The Last Seed

Our most vital resource is facing its greatest threat

The Last Seed, produced by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in association with the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, Biowatch South Africa, and PELUM Tanzania.

The Last Seed | Official Trailer

Details

The Last Seed, produced by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in cooperation with the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), Biowatch South Africa, and PELUM Tanzania.

Our most vital resource is facing its greatest threat. African experts and farmers discuss the preeminence of farmers’ seeds within the global food system, and how to save them.

Written and directed by Andréa Gema
Executive Producer: Jan Urhahn (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation)
Producers: Refiloe Joala (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation) and Famara Diédhiou (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, AFSA)
Offline Editors: Andréa Gema, Luke Housdon
Online Editor: Luke Housdon
Cinematography: Nick Burton Moore
Original Soundtrack: Gean Burrell Sound
Mixer: John Claassen
Art Direction: Grant Franck, Quite Franckly Studios
Animator: Claire Bowden
Illustrator: Lize-Marie Dreyer
Colourist: Daniel de Villiers
Sound Design: Dave Houston

About the Film

The Last Seed focuses on broad themes relating to the state of food and agriculture in Africa in the twenty-first century. Placing the struggle over the control of seed at the centre, it explains the processes that have led to this moment in human history and what it would take to interact with the planet in a way that does not threaten the very basis of life on earth.

The film raises two fundamental questions — what have we lost, and who can show us a better way? — and answers these questions using music, dance, moving visuals, and the lived experiences and stories of African small-scale food producers. Experts outline the extent of the corporate capture crisis and explain the underlying science, politics and economics in simple terms, punctuated by vibrant animations. Agroecological farmers from various African nations give testimony on the sustainability and adaptability of their agricultural practices and share morsels of wisdom worth exploring.

The film ends on an upbeat note as Senegalese women rise up, determined to protect their seeds and indigenous knowledge for future generations.