The Need to Grow is a documentary starring Rosario Dawson, Michael Smith, and Erik Cutter.
Launched in 2019, The Need to Grow is being re-launched in 2020 for free online through FoodRevolution.org. Anyone can view the documentary for free online via that website. Just enter your name and email address to start. Alternatively, you can buy the documentary for $15 through Amazon Prime Video.
What will you learn in The Need to Grow? What’s the documentary about? Find out everything you need to know about The Need to Grow today in our review.
Contents
What is The Need to Grow?
The Need to Grow is a documentary highlighting the environmental challenges faced by farmers, the agricultural industry, and the world over the coming years.
Marketed as “an environmental film about solutions,” The Need to Grow explores how we can feed the world and its growing population – without destroying the planet.
The Need to Grow was released in 2019. As part of a new marketing campaign in 2020, however, the film is being released through grow.foodrevolution.org. You can enter your name and email address into that website, then view The Need to Grow for free.
Alternatively, you can buy The Need to Grow online through Amazon Prime Video for $15.
Here’s how Amazon Prime Video describes the documentary:
“With an estimated 60 years of farmable soil left on Earth, The Need to Grow is a character-driven story of innovators behind decentralized solutions and cutting edge technologies. Underdog leaders face unpredictable challenges as they fight to heal our broken food system and regenerate the planet’s dying soils.”
Rob Herring and Ryan Wirick directed the documentary. It stars Rosario Dawson (narrator), Michael Smith (who plays himself), and Erik Cutter (who also plays himself).
The Need to Grow won several awards in 2018 and 2019, including:
Best Documentary at the Sonoma International Film Festival in 2018
Audience Favorite Award at the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival in 2019
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Edmonton International Film Festival in 2018
Winner of Best Documentary at the Beaufort International Film Festival in 2019
Best Environmental Film at the Sedona International Film Festival in 2018
What Will You Learn in The Need to Grow?
The Need to Grow tackles the issue of depleted soils. Specifically, the planet is running out of arable land. Within 60 years, farmers will struggle to grow food if land management practices do not change.
The Need to Grow tackles this issue. It explains why today’s agricultural practices are a problem – and the people fighting to make it better.
The goal of the documentary is to inspire people with hope for the future – while also highlighting issues with today’s food production.
Some of the things covered during The Need to Grow documentary include:
Why the planet is on the brink of ecological disaster
How today’s farming and food production practices are leading to skyrocketing rates of chronic diseases
The real-world solutions some are implementing today to fix the problem
Why we could have fewer than 60 years of soil left on Earth, according to the estimates of some soil scientists
How leaders are taking action, including an 8-year old girl challenging the ethics of a beloved organization, a renegade farmer struggling to keep his land while revolutionizing resource-efficient agriculture, and an accomplished investor facing a catastrophe while developing a game-changing technology
Watch The Need to Grow Online for Free
As part of a 2020 promotion, The Need to Grow is available online for free through grow.foodrevolution.org.
You can enter your name and email address into that website to watch the full film immediately.
The film is available between September 9 and September 14, 2020. Just enter your contact information into that form to view The Need to Grow immediately.
The free screening of The Need to Grow is brought to you by Earth Conscious Films and the Food Revolution Network.
Why is The Need to Grow Free?
When you enter your name and email address into the online form at grow.foodrevolution.org, you agree to receive marketing communication from the two sponsors, including Food Revolution Network (FRN) and Earth Conscious Films.
Here’s what you learn in the fine print of the terms and conditions:
“In support of our educational mission, we sometimes share resources offered by trusted partners. If you purchase products from one of these partners, FRN may, at times, receive a portion of the proceeds. These affiliations support our work and allow us to continue bringing you valuable, life-changing content.”
It's unclear what type of promotional offers or advertisements viewers will receive, or what types of products or services will be offered. However, we assume the products will be related to whole food nutrition, sustainable farming practices, and healthy living.
About Food Revolution Network
Food Revolution Network (FRN) is an organization that aims to create a world for healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for everyone.
In 2020, FRN is hosting The Need to Grow documentary for free online. The company also hosts the annual Food Revolution Summit, an online event discussing sustainable agriculture and a new future of food.
Here’s how Food Revolution Network describes its vision for a “food revolution”:
“The world is changing fast with disruptions of food, commerce, and social connection, altering our lives in profound ways. This global pandemic makes one thing abundantly clear: Your health needs to be a priority. Not just someday, but right now.”
These all sound like altruistic goals. However, as far as we can tell, Food Revolution Network is mostly a marketing company dedicated to selling supplements, foods, and other products and services to its followers. The company hosts various online events featuring food experts, attracts followers, then recommends various products and services to those followers.
About Earth Conscious Films
Earth Conscious Films is a Los Angeles-based film production company. The Need to Grow is the company’s first documentary.
Here’s how Earth Conscious Films explains its ethos:
“We founded Earth Conscious Films with the intention of creating motion pictures that not only inform and entertain but also empower people at the local level with the tools needed to solve the most pressing issues facing our species and the planet. Our first film, The Need To GROW, focuses on regenerative and decentralized solutions to our broken, corrupt, and contaminated food system.”
Final Word
The Need to Grow is a documentary highlighting sustainable agriculture practices and the future of food growing. The documentary aired at various festivals between 2018 and 2019, winning several awards along the way.
In September 2020, Food Revolution Network (FRN) and Earth Conscious Films launched the film for free online through grow.foodrevolution.org. Anyone can view the film for free online by entering their name and email address. In exchange for viewing the documentary for free, viewers receive various marketing offers for products and services from FRN and affiliates.
To learn more or to view the documentary for free today, visit online at grow.foodrevolution.org