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Downloaded from
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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[indistinct chatter]
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Director: And then
in terms of national security,
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are there things
you could say now...
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that perhaps
you couldn't say then,
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about impending
national security issues
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and world-conflict
scenario here?
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Is there a world conflict
in terms of like, World War III?
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- ♪ [ominous music playing]
- Schoonover: Well, I mean...
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That scenario does not
sound improbable to me.
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Reporter 1:
Just yesterday, the UN
Secretary General warned...
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Reporter 2:
...target the current social
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environmental vulnerabilities
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need to be implemented...
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[overlapping news reports]
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Reporter 3:
...on the brink of an all-out
civil war right now.
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Reporter 4:
China is deploying troops
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to its first overseas
military base in Djibouti.
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[overlapping news reports]
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[protestors chanting]
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[overlapping news reports
continue]
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Reporter 5: The importance
of our food supply, and security
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and safety
cannot be underestimated.
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- [man yelling in Arabic]
- [gunshot]
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[scattered cries]
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♪ [ominous music continues]
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- [beeping]
- [door unlocking]
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Nate:
I've covered stuff in the past
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that people told me
I should be concerned about.
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You know, that I should be
watching my back.
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I did a story that exposed
corrupt bankers
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that resulted in people
losing millions of dollars
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and hating my guts.
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There she is.
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Nate: I've gotten troves
of secret information
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from withinside of Facebook
that showed how employees
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talked about knowingly duping
children out of money.
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I'm gonna actually cut this.
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Nate: Goodbye, internet.
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I have reported in Macau,
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going out and drinking
with the triad bosses.
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I was told they would dangle me
out of my hotel room balcony
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and drop me.
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It feels safe. How safe is it?
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Zach: Pretty safe.
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Yeah, this project
has kept me up at night
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more than all of my other
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investigative reporting projects
combined.
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♪ [ominous music concludes]
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Nate: Testing, one, two, three.
Testing, one, two, three.
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- Director: Uh-huh, that's okay.
- Okay.
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Great.
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Cool, are we ready?
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[overlapping chatter]
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All right.
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Hi, I'm Nate Halverson,
a reporter... I'll start over.
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Hi, I'm Nate Halverson,
an Emmy award-winning reporter
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and producer here at the Center
for Investigative Reporting.
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We're one of... We're
the largest... [clears throat]
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It's difficult to say
when I started on this project,
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because this project, sort of,
just started as one thing
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and then just,
totally just like,
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ate up seven years of my life.
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♪ [pensive music playing]
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Nate: I got a call one day
and I was asked
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to look at this takeover
of Smithfield Foods.
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Smithfield agreeing
to be acquired
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by China's Shuanghui
International for...
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Nate: This was the largest
purchase of an American business
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by a Chinese company ever,
and still is to date.
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And so when I started
looking at the numbers,
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this was effectively one in four
American pigs
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that the Chinese bought,
essentially overnight.
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Senator: I mean, did you expect
that this committee
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would hold a hearing
on the acquisition?
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Larry: Uh, I don't know
that I contemplated that, no.
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Senator: Did you realize
you were the victim
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of a Chinese Communist plot?
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[committee laughing]
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[laughs] Senator, I did not...
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To this moment, I'm not sure
I understand I'm the victim
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- of a Communist plot.
- Senator: And the control of...
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Nate:
There was a lot of question
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even if the Chinese government
was behind it.
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And if they were behind it, why?
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And I think it's that "why"
that was concerning people.
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And they wanted to know,
you know,
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is another country making moves
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to control part
of the American food supply?
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Uh, would you agree
that Shuanghui
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is a state-controlled company?
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No, I would not agree, Senator,
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that it is
a state-controlled company.
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It is... I mean, I think the...
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I think that's fairly easy
to research.
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Nate: Larry Pope was
the CEO of Smithfield Foods.
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He told Congress that he doesn't
think the Chinese government
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is behind the takeover
of his company.
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Director: So...
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But I went to China. [chuckles]
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[speaking Chinese]
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Nate: [in English] I flew to,
like, the Nebraska of China.
