GMO OMG

GMO OMG asks a basic question that most people can't accurately answer: namely, what exactly is a genetically-modified organism (GMO)? Filmmaker Jeremy Seifert acknowledges that he's heard the term many times yet isn't absolutely sure what it means. As the father of young children who are growing up in a world where vast numbers of edible crops are being grown from GMO seeds, he sets out to find some answers. Seifert's mission takes him to American farms, where he meets farmers who grow GMO crops, as well as those who work strictly in organics. He also travels to Paris, Norway, and Haiti, where farmers destroyed their own yields from GMO seeds donated by agribusiness giant Monsanto (the grown crops didn't look right). Along the way, Seifert learns that GMO seeds are developed to resist destruction from widely-used herbicides and pesticides, meaning that food will grow despite being exposed to these poisons, yet may also bring some chemical residue onto our dinner plates. Seifert also finds that seeds are actually being patented, and that the top three agribusinesses in the U.S. are providing 57% of all the seeds (all GMO) used in the world, raising the issue of the perils of monoculture farming. And the director also muses about the giant shift in American agriculture over a couple of generations, with farmers today comprising only 2 percent of the workforce. Perhaps the most alarming reflection here comes from an analyst who describes today's agriculture as a “brittle industry,” suggesting that no one really knows if GMO-based agriculture is here to stay or could collapse for a variety of reasons—and thus jeopardize our food sources. DVD extras include bonus interviews, and the animated short “The Scarecrow” (made by the Mexican food chain Chipotle). A disturbing look at a hot-button topic, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)