About the film
Imagine discovering a product that you’ve been using is causing serious damage to your health and the environment. But instead of safely disposing of that toxic product, you decide to go next door and sell it to your neighbor. Hard to imagine, right?
This scenario isn’t entirely unimaginable. In the United States, once a pesticide is pulled off the market because it is shown have dangerous effects on peoples’ health and the environment, we allow corporations to continue manufacturing and exporting that pesticide to other countries–even just a few feet across our borders.
If successfully funded, Toxic Profits will be a feature-length film documenting the lives of those most affected by this policy–those living in the Global South who are applying these banned and unregistered pesticides and suffering serious health effects as a result. Countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America use 25% of the world’s pesticides, yet account for 99% of deaths caused by these toxins. [1] Some 25 million farmers and agricultural workers across the globe are poisoned by pesticides each year, and poorly educated and impoverished laborers are most at risk, often applying pesticides without any training or protective clothing. [2]
The film will also explore how this issue affects everyone, as national borders mean nothing to pesticides. Millions of barrels of pesticides travel the global marketplace and re-circulate as residue on food and fiber, as well as contaminants in global air and water currents. [3] Moreover, the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that in 2010, almost 50% of fresh fruits and 25% of fresh vegetables consumed in the U.S. were grown overseas, yet the Food and Drug Administration currently inspects less than 1% of imports. [4] Although the use of certain pesticides within U.S. borders is banned, these toxins may be coming back to us, in what is called the “circle of poison”.
Finally, Toxic Profits will document alternative, sustainable farming solutions to corporate-controlled, pesticide-intensive agriculture. Because the global pesticide market is increasing by billions of dollars every year, the film will highlight alternative farming methods that have proven more effective and even more profitable than the industry standard.
Our Team
Nick Capezzera, Evan Mascagni, and Shannon Post all attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.
Nick Capezzera is a film maker living in New York City, currently doing film editing work for the New York Times. Prior to Toxic Profits, he produced a documentary film that was featured at the Summerville Open Cinema Festival.
Shannon Post is a chef-sociologist, currently working as a baker in San Francisco. Prior to becoming a certified Natural Chef, focusing on seasonal, local, and organic food, she earned her Master’s in Sociology at American University in DC.
How you are helping
Thank you for visiting our Kickstarter page (and reading this far). Since beginning this project we have interviewed several experts in the field, from New York City to Los Angeles to San Francisco, and have visited several farms to put this project video together and earn your support. Now the challenging work begins. Your contribution will go towards the rental of film-making equipment, the costs of travel to farms in the Global South, and the editing of the full-length film. We are operating on a small budget and are seeking only to raise the minimum amount that will ensure the completion of a feature-length documentary. Anything you can give is greatly appreciated, and if you can’t afford to give, simply spreading the word means just as much.
Best,
Evan, Nick & Shannon
[1] http://www.who.int/entity/ceh/capacity/Pesticides.pdf
[2] http://www.ourplanet.com/imgversn/122/rengam.html
[3] http://www.panna.org/issues/persistent-poisons/transport-trade
[4] http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/8/1/2
