it requires care, an open mind and attention to details...This documentary meets and exceeds these criteria...Keeps the viewer fascinated throughout. An excellent choice for any viewer interested in food and any middle school to college classroom. Highly recommended!"
"The New Green Giants reveals the difficult ethical questions that organic producers must face if they are to produce on the scale required to take a significant slice of the conventional market. Glimpses of the backgrounds and personalities of the people behind the big organic brands help to make the film engaging viewing, while its educational value lies both in the images it conveys, and in the scientific studies it cites."
"The New Green Giants illustrates the dramatic change in the production of organic food...and provides a historical perspective of the change and the factors causing it. This documentary makes an important contribution to the debate about the way food is produced and should be viewed by both fans and critics of organic food."