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FARM JOURNAL FOUNDATION'S VIDEO ABOUT AFGHANISTAN NOMINATED FOR EMMY
Oct. 13, 2011
Source: Farm Journal Media news release
- A Farmers Feeding the World video short production chronicling the Howard G. Buffett Foundation/Farm Journal Foundation agricultural development and hunger mission to Afghanistan has been nominated for a renowned Emmy Award.
Filmed by Farm Journal Television and produced by award-winning producer Lou Pierce of Big Idea Company, From the Ground Up takes both farm and consumer audiences along with both foundations on a firsthand, revealing journey through three Afghan provinces and Kurdistan in northern Iraq.
The film was captured over a nine-day period from March 25 to April 2, 2011, at the height of what is commonly referred to as the "Arab Spring," documenting the experiences of a special delegation. Crisscrossing the countryside, the delegation traveled to see the progress and challenges for food security in the region. The delegation included Howard G. Buffett, president of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation; Howard W. Buffett, who was with the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations at the Department of Defense; Andy Weber, chairman of the Farm Journal Foundation; Kip Tom, president of Tom Farms and Farm Journal Foundation board member; Eric Crowley, video journalist with Farm Journal Television; and Pierce.
"Traveling throughout Afghanistan in Black Hawk helicopters and army transports at the time we did might not have been the best timing, but we were able to witness firsthand how a small amount of help can make an enormous difference in not only feeding families, but changing the dynamics of society," Weber said. "Bagging wheat for 10-year-old girls who were only allowed to receive an education because of the aid, and seeing the impact it can have on an entire family and culture, provided an entirely new perspective on the efforts being made in this war-torn area. And simple agricultural development efforts already are paying long-term dividends. Unless you get deep inside Afghanistan and Iraq, you really can't appreciate America's grassroots efforts there."
Among the many developments documented in the film is the revelation that poppy fields can be successfully replaced by a more profitable, less dangerous crop. In face-to-face meetings, Afghan farmers told the group that they now make more money selling saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, than they did by growing poppies for the Taliban.
Much of the progress showcased in the film can be credited to efforts supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. "Our work in Afghanistan has focused on addressing critical gaps in the agriculture production value chain. Through our partnership with the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations at the Department of Defense, we have seen encouraging results in providing long-term links in that chain," explained Howard G. Buffett. "Our projects range from improving small farmer output through training and access to center-pivot irrigation, providing employment opportunities for women in value-added processing, and the construction of ag colleges and the development of curriculum in Herat and Jalalabad."
Winners of the 2011 Emmy Awards will be announced in Chicago on Nov. 6, 2011, during the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Midwest Chapter Emmy Awards celebration.
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