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I mean, I met with the president
of Shuanghui.
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Welcome to Shuanghui.
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Nate: He gave me
a tour of the factory.
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[speaking Chinese]
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Nate: [in English]
After that, I flew to Hong Kong
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to meet with more
of the company's executives.
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I was given a big, thick book,
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um, that very explicitly says,
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"Do not distribute
in the United States."
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Um, because it's
full of information...
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Um...
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I mean, I took it back
to the United States
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because it was full
of information. [laughs]
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[laughs] Yeah, I mean,
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when people say
"follow the money,"
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this is, like,
literally following the money.
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This is getting the book that
breaks down every single dollar
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of the largest-ever Chinese
purchase of an American company.
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Buried within this thing
is, like, treasure.
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A lot of it's really boring,
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and then there'll be
pure treasure.
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And so, I knew
that the Bank of China
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had arranged the financing
of this deal.
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And the Bank of China is owned
by the Chinese government.
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It's controlled and run
by the Chinese government.
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And so I opened up
their annual report
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and smack dab in there
is an entire page
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devoted to the takeover
of Smithfield Foods.
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And it says that it does its,
quote, "social responsibility,"
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and is carrying out the national
strategies of the government.
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So by the time I sat down
with Larry Pope,
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I had the goods.
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[indistinct chatter]
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♪ [pensive music concludes]
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- All right.
- Nate: Yeah.
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- Assistant: Larry, it is 1:15.
- Larry: Okay.
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- Assistant:
I just wanted you to...
- Any more questions?
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Is there any other burning
question I haven't asked?
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Nate: Can I show you
something really quick?
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I'm just gonna show you
the, uh...
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This is the Bank
of China document
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where they lay this out.
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I didn't know they did it
in 24 hours.
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You can see here,
I just mark it. I mean...
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They're saying
that that transaction
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is part of the government's plan
and they're supporting it
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and it's their
social responsibility.
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"The Bank performs
its social responsibility."
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"The Bank spares no efforts
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to support Chinese
enterprises in their..." Wow.
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[sighs]
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Overnight, Wan Long,
the Chairman of WH Group,
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picked up the phone, made a call
to the Bank of China,
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and the next day they had
five billion bucks.
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One in four American pigs.
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Larry: All right.
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- Nate: Thanks so much
for the time.
- Good luck.
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♪ [suspenseful music playing] ♪
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Nate: It's just one deal.
It was one deal,
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I was able to get
to the bottom of it.
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The Chinese government
was behind the deal.
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...the largest
Chinese takeover...
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Nate: You can turn on
MSNBC, CNN,
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Fox Business News,
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and you just keep seeing
"big food deal, big food deal."
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And then all of a sudden,
it kind of comes to me,
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like, "Wait a minute, what...
Are other countries doing this?"
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That's the scale of it.
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A vast leak of thousands
of documents
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from U.S. embassies
and other diplomatic outposts...
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Nate: So, around this time,
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I start digging
through WikiLeaks,
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which had dumped, like, 200,000
State Department cables online.
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♪ [pensive music playing]
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I'd just start going through,
I mean, there's 818 results.
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And I came across
this classified cable,
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uh, "Food security agriculture
getting spotlight."
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It was basically the Embassy
in Riyadh
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sending information back
to the State Department,
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back to the U.S. government,
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saying that King Abdullah
is telling his companies
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to go overseas and buy up
food and water resources.
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The cables,
these classified cables
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made it really clear this was
a national security issue
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for Saudi Arabia.
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It wasn't just they
were concerned
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about running out of water,
they were running out of water.
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So, there was like a time
in the '90s
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when Saudi Arabia was
the world's sixth-largest
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exporter of wheat.
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A desert country pumping up
its groundwater
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to grow wheat
and export to other places.
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And that didn't last.
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Saudi Arabia had drained so much
water from their aquifers,
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they were nearly gone
in 30 years, in a generation.
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♪ [pensive music concludes]
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And so King Abdullah had to say
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to his companies
and to his nation, like,
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"We got to go overseas
and find our food and water."
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And that's the pattern.
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That's the pattern
we're starting to see.
