The world according to Monsanto-Le Monde selon Monsanto (2008)

Directed by: Marie-Monique Robin | 108 minutes | documentary | Actors: Marie-Monique Robin, Jonathan Matthews, David Carpenter, Vendana Shiva, Pete Hardin, Michael Hansen

There are disasters that happen without anyone noticing. In India, a striking number of cotton farmers commit suicide. In America, soybean farmers are going bankrupt because they can’t afford the legal costs of civil lawsuits. In Scotland, a scientist gets sacked for announcing on TV that it is questionable whether genetically modified crops are safe. Decades after the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese population is still reaping the bitter fruits of the defoliant Agent Orange. And in the small American town of Anniston, a 16-year-old boy dies of lung cancer from exposure to PCBs. According to the documentary ‘The world according to Monsanto’ there is a connecting factor between all these great and small tragedies: the multinational Monsanto. Marie-Monique Robin uses interviews to paint a grim picture of the chemical group and its new showpieces, genetically modified crops and associated pesticides. In the production of food, too, money and power often win over principles and common sense. According to Robin, for example, there are unsavory ties between Monsanto and the American Food and Drug Administration, which has to act as a watchdog, but in practice often allows itself to be steered away. Monsanto’s power reaches far and the company defends its business interests with unusual vigor. The documentary maker interviews scientists whose reports were brushed aside, researchers who were suddenly fired and farmers who were faced with high claims because (patented) GM seed from neighboring farmers had blown over to their fields. The seed police are everywhere. In terms of content, ‘The world according to Monsanto’ is well put together. Robin avoids sensationalism and tries not to create hysteria about GM food, although you may have doubts about its safety. She mainly wants to denounce that different rules seem to apply to an influential company like Monsanto, which allows it to exercise an almost feudal power. Research results are falsified, farmers are blackmailed and governments are pressured to make favorable decisions. According to Robin, Monsanto is aiming for a monopoly position in the seed market. Worrying, because food is a basic need and it’s not a nice idea that a company with such a dubious history and way of doing business has a large part of the world’s seed in its hands. Incidentally, Monsanto refused to cooperate with the documentary. A pity, because the allegations against the company are serious and a rebuttal could have provided some more nuance between all the negative sounds. ‘The world according to Monsanto’ does what a good documentary should do: it changes your view of the world. In terms of form, it could all have been a bit slicker. Static images of talking heads are alternated with images of Robin himself, who is already engrossed in the history of Monsanto. The latter not only gives the (wrongly) impression that her documentary is mainly based on internet research, but it is also boring to watch. The scenes on location in India and Guatemala have more momentum and therefore more impact. Another disturbing factor is the combination of English speaking interviewees, French interpreter and Dutch subtitles. Three languages ​​that demand attention, that’s a bit much. Still, it pays to bite the bullet, because ‘The world according to Monsanto’ is worth watching.