[Pil-pc-oceania] GEELING, VIC: Screening - 'The Future of Food'

[pacific-edge]

Geelong Organic Gardeners presents a film...
 
The Future of Food

West Geelong Town Hall Supper Room

Monday 12 February 2007 - 7.00 pm for 7.30 screening.

Tickets: $5 BOOKINGS: Judy Cameron (03) 5222 1073, Quill Walker (03) 5243
4826 Tickets will also be available at the door, unless sold out

The Future of Food is a documentary about the genetic manipulation
technologies changing our food crops, and how they are grown.
In the agricultural industry, the process of seed selection and the
development and manufacture of pesticides has converged.
The increasing control by a few companies of food production stems from our
new ability to insert genetic material from other plants and animals into
plant DNA. This has created the era of GMO's, or genetically modified
organisms.

For example, your potatoes could have fish genes inside them to improve
resistance to a disease or improve yields. Some crops varieties are now
designed to be grown in combination with a particular herbicide. Soon,
apparently, suicide gene technology could make it mandatory that a patented
chemical is sprayed onto food crops before they will grow.

Along with the good, there has definitely been the bad.

For example: Traditionally selected strains of corn, perfect for a
particular soil and climate, are being lost to more virulent genetically
modified corn strains by wind contamination.

Also, farmers with traditionally selected varieties are being prosecuted as
their own, unique but unpatented crops become inadvertently contaminated by
GMO strains developed and then patented by the very large food corporations.
Which farmer do you know who can afford to operate a research facility that
allows them to patent their own varieties? Can you?

This film, by Deborah Koons Garcia, explores whether a more cautious
approach by our governments regarding GMO's (genetically modified organisms)
would be better for us and our planet.

The technologies involved are very well explained, and this is one reason
you would enjoy the film: Perhaps for the first time you will understand
what GMO's are, how they are created, and what some of the risks of creating
and releasing them into our environment are.


The Geelong Organic Gardeners have made quite an effort to secure public
screening rights for this important film in Geelong. We would like to see
you and your family and friends coming along on Monday night, 12 February,
2007, 7.00pm! Please book yourself a ticket.

There will be a good supper afterwards, produce for sale, as well as a
superb speaker, Bob Phelps, of the GeneEthics Network.

Email enquiries to Matthew Walters gog at vitalbits.com.au
Regards,
Trish Jardine
Chair
Geelong Organic Gardeners

Geelong Organic Gardeners is an informal, friendly diverse group of people
who share a common interest in gardening organically, and working with
nature rather than against it.

We meet every second month at the Geelong Botanic Gardens meeting room and
in the month in between, go on a field trip. At our meetings we have a guest
speaker, library for members, a sales table and seed bank.  Six informative
newsletters are sent out per year. Visitors are welcome to attend.
For more information, please phone Trish on 5223 2407. Email address:
trishjardine at exemail.com.au.

Registered Address: 26 Albert Street, Geelong West, 3218.