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♪ [mysterious music playing]
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Nate: One of the first things
I stumbled upon was that
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a Saudi Arabian company
had bought
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effectively 15 square miles in
the middle of nowhere, Arizona.
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This place, La Paz County.
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♪ [mysterious music concludes]
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Holly: ...concerned about
our basins here in La Paz County
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and, um, you know,
so I'm grateful
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00:10:04,473 --> 00:10:06,823
that we're able to keep it
on the forefront,
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00:10:06,823 --> 00:10:08,390
let them know
that you know what,
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we're a small county, but we
matter, and stuff like that.
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So, anyways, you guys
enjoy your margaritas.
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- Woman: Thank you.
- Okay, thanks.
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I've heard from people,
the residents,
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that they've gotten
so frustrated that they've
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talked about
taking their trucks,
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their off-road vehicles,
and tearing up fields.
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I've heard them mention
throwing bombs down their wells.
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♪ [tense music playing]
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Holly: The biggest farm is going
to be Fondomonte,
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the Saudis, the Saudi Arabians.
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Their facility
that they have is just huge.
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It's like
their own little world.
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This wasn't... I didn't see
this here a month ago.
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Here you have trucks
that are being weighed,
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filled up with hay in the back,
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so they can ship the hay
either to China, Saudi Arabia...
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I have no idea how many
heads of cattle
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that they're feeding over there.
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All I know is that
I've been told
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that that's what they're
using their hay for.
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Sucking our water dry
in order to grow hay,
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so they can ship it overseas
back to their country,
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so they can feed their cows.
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We have the aquifers
underneath this,
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and some of these pumps
that they're installing
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can pump up
to 3,500 gallons per minute.
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Millions and millions
of gallons of water.
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In a lot of these
areas in Arizona,
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there's no regulation
to how much water you can pump.
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You buy the land, free to pump
as much water as you want.
246
00:11:30,690 --> 00:11:34,998
So, this big Saudi Arabian
dairy company goes to Arizona
247
00:11:34,998 --> 00:11:36,870
and quickly becomes
one of the largest
248
00:11:36,870 --> 00:11:38,828
water users in the state.
249
00:11:38,828 --> 00:11:41,396
And you know,
what's happening is legal.
250
00:11:41,657 --> 00:11:43,746
It's pissing a lot
of people off.
251
00:11:43,746 --> 00:11:46,140
But under current law,
this is legal.
252
00:11:46,140 --> 00:11:49,056
♪ [tense music concludes]
253
00:11:50,361 --> 00:11:52,059
John: Yeah, my well went dry.
254
00:11:53,016 --> 00:11:55,715
It drew down
because the water's dropping.
255
00:11:57,412 --> 00:12:00,632
There's not enough,
you know, rain that could...
256
00:12:01,416 --> 00:12:03,679
replenish it. I mean, this is...
257
00:12:04,288 --> 00:12:07,204
You couldn't replenish this
in a lifetime, you know.
258
00:12:08,510 --> 00:12:10,686
♪ [pensive music playing]
259
00:12:10,686 --> 00:12:12,732
Director: When did you first
notice the water problem?
260
00:12:13,863 --> 00:12:15,647
Well, I guess that would have
been the day
261
00:12:15,647 --> 00:12:18,259
when the water
level went below my pump,
262
00:12:18,259 --> 00:12:22,785
and the pump burned up
and melted the casing and...
263
00:12:23,612 --> 00:12:25,614
Yeah, that was
a little disappointing.
264
00:12:27,572 --> 00:12:30,314
I think everybody knows
the problem, but...
265
00:12:30,967 --> 00:12:32,752
I don't know how to correct it.
266
00:12:33,317 --> 00:12:35,580
I can't pay for
a high-powered lawyer.
267
00:12:35,580 --> 00:12:37,626
Neither can any
of my friends, you know.
268
00:12:37,626 --> 00:12:39,541
And what good would it
do anyway?
269
00:12:40,368 --> 00:12:43,763
You know, you just take
and take and take,
270
00:12:44,589 --> 00:12:46,766
and pretty soon there
ain't anything to take.
