AMES, Iowa -- A documentary that wrestles with the emotions and evidence surrounding one of the most heated arguments of our time — GMOs and food — will be shown at Iowa State University.
Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, "Food Evolution" aims to untangle the debate and science around genetically modified organisms. It will be shown at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Alison Van Eenennaam, professor and extension specialist at the University of California, Davis — who appears in the film — will provide brief opening remarks and lead a discussion following the 90-minute film. The presentation is free and open to the public.
Traveling from Hawaiian papaya groves to banana farms in Uganda to the cornfields of Iowa, the film looks at the polarized debate on GMOs and the distrust and confusion surrounding the topic. In an effort to separate the hype from the science and unravel the debate around food, the film enlists such experts as British author and activist Mark Lynas, Center for Food Safety Director Andrew Kimbrell, author and activist Vandana Shiva, Monsanto Executive Vice President Robert Fraley and science communicator Bill Nye, as well as farmers and scientists from around the world. The film shows how easily misinformation, confusion and fear can overwhelm objective analysis.
In reviewing the documentary, The New York Times wrote, "With a soft tone, respectful to opponents but insistent on the data, “Food Evolution” posits an inconvenient truth for organic boosters to swallow: In a world desperate for safe, sustainable food, GMOs may well be a force for good."
The presentation is co-sponsored by the animal science department, food science and human nutrition department, horticulture department, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences graduate programs and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by Student Government.
More information on ISU lectures is available online, or by calling 515-294-9935.
