The Farmers

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

Food democracy is a very broad and complex issue that is often overlooked. Food is all around us and consumes so much of our time and money that we often forget its significance on our everyday life. We eat to live, indulge, diet, celebrate, pleasure, and advertise. So many factors come out of food, however people do not appreciate its origins. In saying that, I went back to the farmers’ side of the food industry and looked at it through their eyes.

What people do not realise when they are at the supermarket buying their groceries is that they may be purchasing foods that are hurting our farming community and expanding the larger companies. A farmer has numerous aspects to consider, for example the weather, too much or too little rain throughout the year can change a whole yearly income. These days they are facing issues with large companies regulating, controlling and surveying the production, distribution, and consumption of food. A farmer is left with little or no control over what they are growing and producing. The farmers’ grain is being genetically modified, copyrighted and taken from the farmers. Money plays a vital role in this because the corporations have much more control through large sums of money.

So for this very dramatic subject, I decided to do a video to portray the effects on the farmers from the large companies. It is set out like a slideshow of photos that slowly fade in and out and capture the various moments such as the decrease of younger generations. Each image is accompanied by key statistics that are used to display to the audience and make them aware of what is happening.

What kind of communication approach do you use?

I chose to complete a video in my communication choice in a way that displays images that can connect to the audience in an emotional response. I wanted the images to be raw and direct and by accompanying them with facts, very difficult to ignore. The sensitive music in the background also creates a sad atmosphere that would attract the viewers’ attention.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

As people begin to view this video, I believe that is would create a talking point amongst society. It would be the beginning of people stepping back and accessing the farming community and thinking of plans to implement to assist the struggling farming industry. People from non-farming backgrounds would also see the video and I imagine would also think twice about just ignoring the reoccurring issue.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

In completing this work, I learnt a lot of different aspects that affect our farmers. I think the fact that they have to struggle with managing a whole farm business and then also fight against large companies for control and copyright laws, just to name a few, is dreadful. By coming from a country town, it really hits home that the farmers are ageing and decreasing. I dislike greatly that Australia import so many things and often abandon our own farmers. However, I do think slowly programs and food democracy awareness campaigns will gain more support from people. Right now though, people are either unaware or ignoring it, however personally I am much more aware.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

The video clearly demonstrates aspects of the struggling farming industry along with strong images that will be able to be seen by a broad range of people. It will be a starting point of bringing up the issues, as people will begin to discuss them further.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

This video is so important to numerous everyday aspects that I believe it could be implemented at a variety of places. For example, projected at very public places such as walls at a mall, supermarket or fast food chains. Displaying it at one of these places would allow a lot of people from various cultures and ages to view it. It is only a short, one-minute clip, which means it could be played in movie previews that would make people watch it because there would be nothing else to watch or distract you. However the idea of it in a public space would be interesting to see how many people actually stop.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

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