271
00:12:51,074 --> 00:12:54,382
[crowd murmuring]
272
00:12:55,557 --> 00:12:57,689
Holly: Because these people
are so upset.
273
00:12:58,299 --> 00:13:01,432
Holly: So when I say that,
I feel her pain,
274
00:13:01,432 --> 00:13:04,479
I feel your pain.
I was out all day today
275
00:13:04,479 --> 00:13:07,308
taking a look at
the different farms, again.
276
00:13:07,308 --> 00:13:10,137
I want conservation measures
put in place
277
00:13:10,137 --> 00:13:12,966
so we can all grow
as a community,
278
00:13:12,966 --> 00:13:16,317
where you guys can stay here
and so can they.
279
00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:18,667
Man 1: You're saying it's
perfectly legal
280
00:13:18,667 --> 00:13:20,190
for these people
to come in here,
281
00:13:20,190 --> 00:13:24,064
drain the aquifer,
and the local people
282
00:13:24,064 --> 00:13:27,545
have to redrill their wells that
they've lived there for years?
283
00:13:27,545 --> 00:13:29,547
- And you say
that's perfectly legal?
- [applause]
284
00:13:29,547 --> 00:13:32,768
Tell us what's going to be
done to improve this situation
285
00:13:32,768 --> 00:13:33,987
because it's getting worse.
286
00:13:33,987 --> 00:13:36,598
I know that there's large,
large tracks,
287
00:13:36,598 --> 00:13:39,862
miles and miles of green
that wasn't there two years ago.
288
00:13:39,862 --> 00:13:41,733
How is that possible?
I thought these...
289
00:13:41,733 --> 00:13:43,866
Man 2:
...protections are allowed
to we homeowners here?
290
00:13:43,866 --> 00:13:45,476
Our wells are running dry.
291
00:13:45,476 --> 00:13:47,870
What we want to know is,
what are you doing for us?
292
00:13:47,870 --> 00:13:50,830
- [applause]
- [overlapping chatter]
293
00:13:53,006 --> 00:13:55,095
Anchor: Nathan Halverson
is the first reporter
294
00:13:55,095 --> 00:13:56,966
to break this story
in the national press,
295
00:13:56,966 --> 00:13:58,141
and he joins us now live.
296
00:13:58,141 --> 00:14:00,013
Thank you so much
for joining us.
297
00:14:00,013 --> 00:14:02,232
- Thanks.
- Producer: Three, two, one.
298
00:14:02,232 --> 00:14:04,452
In China,
here outside of a small...
299
00:14:04,452 --> 00:14:05,888
- Producer: Okay, again.
- Yeah.
300
00:14:06,193 --> 00:14:09,152
Around me, literally, the dirt
underneath my tires is sinking.
301
00:14:09,152 --> 00:14:12,068
What does it mean that you guys
have built this brand-new plant?
302
00:14:12,068 --> 00:14:14,157
The wonderful smell of bacon
303
00:14:14,157 --> 00:14:15,811
that pulls you out of bed
in the morning.
304
00:14:15,811 --> 00:14:17,900
I was doing all
of these pieces, right?
305
00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:19,859
And that's it.
I got nothing more. Fuck.
306
00:14:19,859 --> 00:14:22,209
And I do a story about this
thing over here
307
00:14:22,209 --> 00:14:24,167
and this thing here
and this thing there.
308
00:14:24,472 --> 00:14:27,431
But I was beginning
to connect all of those stories.
309
00:14:28,519 --> 00:14:31,479
We could see that other
countries around the world
310
00:14:31,479 --> 00:14:34,874
were growing increasingly
worried about food and water.
311
00:14:35,439 --> 00:14:38,442
And their strategies
was to buy, purchase,
312
00:14:38,442 --> 00:14:41,576
grab other countries'
food and water supplies.
313
00:14:42,664 --> 00:14:44,448
[keyboard clacking]
314
00:14:44,448 --> 00:14:45,841
Nate:
And so I began to think about
315
00:14:45,841 --> 00:14:48,626
how is climate change
gonna impact, you know,
316
00:14:48,626 --> 00:14:51,064
how countries grab food
and water.
