Tote Ernte - Der Krieg um's Saatgut (engl.) (2001) - DVD

In Canada's wheat belt, farmer Percy Schmeiser was sued by the agrochem and seed producing multinational Monsanto for damages worth a quarter million dollars on the grounds of a patent violation just because wind and birds had carried Monsanto's genetically modified canola onto his fields. Schmeiser responded with a countersuit citing libel and contamination of his property, made his case public and, in the meantime, is being sent around the world as a leader of opposition to Monsanto by farming, environmental and civil rights organisations. His worldwide message: Stand up in defence of your own seeds supply!

In Europe, farmer Klaus Buschmeier, from the Wesphalian Extertal community, is rounding up fellow farmers to get a revolt going against the German Farmers' Association. A cooperative agreement concluded by the Association with plant breeders on charging seed saving fees is perceived as betrayal. At the District Court of Munich, which due to thousands of law suits in the matter has set up a special panel, Bavarian farmers read an association official the riot act in front of the camera, almost coming to blows.

In order to enforce gene technology agrochem multinationals have swallowed up most of the leading plant breeders. Gene technology does not stop hunger in the world, what it does is promote the sales of chemicals. Gene technology makes crops resistant to pesticides. The farmer may bring up the seed, treat crops with chemicals and sell them, but no more. Every attempt to save his own seed or do his own breeding is either forbidden, or charged with fees. In the eyes of Buschmeier and Schmeiser this is a return to serfdom.

The height of gentech cynicism is known as Terminator technology. It´s rounding off farmers dependence on mutinationals through gene technology. Seeds are manipulated to germinate only once. Saving one´s own seed is pointless. The seed´s been killed.