THE SUPERFOOD
CHAIN
A Feature Documentary by Ann Shin
70
min | 16:9 | 1:1.78 | 5.1 mix | English
Subtitles
Screening at Planet in Focus, October 25-28th,
Toronto, Ontario
Do you know where your food comes from?
I asked Director/Producer/Wriiter Ann Shin 7 Questions about the film and the Superfood world.
1. What was the influence in creating the documentary around the Superfood Chain?
As a mom I try to feed my kids healthy foods, and I've been a bit of a sucker when it came to foods marketed as 'superfoods.' I thought serving up superfoods might be a way to get concentrated goodness into the kids. I was serving up quinoa and my youngest daughter scrunched her nose and asked me where this 'squishy stuff' came from and why did she have to eat it? I didn't really have a good answer for that, other than, it's good for you. She was not convinced. So that set us off on a journey of trying to understand where these so-called 'superfoods' come from, whether they're really that good or not, and how our consumption of it affects farmers who cultivate them.
2. It seemed to me that the title and some of the events in the film were about different things so was what you intended to document changed drastically during filming? Was there a certain section you had in mind you wanted to discuss? If so, please feel free to let me know.
I can say that I was surprised to learn about the multiple issues faced by the small coconut farmer in Philippines. Not only did they lack the machines required to process coconuts in order to sell them to virgin coconut oil processing companies, but they were even facing eviction from the land they and their families had been living on for generations.
3. How long did it take to film the documentary?
2 years
4. Was there any push back from local government or businesses?
One of the issues we explored was the pressure on salmon stocks by the 3 competing fisheries: commercial, sport and aboriginal fisheries. Sport fishery companies would not speak about it, but we did manage to get one representative from a commercial fishery to speak about it.
The issue of the farmers' land rights in Philippines was complicated, and while there wasn't government push back per se, there were two different government bodies each pointing the finger at the other saying it was not their jurisdiction, but the others. So we didn't make much headway there.
5. What did you think was the most shocking and frustrating thing that you learned in the making of the film?
Global food trends can cause real havoc with food sustainability in growing regions. For example, when quinoa first became popular in North America as a 'superfood' there was a quinoa price boom in Bolivia, which benefitted farmers, but it also made quinoa unaffordable for locals, and created land disputes among people who wanted to start growing quinoa. As quinoa started being planted by large farms in the US, China, Canada and elsewhere, quinoa prices plummeted so now many Bolivian farmers who once grew quinoa crops are no longer growing quinoa. They can't make a living off it.
A second concern is about land rights which is a real issue for farmers in developing countries who have lived on land for generations without necessarily owning land titles. As the country develops, people with business interests can move in and initiate paperwork for titles to land hitherto unclaimed, and then proceed to evict farmers from the land. This is what Susan and her fellow coconut farmers in the Philippines are facing.
6. What can people do to make a difference in the Superfood Chain of the future?
1) Think sustainability -- think about local, sustainable food alternatives to popular 'superfoods'. For instance, wild caught salmon is a 'superfood' known for having a lot of omega 3 oils. But did you know that sardines and anchovies are much smaller fish that are plentiful, they are more sustainable as a food, and are also high in omega oils.
2) Buy fair trade. I learned that fair trade organizations not only help farmers get paid fairly for their work, but they do other important work like lobby for farmers' land rights and form co-ops to provide small farmers access to processing machinery. It's worth going out of your way to buy fair trade.
7. Is there anything else you would like people to know about your experience or the people in the film that you couldn't put into the film?
What my daughters and I really benefitted from the journey was getting more connected with our food, and the people who cultivate it. We saw how most superfoods are ancient foods from cultures with traditions around the cultivation and preparation of these foods. The way coconut is infused in so much of the cooking in the Philippines, from soups to breakfast to dessert, it's a natural part of their diet. It's similar with Teff and the local diet in Ethiopia, Quinoa in Bolivia. We got a deeper sense of the connection with the land and the cultural traditions around each food. I think if we all cultivated a deeper connection to the food we eat (that is, find out where it comes from, how it's grown) we will naturally make more sustainable, nutritious and delicious(!) choices.