317
00:14:51,499 --> 00:14:54,545
And you know, the geopolitics
of food and water.
318
00:14:55,459 --> 00:14:58,245
I mean, I began digging through
the Paris Accord stuff,
319
00:14:58,245 --> 00:15:00,682
United Nations reports
on climate change.
320
00:15:00,682 --> 00:15:01,770
And what became clear is
321
00:15:02,162 --> 00:15:03,859
it's going to impact countries
very differently.
322
00:15:04,729 --> 00:15:06,775
And that's when I stumbled
across Russia.
323
00:15:07,776 --> 00:15:10,648
The documents showed
that Russia's food production
324
00:15:10,648 --> 00:15:12,520
was going to benefit
from climate change.
325
00:15:13,608 --> 00:15:17,264
Imagine an area covered
in white frost
326
00:15:18,047 --> 00:15:21,224
slowly thawing out,
and in its place comes up
327
00:15:21,224 --> 00:15:24,097
green crops shooting
from the ground,
328
00:15:24,097 --> 00:15:27,448
followed by cattle, and sheep,
and pigs.
329
00:15:29,015 --> 00:15:32,670
It kind of goes
from a desert of cold
330
00:15:32,670 --> 00:15:34,324
to Iowa.
331
00:15:37,762 --> 00:15:40,026
So what is Russia gonna
do about that?
332
00:15:40,026 --> 00:15:41,505
Well, it turns out
333
00:15:41,505 --> 00:15:42,985
one of the things
they're gonna do about it
334
00:15:42,985 --> 00:15:44,508
is import American cowboys.
335
00:15:46,510 --> 00:15:49,165
[cows mooing]
336
00:15:51,559 --> 00:15:55,737
Todd: You know, my wife
seen an ad on the internet
337
00:15:55,737 --> 00:15:59,523
and as a joke, she thought
it'd be funny as hell,
338
00:15:59,523 --> 00:16:01,656
so she put my resume in.
339
00:16:01,656 --> 00:16:05,312
And I was getting ready
to watch Sunday football
340
00:16:05,312 --> 00:16:07,618
in Valentine, Nebraska,
341
00:16:07,618 --> 00:16:11,057
and this Skype thing
come over the computer,
342
00:16:11,057 --> 00:16:12,406
and I hollered at her, "Honey!"
343
00:16:12,406 --> 00:16:14,277
She kind of got panicky
and said,
344
00:16:14,277 --> 00:16:16,453
you need to talk to him.
It's about a job.
345
00:16:16,453 --> 00:16:17,628
So I answered it,
346
00:16:17,628 --> 00:16:21,328
and 30 minutes later,
I was hired.
347
00:16:21,850 --> 00:16:24,244
Pretty much my wife didn't think
that was very funny
348
00:16:24,244 --> 00:16:26,507
after all that, you know,
349
00:16:26,507 --> 00:16:28,770
because now we're packing up
and going to Russia.
350
00:16:28,770 --> 00:16:30,554
Oh, here we go. Here we go.
351
00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,470
You guys better
give him some air.
352
00:16:33,470 --> 00:16:35,168
[indistinct clamor]
353
00:16:35,168 --> 00:16:38,301
Todd:
Oh, he's tapped out, boys.
354
00:16:38,867 --> 00:16:40,477
They don't have that in Russia.
355
00:16:40,477 --> 00:16:43,263
And they figured if they were
gonna do it right,
356
00:16:43,263 --> 00:16:45,308
what they needed was
the guy in the cowboy hat
357
00:16:45,308 --> 00:16:46,831
with the chaps on the horse.
358
00:16:46,831 --> 00:16:49,530
♪ [rock cover of Russian
national anthem playing] ♪
359
00:16:49,530 --> 00:16:53,012
Commentator: [in Russian]
360
00:16:57,407 --> 00:16:59,844
Victor: [in English]
361
00:17:04,066 --> 00:17:08,549
♪ [rock music continues
through laptop speakers] ♪
362
00:17:09,332 --> 00:17:10,812
Victor:
363
00:17:21,562 --> 00:17:24,217
Commentator: [in Russian]
364
00:17:28,743 --> 00:17:30,092
[in English]
Yeah, yeah, we went there.
