How Food Evolution Evolved and Why Its Message Matters

Serving as your president has taken me to some interesting and wonderful places far outside the typical experience of a university professor. One of those places happened to be a movie theater in lower Manhattan, where this past November, I sat listening to Neil deGrasse Tyson explain his views on truth and science. Dr. Tyson, the narrator of Food Evolution, the independent documentary film commissioned by IFT, was appearing on a panel following the film’s premiere at DOC NYC—the largest documentary film festival in America. He was accompanied onstage by film director Scott Hamilton Kennedy, producer Trace Sheehan, science communicator Alison Van Eenennaam, and Ugandan organic farmer Emma Naluyima, both of whom appeared in the film.

You may have heard that IFT commissioned Food Evolution as part of our 75th anniversary celebration because we felt we needed to facilitate a larger and better public conversation about the ways science is important to the food system. While films have played major roles in our public debate about food, few have focused sharply on the science behind the issues. However, we recognized we couldn’t simply “tell our own story” because an IFT-produced film about how wonderful food science is (and it is!) would be perceived as self-serving by the wider public. While we might enjoy it as food scientists, it would not achieve our larger goal of stimulating a discussion about the science of food. Therefore, we carefully chose Hamilton Kennedy, an Academy Award–nominated independent director with a history of telling compelling stories through film, and gave him creative control and final edit. IFT funded the film, but the story and conclusions were Scott’s.

After lengthy research on several topics within the science of food, Scott decided to focus on the debate surrounding genetically modified (GM) foods. While GM isn’t primarily an issue related to the technical aspects of food processing, it does provide a window into larger questions around agriculture, science, corporations, and people. Also, because GM is such a contentious issue, it has greater scope to attract a wide audience and to build a more robust conversation.

IFT does not take a formal “pro” or “anti” GM position, but we are passionately pro-science and, I hope, pro nuance. We respect the capacity of science to establish empirical facts about an issue, such as the National Academy of Sciences’ recent report on GMOs, and try to shape our opinions accordingly. We recognize too that the companies we work for have other agendas, not always based strictly in science. They may, for example, market food based on a GM-free certification or lobby in favor of or against mandatory labeling regulation.

I’m not going to give any major spoilers here, but I’m very pleased with the film Scott has made—and the audience and press in attendance at the premiere were too. His account of the debate is illustrated through riveting interviews with scientists, activists, and farmers from around the world who are all passionate about food and farming yet stand on different sides of the GM issue. He looks at local, practical problems in farming and exposes the costs of fear-based campaigning against the technology. You may not agree with all of Scott’s conclusions, but they will make you think.

So where can you see Food Evolution? The filmmakers are pursuing a variety of distribution channels in an effort to bring the film to as many viewers as possible. We also hope to bring the film to members via IFT sections and student chapters. When you finally do see Food Evolution, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

With Food Evolution, our ultimate goal is to encourage a rational conversation about the use of sound science in food. Good conversations require listening as well as talking, and if we are to be serious about this, we need to make an honest effort to understand perspectives that conflict with ours and to be courageous enough to change our deeply held beliefs in the face of new data.

During his talk at the premiere, Dr. Tyson challenged the audience to “burst our bubble” in order to see the world more clearly. I offer that same challenge to professionals in the science of food. We must work to understand and empathize with the range of public opinions on food issues and then engage in a productive dialogue that leads the world to a safe and sustainable food supply.

While IFT will keep you updated on Food Evolution’s progress, I encourage you to visit foodevolutionmovie.com to read more about the film and its director and to access recent videos related to it.

John Coupland, PhD, CFS
IFT President, 2016–2017
Professor of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.
[email protected]
@JohnNCoupland