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What does an environmentally sustainable food system that is capable of feeding everyone on the planet actually look like?
At first one might question the apparent naivety of giving a documentary about biodynamics such a grandiose title! But by the end of the film it is apparent that the words have been carefully chosen. For they convey the urgency of what is at stake in a nutshell. Humanity is not going to last long on planet Earth unless we radically reverse the legacy of modern agribusiness. Radical means returning to the roots. Our relationship with Nature unconditionally needs to be re-rooted. And as far as soil is concerned, there’s no time to spare. As far as the soil is concerned, there’s no time to spare. Good soil is the basis of our existence - humans depend on humus. Without it there can be no genuine health, education, social order or individual spiritual growth. Humus maintains the purity and supply of fresh water. It contributes to plant vitality, animal health, human intelligence through proper nutrition, social justice, economic sustainability, and above all to personal independence in that people can access the basic resources with which to provide for themselves. Through its emphasis on soil-building, Biodynamic agriculture affects all these realms of life. In India, it is becoming as much a basis for social change as a method of farming, partly owing to the efforts of an elderly New Zealander with a passion for cow dung.
Although one could disagree with the assertion that Peter is ‘the father of modern biodynamics’ he is without doubt, a pioneer of the movement in India. Yet despite being billed as the film’s star he doesn’t occupy centre-stage as much as expected. Instead, the film engages in dialogue with Indian farmers, scientists, business leaders, government technical officers and consumers as it pursues issues of sustainability, credibility and profit. Peter is seen in his role alongside the Indian farmers, advisors and teachers. Frequently he defers to the rationale offered by Rudolf Steiner, founder of the biodynamic method while also acknowledging the example of Mahatma Gandhi. This is a documentary focussed on how to address the agricultural crisis that the world faces. It is not a new-age movie about some guru promoting his own brand of global salvation. Peter and Rachel have taken to heart the Gandhian ethos of non-violent civil resistance and are participating in what has become a modern campaign for independence from economic colonialism. Like Gandhi, who picked up his spinning mill and got to work doing the good, they are also doing what is needed for humanity. With their hands in the soil both are modestly working to promote biodynamics for its own sake - for the simple reason that “it is good for people”. When the goddess of prosperity is perceived dwelling in cow dung… Since 1993, 150,000 Indian small farmers have been driven to suicide as the noose of corporate dominance and elite globalisation tightens its hold on their means for independent livelihood. The false god of high yield delivers only higher costs and deeper debts. At the same time it locks farmers into a downward-spiralling dependency. As the lifeless thinking of materialism prevails, life itself starts to seem meaningless. But when the goddess of prosperity is perceived dwelling in cow dung, it is a sign that people are able to enliven their minds with spiritual truths, conveyed through imaginations. As a result their actions change.
How to Save the World has been scripted by New Zealand journalist Barbara Burstyn and filmed by her Canadian husband Tom Burstyn, an Emmy-nominated cinematographer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in NZ. Together with a talented sound and visual artist they have done a remarkable job of succinctly and intuitively opening a window for us. The integrity and vitality of biodynamics speaks for itself through the farmers of India. Against the unrelenting machinations of today’s world, this film offers us the sacred simplicity of a practice that seems almost too good to be true. “I’m not underestimating the power of the individual – the small farmers in India. They want to be able to do it themselves. There’s a groundswell of power there that you can’t stop.” Peter Proctor. Visit the dedicated site:
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How To Save The World is a film that takes us into the heart of theworld’smost important renaissance – something that few of us are aware is even happening. Hoes rather than swords are at the frontline of a battle for agricultural control that is being fought over Indian soil. Its outcome could well determine the future of the entire earth. Using biodynamic-organic methods, farmers of India are reclaiming their lands and livelihood. At the same time they’re exposing the corporate mantra of infinite growth in a finite world for the environmental and human disaster that it really is.
Peter Proctor might be forgiven for being somewhat one-eyed about humus. At nearly 80 years old, he has a glass eye and is a bit deaf! Yet for him, the earth sings and with boundless energy he lives for that song. For many years Peter travelled New Zealand as a farm advisor on behalf of the Biodynamic Farming Association. But in recent years he has been commuting to India, foregoing the comforts of urban retirement in New Zealand in order to work among Indian farmers. Now he and partner Rachel Pomeroy have moved to live there permanently. The combination of his enthusiasm and practical knowledge and her scientific bent is making a significant impact on rural communities throughout the continent.
India’s biodynamic farmers represent a remarkable intelligence at work. It’s audible in their speech, perceptible in their humour and visible on their faces and in their efforts. Have you ever seen so many well formed compost heaps or orderly rows of brick pits full of cow pat preparations? Across the continent there are some 200,000 biodynamic compost heaps quietly transforming waste materials into black gold! They are a testament to love-in-action and the fertile power of a goddess.