365
00:17:30,092 --> 00:17:31,659
We went to the Russian rodeo.
366
00:17:31,659 --> 00:17:33,791
Government officials
were in the stands.
367
00:17:33,791 --> 00:17:36,533
The head of the cattle
companies were there.
368
00:17:36,533 --> 00:17:38,927
It was... It was
an amazing spectacle.
369
00:17:39,188 --> 00:17:42,104
♪ Singer: Now go,
walk out the door ♪
370
00:17:42,104 --> 00:17:43,801
♪ Just turn around now
371
00:17:43,801 --> 00:17:45,586
♪ 'Cause you're
not welcome anymore... ♪
372
00:17:45,586 --> 00:17:48,110
♪ [melancholy music playing]
373
00:17:48,110 --> 00:17:52,245
Victor:
374
00:17:55,161 --> 00:17:57,076
One of the targets that...
375
00:18:19,185 --> 00:18:21,796
Nate: I mean, who would
have known that President Putin
376
00:18:21,796 --> 00:18:23,232
knew so much about cattle?
377
00:18:23,232 --> 00:18:25,452
Like, this was
a top-down decision.
378
00:18:25,452 --> 00:18:26,627
This came from Putin.
379
00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:28,759
This came from President Putin.
380
00:18:30,370 --> 00:18:34,461
[in Russian]
381
00:18:39,118 --> 00:18:40,467
Nate: [in English]
When the Soviet Union fell,
382
00:18:40,858 --> 00:18:42,947
there were shortages
across the board.
383
00:18:43,948 --> 00:18:46,473
You know, people were hungry
384
00:18:46,473 --> 00:18:48,823
and they started slaughtering
their cattle in huge numbers.
385
00:18:50,172 --> 00:18:53,610
The number of cattle
in Russia plummeted.
386
00:18:54,307 --> 00:18:58,224
And so when Putin took over,
he at some point decided
387
00:18:58,224 --> 00:19:00,400
to rebuild that cattle herd.
388
00:19:01,488 --> 00:19:03,968
- ♪ [music intensifies]
- Nate: And not just
to feed Russians,
389
00:19:03,968 --> 00:19:06,841
but to give Russia
geopolitical power.
390
00:19:07,537 --> 00:19:08,364
Director: How much?
391
00:19:09,191 --> 00:19:10,323
Well, according to some,
392
00:19:10,323 --> 00:19:11,498
it's gonna give them
more strength
393
00:19:11,976 --> 00:19:14,327
than all their oil reserves
and all of their weapons do.
394
00:19:17,243 --> 00:19:20,724
Victor:
395
00:19:48,012 --> 00:19:52,191
♪ [music softens, concludes]
396
00:19:56,978 --> 00:19:59,633
Nate: As food and water
become more precious,
397
00:19:59,633 --> 00:20:03,245
countries are looking to grab up
that resource for themselves.
398
00:20:03,898 --> 00:20:05,508
Whether it's to wield power,
399
00:20:05,508 --> 00:20:08,337
or whether to make sure
they're feeding their people.
400
00:20:08,337 --> 00:20:12,080
Yes. Um, the journalist,
she's up in Minneapolis.
401
00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,257
And so the question is,
what countries are doing this?
402
00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,738
You know,
where are they doing it?
403
00:20:17,738 --> 00:20:19,783
And how are they doing it?
404
00:20:19,783 --> 00:20:20,784
You know.
405
00:20:21,220 --> 00:20:23,744
And is this gonna work out
well for the world?
406
00:20:25,746 --> 00:20:27,617
As I began pulling on threads,
407
00:20:28,183 --> 00:20:30,359
one thread and then
another thread,
408
00:20:31,447 --> 00:20:34,102
information just kept
falling into my lap.
409
00:20:34,537 --> 00:20:36,452
And at some point,
I was swimming in it.
410
00:20:36,452 --> 00:20:38,672
And the only way I was gonna
be able to parse it through
411
00:20:38,672 --> 00:20:41,588
and tell the big story,
I needed a team.
