Bauer unser (Our Farmer)

Bauer unser (‘Our Farmer’) offers a candid and composed look at life on Austrian farms, emblematic of the broader state of European agriculture. Robert Schabus, who grew up on a farm in Upper Carinthia, maintains an outward stance of neutrality in his documentary. Yet as varied as the featured farmers may be – from conventional agricultural engineers to organic farmers who only sell their produce to the customer directly – the message is unanimous: things can’t go on like this. Most of them question the industry’s mantra of ‘faster, cheaper, more’. Politicians and representatives of farming associations also have their say in the film. The lack of sustainability in international trade and the global division of labour is neatly summed up by Benedikt Haerlin of the Future Foundation for Agriculture: “It’s still not possible to grow oilseeds for animal feed profitably here in Europe. All Austrian ham is essentially Brazilian, as it’s mostly made from Brazilian soya.”
Far from presenting a rosy view of rural life, Bauer unser nonetheless offers glimpses of hope. For instance, when vegetable farmer Simon Vetter expresses pride in knowing his customers personally. Or when Maria Vogt – whose organic farm in Lower Austria, Austria’s biggest wine-growing region, was transferred to her son Severin and nephew Tobias a few years ago – milks her sheep by hand and realizes: “Hey – there’s another way!”

Followed by an audience discussion on Bauer unser and on Die Zukunft der Ernährung featuring Wolfgang Konrad and Clemens Stachel, moderated by Florian Wüst.