The story of seed

When Jon spoke about growing up in the Issan region he told of his village memories. Their village was famous for watermelon. People grew many varieties of rice. Some better for the dry season, others hardy to flooding, all different varieties for different needs.

When the companies came they sold one seed and it was good. It grew bigger and faster than the other watermelons and so people used it and in a few years no-one else planted the seeds from the famous watermelons that grew much slower. With rice the same, until only one variety was planted, given by the company.

Soon people no longer have their own Thai seed varieties passed down as heirlooms for untold generations. Now only the companies seed is planted and you must pay. Farmers begin going into debt. Soon the company comes in and tells farmers they must spray pesticides and use synthetic fertlizers for their seeds to grow well. And soon the farmers are in more debt, debt up to their necks.

And so with the seeds the company binds the farmers with debt forcing them to work harder and harder for less and less. Now farmers work not only in planting and harvest season but every day, like slaves. Where they once had plenty, now they are poor. This is the story of seed in many places from the Punjab of India to the Great Plains of Canada and from the soy plantations of Brazil to the rice fields of Thailand.

We filmed these local woman planting in the rice fields today for Jon Jandai's story here at Pun Pun. They were nice enough to let us film and photograph, and though we couldn't communicate with each other they knew it was something about the seeds...