Rich Appetites Film Series

RICH APPETITES
How Big Philanthropy is Shaping the Future of Food in Africa

Billionaire philanthropists are pushing US-style industrial agriculture around the globe—including in Africa. Industrial agriculture is the single largest cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, fails to solve hunger, and hurts small-scale farmers and the planet. Learn more in this 5-part film series.

Thank you to our partners who have made Rich Appetites such a success so far! We’ve released all five episodes of this short film series and educated thousands of people on the need to transition away from philanthrocapitalism in agriculture and toward food sovereignty. From the harms of industrial agriculture, to the science behind today’s agriculture systems, to the benefits of agroecology, the complete series offers audiences a comprehensive education on the impact of big philanthropy on our food systems.

Click on the links below to watch each of the films.

Film 1: The Foundation

Industrial agriculture has failed to solve hunger, decimated rural communities, and had severe ecological consequences. So why is this model being exported to Africa and promoted in international policy circles?
Companion Guide: Industrial Agriculture Doesn’t “Feed the World” (English)

Film 2: Seeds

While AGRA has failed to reduce hunger as promised, it has been very successful for corporations, the private sector, and the wealthy, by creating new opportunities to profit off of African agriculture—especially seeds. The Gates Foundation and AGRA have funded organizations that push African governments to pass restrictive laws that commercialize and privatize seeds, thereby threatening the cultural basis of seed exchanges and creating markets for corporate seed.
Companion Guide: Privatization is not the Answer (English)

Film 3: Money

The Gates Foundation has spent billions remaking African agriculture as a business ripe for new investments, all while cultivating Bill Gates’ global image as a “do-gooder” –– even though his actions are harming African farmers and the planet.

Film 4: Science

Scientific studies increasingly demonstrate that agroecology increases incomes, food security, and productivity, while restoring environments and building climate resilience. Yet large funding institutions like the Gates Foundation are backing industrial, tech-focused approaches that benefit corporations, rather than supporting farmer-led and evidence-based solutions.

Film 5: Agroecology in Action

Through in-depth interviews and footage from the field, this episode tells the stories of people and organizations around the world who are using agroecology to fight climate change and feed their communities.