SEED: The Untold Story

SEED: The Untold Story is a compelling 2016 documentary focused on the critical and often overlooked aspect of our planet's life support system – seeds. Featuring an array of notable figures in environmental activism like Vandana Shiva, Andrew Kimbrell, and primatologist Jane Goodall, the film provides an enlightening expose about the astonishing loss of seed diversity and the tireless efforts by farmers, scientists, and seed keepers around the world to protect our 12,000-year old food legacy.

Directed by Taggart Siegel and Jon Betz, this documentary delves into the mysterious world of seeds by tracing the irreplaceable link between humans and seeds, an age-old connection that has for generations, shaped and dictated the stories of our cultures, cuisines, and livelihoods. The loss of this diversity essentially translates to not only a loss of seed varieties but also a loss of food security, culture, and life as we know it. The movie is a clarion call to awaken us from our consumerist slumber to realize that seeds are not just a means to an end, but an integral part of the global web of life.

The film features Vandana Shiva, perhaps one of the most prominent protectors of seed diversity. As an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, and anti-globalization author, Shiva brings an authority and credibility to the film that grounds it in the real-world struggle of global seed preservation. Her assertion is crystal clear: the earth has gifted us with an enormous variety of seeds and losing this variety to industrialized, commercial farming that pushes for uniformity threatens our very existence.

The other major figure in the film is Andrew Kimbrell, an internationally recognized public interest attorney, public speaker, and author. He is renowned for his work in establishing safeguards for our food supply, fighting against genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and advocating for sustainable agricultural practices. His fight against GMOs is a pivotal part of the storyline that raises the question of who controls our food – is it nature, or is it an array of giant corporations intent on patenting and selling life itself.

One of the most notable features of the film is the inclusion of famed primatologist, Jane Goodall. Jane’s tireless advocacy for understanding our natural world and caring for its inhabitants provide a different, though no less important, perspective about the intricate interconnection between all forms of life on earth.

SEED:The Untold Story showcases heart-warming interviews, vivid animation and a captivating soundtrack to create a narrative that is both highly educational and profoundly moving. The interviews provide a personal aspect, featuring small-scale farmers and indigenous communities from around the world recounting how traditional farming techniques and heirloom seeds have sustained them for generations. The humanity these farmers embody and their deep-rooted respect and reverence for nature offer a stark contrast to extensive commercial farming and biotech companies, the subject of considerable scrutiny in the movie.

The film doesn’t refrain from taking a critical look at this issue, addressing the disturbing reality of seed patenting and genetic modification – processes that effectively commodify a natural resource and rob it of its diversity and resilience. The documentary posits the chilling truth that 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared over the last century, underlining the urgency of the matter.

SEED:The Untold Story will undoubtedly appeal to those who take an active interest in environmental sustainability. Still, its message also reaches universally, reminding us how every bite we eat, every food item we purchase, in essence, holds a deeper narrative of the seeds it originated from. And if we wish to continue to enjoy that narrative, we need to protect our seeds.

One of the many strengths of the film is its ability to take a theoretically complex issue and make it personal, emotional, and most importantly, understandable. SEED: The Untold Story is simultaneously a tale of extraordinary seed diversity, a warning of its vanishing, and a call to action to preserve the age-old tradition of seed keeping, reminding us that we are intimately connected to the natural world. In preserving seeds, we are preserving our legacy for future generations.