On March 11 a new documentary was aired on French television (ARTE – French-German cultural tv channel) by French journalist and film maker Marie-Monique Robin, The World According to Monsanto – A documentary that Americans won’t ever see. The gigantic biotech corporation Monsanto is threatening to destroy the agricultural biodiversity which has served mankind for thousands of years.

Le monde selon Monsanto (2008)
  • Rating: (703 votes)
  • Runtime:108 minutes
  • Director: Marie-Monique Robin
  • Countries:France, Canada, Germany
  • Actors:
    Himself
    David Baker
    Himself
    Ken Cook
    Himself (as Prof. David Carpenter)
    David Carpenter
    Himself (as Prof. Robert Bellé)
    Robert Bellé
    Himself
    John Hoffman
    Himself
    Dan Glickman
    Himself
    James Maryanski
    Himself
    Jeffrey Smith
    Himself
    Michael Hansen
    Himself
    Jeremy Rifkin
  • Genre:Documentary
no picture
  • User's comment:France Makes a Good Documentary by Cockeymofo76

    The World According to Monsanto is a good documentary about a great subject. Monsanto has received many condemnations in its quest for profits but this documentary provides a slightly more scathing review of the company.

    The movie gives the obligatory history of Monsanto and it's damage to the world. And just when it looks like it is going to continue in mediocrity the movie changes gears and really attacks the subject at hand. Monsanto, and other multi-nationals, have for years now tried to effect people that make decisions and oversee "the public good". This movie, in the latter half, attacks Monsanto as a company which strives to blacklist dissenters and keep the truth from seeing the light of day. The movie uses various primary witnesses and at a couple great interviews. I would go into more detail but I prefer brevity.

    The movie in my mind has three faults, interviews, a bleeding heart and the internet. The interviews were at times well done but at some points the interviewer spoke too much or the interviewee was lackluster (Dr. Michael Hansen was a horrendous interviewee). Occasionally the movie goes too far and essentially tells you FEEL BAD when all that needs to be said is this is what's happening (town of Anniston the old guy in the wheelchair). Finally, the documentarian uses the internet, even wikipedia, as a way to show the audience her search for the facts. I felt that it diminished credibility and wasn't an effective visually. (Yes, I know she didn't actually only use the internet for this documentary...)

    A movie for people who wish to be called informed or like to know what's in their milk. 8/10


  • Quotes: Vandana Shiva: This is the best way to control the population of the world. Vandana Shiva: The difference is that the first Green Revolution was public sector driven. It was driven by government agencies and the government agencies controlled the research. The second 'Green Revolution' is driven by Monsanto; it is a Monsanto-driven revolution. The second big difference is that the first Green Revolution did have a hidden objective of selling more chemicals, but it's first objective was providing food, it was food security... The second Green Revolution has nothing to do with food security. It's not about food security, it is about returns to Monsanto's profits, that's all it is about. - They've always said that genetic engineering is the way to get to patenting, but patenting is the real aim. If you look at Monsanto's research agenda, they're testing at this point something like 20 crops with BT-genes in it. There's nothing they're leaving untouched. The mustard, the okra, the brinjal, the rice, the cauliflower. - Once they have established the norm that seed can be owned as their property and royalties can be collected, we will depend on them for every seed we grow of every crop we grow. If they control seed, they control food, they know it, it's strategic. It's more powerful than bombs, it's more powerful than guns. This is the best way to control the populations of the world. Dan Quayle: The US is already the world leader in 'biotechnologoy', and we want to keep it that way. In 1991 alone, it was a 4 billion dollar industry; it should reach at least 50 billion dollars by the year 2000, as long as we resist the spread of unnecessary regulation.
  • Also known as: Controlling Our Food: The World According to Monsanto (International - informal alternative title, English title), Monsanto - agrobusiness (Finland - imdb display title, Swedish title), Monsanto - outoa agrobisnestä (Finland - imdb display title), Monsanto szerint a világ (Hungary), Monsanto, mit Gift und Genen (Germany - DVD title), Monsantos värld (Sweden), O Mundo Segundo a Monsanto (Brazil - festival title), O kosmos kata tis Monsanto (Greece - transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title), The World According to Monsanto (International - English title),

What do you think of this movie? Leave a comment.