The Grab

The title refers to the land grab done by governments and other powerful entities around the world as they try to gain control of food and water outside their borders. Halverson and his colleagues follow the money to probe into the covert actions of the world’s most powerful countries. The Grab is a tightly packed presentation that reveals the political and economic consequences of coming shortages of food and fresh water, a result of both climate change and pollution. As rising food prices and shortages cause distress in many parts of the world, powerful nations compete to either hoard food and water, gain control of its production and distribution, or use it as a geopolitical weapon.

The documentary is loaded with data and gives viewers a fresh perspective on a range of current events from the war in Ukraine to resource extraction in Africa. We follow Halverson as he travels around the US and to Africa to meet the people who are affected by these land grabs. Cowperthwaite tells a story that will set off alarm bells.