"For students and for those interested in improving the food system, this is a must see documentary!" Andrew Smith, Assoc Prof, Food Studies, New School

To many of us, climate change is remote, abstract, too grim to consider, too far removed from our daily lives. But we now know that one of the biggest triggers for global warming is something all of us do every day: eating.   

Growing and processing food, and packaging and bringing it to us—all use enormous amounts of energy, water, and chemicals, creating an overwhelming burden on our planet's resources. And, remarkably, Americans throw out nearly half of the food we produce. More than 62 million tons of food every year ends up rotting in landfills, releasing poisonous methane into the air and further fueling the increases in global warming.

Fortunately, across the country, intrepid innovators are recognizing and exploring solutions to the problems of growing our nation's food while responding to climate change.  

FIXING FOOD tells stories of people who are working to lower our carbon footprint with impactful new ways to gather and prepare the food we need. The series looks at five important areas where we can make changes—farming in the ocean and the air, finding new food sources, learning from Indigenous agriculture, and rescuing the food we already have.

Their stories challenge us all: If we change the way we eat, can we save our planet?

The five short films are available on one DVD. Individual episodes are available on Docuseek. The episodes are:

The 3 Cricketeers 9 mins
The story of a Minnesota farm family working on the frontier of urban agriculture, trying to do their part in the climate crisis by raising environmentally-friendly, protein-rich crickets and turning them into cookies, treats and tortillas.

Native Table 11:43 mins.
At their Minneapolis restaurant Chef Sean Sherman and business partner Dana Thomson are exploring their native cultural heritages by re-creating pre-Colonial menus, combining the past with the best in modern farming practices to create more sustainable and ethical food systems.

Farming the Sky 8:28 mins.
Traditional industrial scale agriculture might never be replaced, but architect Nona Yehia was sure it could be improved. She designed a new kind of greenhouse: a building that would pack a perfectly controlled growing environment into a space built up vertically on a sliver of urban real estate.

Harvesting the Sea 8 mins.
How can we keep Maine's lobster fishing communities employed and producing food for the rest of us when the oceans they depend on are warming so fast that fish stocks are declining? The answer, says the economist, Brianna Warner, is seaweed farming.

The Rescue Brigade 8:34 mins.
More than 38 million people in America are food insecure. When Leah Lizarondo learned that over 40% of America's surplus food is wasted every year, she founded a food rescue mission with a small army of volunteers to bring that food to the people who need it most.



Grade Level: 7 - 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2022     Copyright Date: 2022
DVD ISBN: 1-948745-89-5

Reviews "The recent pandemic has pointed out serious problems with our global food system. Fixing Food offers excellent examples of projects and businesses underway around America that highlight potential solutions from production, to improved food distribution, and to eating unusual foods. For students and for those interested in improving the food system, this is a must see documentary!" Andrew Smith, Associate Professor of Food Studies, The New School, Author, Why Waste Food? "No single technological fix will do in addressing the land, water, and climate limitations we face in producing and distributing food now and in the future. Fixing Food highlights remarkably innovative entrepreneurs pursuing non-conventional solutions to these challenges. It's a thoughtful and balanced examination of emerging ideas being put into practice." Sean Clark, Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berea College "Fixing Food offers a celebration of radical business innovation in our food systems that envisions community and flourishing at its heart. These inspirational people and projects make it clear we have the tools to chart an incredibly rich and delicious future." Paul Stock, Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies, University of Kansas, Author, New Farmers "People are taking note of the alarming impact climate change has on weather, the food supply chain, and our pocketbooks. Access to affordable food is under threat, calling for innovative ways to produce and distribute our food supply. Fixing Food explores the multi-faceted face of food insecurity, food waste, and climate change, sharing real world, natural based solutions from the land, water, and sky. The sessions are broken up into digestible portions to engage audiences from a practical, emotional, and aspirational style. This film is five-star, and resonates with teachers, learners, and activists alike. I highly recommend Fixing Food for your next classroom or community screening." Jenifer DeAtley, Director of Programs, Sustainable Food Center "Fixing Food includes inspiring and tangible stories for the next generation. Each segment shows how creative and resourceful individuals are using food to tackle an array of challenges such as climate change, health, inequality, and economic development." Kimberly Oremus, Assistant Professor of Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of Delaware "Fixing Food is a lively look at some tasty alternatives to the way food is thought of, produced, and consumed in the modern food system. Using high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech methodologies, people are coming up with creative ways to use food to heal the planet. Both students and community activists will find this film useful, and the emphasis on community-based solutions is especially inspiring." Jeffrey Miller, Associate Professor of Hospitality Management, Colorado State University, Author, Avocado: A Global History