FUTURE FOOD is a highly topical new documentary series that asks how we are going to feed ourselves in the 21st Century, and looks for answers in Peru, Kenya, USA, India, Nigeria and China.

From the producers of the popular LIFE series on globalization and its effects on communities and people around the world.

The titles in this new series are:

1. Old or New? - In Lima, Peru, a new generation of top chefs are cooking with traditional ingredients and supporting traditional livelihoods.

2. Food or Fuel? - Kenyan farmer Moses Shaha journeys through the Tana Delta, where farmers are starting to grow jatropha, a biofuel crop.

3. Big or Small? - What's the best method of growing food for a hungry population of 9.5 billion people: Big, or small?

4. Fat or Skinny? - The people of India are faced with a choice: indulge in a Western-style fast food diet, or embrace healthy and indigenous alternatives.

5. Near or Far? - The Nigerian Minister for Agriculture wants to ensure Nigerians eat food grown in Nigeria.

6. Stay or Go? - Who will grow China's food as young people leave the countryside for the cities?



Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2013     Copyright Date: 2012
DVD ISBN: 1-93777-258-6

Reviews "Highly Recommended. This 6-part series is a great collection of educational documentaries packed with interviews, insights, and images. Instructors can't go wrong when using these films in classes! Each documentary is independent of the others, but all share the same theme - exploring local solutions for feeding the world. Seeking both the local and international perspectives, the producers interviewed an impressive variety of recognized leaders and professionals working in the sustainable agriculture and human rights arenas including small-scale farmers, lobbyists, United Nations directors, ethicists, local government officials, authors, activists, and even a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The films are less than 30-minutes long each, which makes them perfect for in-class viewing and discussion. Each film is appropriate for a variety of courses ranging from business to anthropology. Whether purchased as a set or individually the price is a deal." Kristan Majors, Emory Univesity, Educational Media Reviews Online "Very impressive. These films present current problems in global food production and consumption with unstinting clarity. They highlight figures who advocate for indigenous crops without simply turning back the clock or giving in to the Western model of industrial scale agriculture. They propose models which value the local economy and yet think progressively in ways that will help people deal with rising population and increasingly volatile market for foodstuffs. These are thinkers, activists, politicians and farmers who will shape the future of food around the world." Ken Albala, Professor of History, University of the Pacific, Author, Beans: A History "These films put food in a global perspective, pushing the boundaries of discussions about local, artisanal, and organic foods...Old or New? presents both sides of the debate, and highlights the crucial issue of the contrast between local, sustainable, community-based agriculture and high-yield industrialized techniques. Can the survival on the future be only based in the past? Is it a black and white choice or, as chef Gaston Acurio suggests, is it possible to find a way to integrate the two?" Fabio Parasecoli, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Food Studies, The New School, Author, Bite Me! Food in Popular Culture, co-Editor, Cultural History of Food "Old or New? is a fascinating look at how Peruvian chefs, agronomists, and farmers are working together to protect heritage products grown and used for hundreds of years by incorporating them into an explosive and creative new regional and national cuisine. Near or Far? is an insightful film that examines how different sectors, farmers, manufacturers, merchants, and politicians are working together to feed their country." Jane Fajans, Professor of Anthropology, Cornell University, Author, Brazilian Food: Race, Class and Identity in Regional Cuisines "There is a lot of good educational material in [Food or Fuel?]. There are interesting examples of how businesses sometimes come into an area and try to alter the lifestyles of the inhabitants to suit business objectives more than suiting the cultures and desires of the people. But there are solid reasons supporting biofuel production and the point is made that systems must be in place to insure that local farm expertise and local communities must be involved...[The film] would be useful in environmental science, agriculture, or biology classes, particularly if used in a unit of study where these classes might collaborate with social studies classes. The issues are timely and could be used as a basis for discussions, debates, and projects." Richard Lord, NSTA Recommends "Big or Small? shows that food policy should concern all of us. By asking the question, 'Can small agriculture feed the world,' a hopeful path begins to emerge. In a world where big agribusiness dominates, it is a relief to see some hard-rock assumptions challenged in a professional and balanced way. This film would be ideal for any class exploring sustainability or environmental policy." Mary Christina Wood, Professor of Law, Faculty Director of Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program, University of Oregon, Author of Nature's Trust "Fat or Skinny? takes a complex global issue and presents it in an engaging and accessible way. The interviews with teens and families in India about their own diets in addition to leading international expert talking heads add nuance to the discussion. Malnutrition, both under- and over-caloric in India, is a useful lens for studying the global challenge of improving health in tandem with increasing prosperity." Dr. Jonathan Deutsch, Professor and Program Director, Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, and Food Science, Drexel University, Co-author, They Eat That? A Cultural Encyclopedia of 'Weird' Foods from Around the World and Food Studies