GMCR film on hunger receives international acclaim

A Vermont-made film about hunger in Central American coffee communities has won recognition from an Italian film festival. “After the Harvest: Fighting Hunger in the Coffeelands” has won the Biodiversity Award at Festival delle Terre, a film festival sponsored by the Italian non-profit, Crocevia. The judges gave the award “for the sustainable solutions proposed by the film, which enhance the diversification of cultures.” “We’ve been extremely gratified by the response to this film, both inside and outside the coffee industry,” said Rick Peyser, Director of Social Advocacy and Supply Chain Community Outreach, in a statement. “Food security in coffee communities is one of our top priorities, and this film has helped raise awareness of this vital issue.” “After the Harvest” focuses on the three to eight months of the year when small-scale coffee farmers in Mexico and Nicaragua are unable to maintain their normal diet. These are “los meses flacos,” or the thin months, when families make ends meet by eating less, eating less expensive foods, or borrowing against their future earnings from coffee. The film explores creative solutions to seasonal hunger such as crop diversification, grain storage, and family gardens. Narrated by actress Susan Sarandon, the film was funded by The Coffee Trust with a grant from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR). GMCR allocates a portion of its pre-tax profits to socially and environmentally responsible initiatives. Click here to read Global Coffee Review's interview with Rick Peyser on the making of the film.