Sharjah24: The mind-boggling scale of food production and consumption and its consequences on food sustainability for mankind was conveyed to a bewildered audience by renowned National Geographic photographer George Steinmetz through his talk ‘Feed the Planet: A Photographic Journey to the World’s Food’ at the ongoing 9th annual Xposure International Photography Festival at Aljada, Sharjah on Saturday.
In this talk, Steinmetz shared stunning visuals captured from the skies and the ground, offering an unparalleled perspective on the systems that feed our world. From the massive cattle and poultry farms in Brazil to the fish farms in China, the dairy and crop farms in India, and the fishing boats in Mauritania, he showcased the vast quantities required to sustain human life.
Eye-Opening imagery
Chilling pictures of the commercial treatment of livestock—how they are fed, made to reproduce, or slaughtered—were an eye opener for the audience. With impactful imagery and knowledgeable insights, Steinmetz challenged attendees to reflect on their daily choices and their collective impact on the health of our planet.
Global agricultural practices
The presentation highlighted a variety of agricultural practices, including free-range cattle in Australia shipped to Indonesia for slaughter, goats shipped from Somaliland to Mecca during the Hajj season, and the narrow strips of farmland in Poland. He also discussed subsidies to cattle farmers in the Swiss Alps and the double-muscled Belgian Blue breed of beef cattle that give birth via Caesarean section.
The scale of agricultural production
The vast scale of agricultural production—coffee beans in Ethiopia, millets in India, and sunflowers in Arizona—came alive through Steinmetz’s pictures, alongside the alarming deforestation of the Amazon for grazing.
Access to production houses
Steinmetz noted that gaining access to production houses has been easier in middle-income countries than in the developed world. He recounted an incident where a previous project over a cattle farm in the US landed him in jail, leading him to realize that “people had something to hide” regarding their business practices.
A journey through drone photography
Currently documenting climate change and the global food supply with professional drones, Steinmetz shared his journey that began in the 1990s photographing the Algerian Sahara on a motorized paraglider. He remarked that “drone photography has denigrated the game of aerial photography,” emphasizing how accessible it has become.
Conclusion
Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), Xposure 2025 runs until February 26. To learn more about this global celebration platform for visual storytelling, visit Xposure.
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