New film exposes Roundup’s ubiquity in Napa Valley wine country
Published: October 4, 2022
Category: Pesticides, The Non-GMO Blog
Documentary filmmaker Brian Lilla has revealed the motivation behind his new film about the herbicide Roundup in Napa, CA, vineyards—his kids.
Since moving to Napa nine years ago, Lilla has noticed the omnipresence of Roundup application—even in a vineyard across from his daughters’ school.
“When I learned how toxic wine country is, I needed to know what that means. I didn’t want to leave Napa because I have children. I didn’t want to run away from the problem…. [but] I want to make it clear that the vineyards are not the villains, nor are farms,” he said. “It’s in your drinking water, rivers, school campuses, and even our playgrounds.”
His family eats organic food, filters their water, and avoids public areas where it’s sprayed to minimize contact.
Children of the Vine traces Monsanto’s herbicide from its introduction in the 70s to creation of “Roundup Ready” crops to the first federal lawsuit that awarded a Bay Area groundskeeper $289 million for Roundup’s link to his cancer.
Growers were unwilling to talk on record about their use of the chemical, for concerns about brand identity.
The film will be screened in communities nationwide, and ideally land a platform on Netflix or PBS.
Source: Capital & Main
To view source article, visit:
Organic & Non-GMO Insights October 2022
