Featured Documentary

The Slow Poisoning of India 2004 - 25 min.

Director: Ramesh Menon

"The Slow Poisoning of India" is a 26-minute documentary film depicting the effects of modern pesticide use on local farmers. India is one of the largest users of pesticide in Asia and also one of the largest manufactures. Farmers often use the wrong chemicals, while others overuse.

The film presents startling case studies from Kerala, India where villagers are paying a heavy price as a result of the exposure to pesticide spraying for many years. The film discusses the health impacts in other parts of India and also on how the enchantment of the green revolution in Punjab is fading as land and water bodies have been poisoned. The main beneficiary of this process is the multinational chemical companies which bind farmers into a vicious cycle.

The end of the short film provides encouragement to organic farming practices by showing several farmers who for the sake of the land, health reasons and their bank accounts have decided to switch to organic farming.

Facts for The Slow Poisoning of India