Boston, March 5, 2015, — On Monday, March 14, at 7:00 p.m., find out about one of the world’s most precious resources at a free screening of Open Sesame, the timely and emotionally moving 2014 documentary by award-winning filmmaker M. Sean Kaminsky that illuminates what is at stake and what can be done to protect the source of nearly all our food.
Seeds provide the basis for everything from fabric, to food to fuels. Seeds are as essential to life as the air we breathe or water we drink…but given far less attention. According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN), approximately 90% of the fruit and vegetable varieties that existed 100 years ago no longer exist today. Heritage grain is near extinction. Seeds that were lovingly nurtured over decades or even hundreds of years have been lost forever. Maintaining seed biodiversity allows us to breed new varieties that are resistant to pests or thrive in temperature extremes.
Meanwhile, corporations are co-opting seed genetics using patent law. Today, corporate-owned seed accounts for 82% of the world-wide market. Plants grown from transgenic seeds (also known as GMOs) send pollen through the wind and contaminate neighboring crops. When this happens, large companies threaten affected farmers with lawsuits (and nearly always win). Food grown has shown to have dangerous health effects and there is even more we don’t know.
In this film you will meet a diverse range of individuals whose lives center around seeds. Farmers. Renegade gardeners. Passionate seed savers. Artists. Seed activists. This film tells the story of seeds by following their challenges and triumphs as they work to save this precious resource. There will be an opportunity for discussion after the film.
Co-sponsored by MA Right to Know GMOs.