Video Contest on Suitable Farmland: Australian Wins Honorable Mention

Tim Eddy of Southern Cross K-12 School in NSW, Australia won an honorable mention award in the World of 7 Billion student video contest for his film “Choices.” He chose to connect population to the global challenge: “Most of the earth’s suitable farmland is already under cultivation.”

Masterfully shot, Tim’s video is from the viewpoint of a shopping cart making its way through a supermarket. He draws in the viewer not with lofty global statistics but with information that connects directly their everyday actions – shopping for food and eating. The camera pans down into the shopping cart and finds animal-based products including milk, eggs, chicken, and beef. Simultaneously, we learn that people receive a fraction of the calories from these products compared to how many went into feeding the animals. For instance, for every 100 calories used to feed cattle, only three calories can been consumed by people eating beef. At this point in the film, it becomes perfectly clear that “eating less animal products can have a huge impact on food availability.”

It was especially exciting to announce Tim as a winner because he is a repeat entrant in the World of 7 Billion student video contest. During the 2013-2014 contest, his film The Poverty Trap wowed judges with its strong message and expert graphic animation, and earned Tim first place that year. He is obviously a talented filmmaker and has honorably used his skills to cover important issues including cyber-bulling and human rights.

Want to see the other top videos on this topic?
First Place – “Our Future Food Demand” by Madison Bernier
Second Place – “Save Land, Save Humanity” by Dylan Kroft
Honorable Mention – “Beef Up Sustainable Farming” by Cynthia Zhou

Want to participate in a future contest?
Interested in staying informed about next year’s contest? Visit the contest website today and download our free lesson plan to guide you.