Matt Wechsler

Twelve years ago, I had an epiphany moment that has come to define my relationship with food and agriculture. I had just met my wife and she took me to a farmer's market. It was my first time and prior to going, I was convinced it was a hoax. Why would a tiny market have better food than the grocery store? What I encountered, however, was the most magnificent seasonal flavors I had ever tasted.

More than anything, the experience made me angry. The trust I had for the conventional food system was suddenly shattered and I began to question all of my eating decisions. It was a rabbit hole that led me to make the film SUSTAINABLE (Netflix) in 2016 – a documentary about central Illinois farmers who contribute to Chicago's local food system. My distrust in industrial agriculture continued to deepen, leading to my next film, RIGHT TO HARM (Kanopy) – a documentary about five rural communities across the United States dealing with pollution from nearby factory farms. To date, the film has participated in over 250 community screenings across the United States.

Despite the overwhelming evidence presented in my films and in numerous publications, very little has changed in America's food system. In fact, agriculture is now more consolidated than it has ever been with just a handful of massive conglomerates calling the shots. The downstream effects are crippling rural communities, depleting natural resources, destroying ecosystems, poisoning consumers, and exacerbating climate change. It's hard to say how much longer the industrial system can feed us.

It is my hope that THE JUNGLE will not only communicate the urgent need for a paradigm shift, but also demonstrate how agriculture can be a solution for feeding both people and the planet.