412
00:20:46,332 --> 00:20:47,681
[door unlocking]
413
00:20:47,681 --> 00:20:48,899
- Hi!
- Nate: Hey!
414
00:20:48,899 --> 00:20:50,031
- How's it going?
- Nate: Good.
415
00:20:50,031 --> 00:20:51,467
- [cooing]
- Nate: Come on in.
416
00:20:51,467 --> 00:20:53,077
Mallory: I was in
the Marine Corps Reserves
417
00:20:53,077 --> 00:20:54,644
from 2007 to 2014.
418
00:20:54,644 --> 00:20:58,257
And after that, I was
a traveling videographer.
419
00:20:58,257 --> 00:21:00,955
And that's where
I heard about this project.
420
00:21:00,955 --> 00:21:03,784
I saw it was about food security
and national security,
421
00:21:03,784 --> 00:21:06,874
and so I was just super
interested in that.
422
00:21:06,874 --> 00:21:08,789
Being able to get in the dirt
and see who are the companies,
423
00:21:08,789 --> 00:21:10,617
who are the countries,
who are the actors...
424
00:21:11,705 --> 00:21:13,533
It's something that needs
to be done.
425
00:21:13,533 --> 00:21:15,448
And if we didn't,
that would say more
426
00:21:15,448 --> 00:21:17,798
about us and who we are
as journalists and as people,
427
00:21:17,798 --> 00:21:19,713
if we didn't pursue it,
if we didn't do
428
00:21:19,713 --> 00:21:22,281
everything in our power
to investigate it
429
00:21:22,281 --> 00:21:24,195
and to bring
those truths to light.
430
00:21:25,196 --> 00:21:26,807
Nate: And when you say
the future is now,
431
00:21:26,807 --> 00:21:28,461
- like, how do you...
- The future is food riots.
432
00:21:28,461 --> 00:21:32,334
The future is complete
instability because of...
433
00:21:33,379 --> 00:21:35,511
inequities with access
to food and water.
434
00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:39,733
All I knew was untitled food
and water documentary.
435
00:21:40,386 --> 00:21:43,389
Nate: Threatening violence
because of water scarcity...
436
00:21:43,389 --> 00:21:45,347
I thought maybe, this is through
437
00:21:45,347 --> 00:21:47,784
the Center
for Investigative Reporting,
438
00:21:48,045 --> 00:21:49,656
there might be more
to it than that.
439
00:21:50,396 --> 00:21:53,399
- Turns out, there was.
- ♪ [ominous music playing] ♪
440
00:21:53,399 --> 00:21:55,923
He had me looking into companies
441
00:21:55,923 --> 00:21:58,317
listed on the Hong Kong
Stock Exchange,
442
00:21:58,752 --> 00:22:00,275
mercenaries...
443
00:22:00,710 --> 00:22:04,235
These shadow worlds that
I hadn't operated in before.
444
00:22:04,235 --> 00:22:06,237
This sort of "follow the money."
445
00:22:06,237 --> 00:22:09,458
Very rich and very influential
people are preparing.
446
00:22:09,458 --> 00:22:10,981
They're securing their water.
447
00:22:10,981 --> 00:22:13,201
They're securing their access
to food for themselves
448
00:22:13,201 --> 00:22:15,029
and their families
for generations.
449
00:22:15,029 --> 00:22:18,206
I first learned about that when
we were looking into attending
450
00:22:18,206 --> 00:22:20,121
the Global Ag
conference in New York,
451
00:22:20,121 --> 00:22:24,168
which is essentially all
the major agricultural investors
452
00:22:24,168 --> 00:22:27,215
around the world come
together in New York
453
00:22:27,607 --> 00:22:30,871
and just essentially
talk about how to divide up
454
00:22:30,871 --> 00:22:33,395
some of the last remaining
farmland on Earth.
455
00:22:35,310 --> 00:22:36,703
Emma:
As our reporting deepened,
456
00:22:36,703 --> 00:22:38,705
and we're looking
all over the world,
457
00:22:39,532 --> 00:22:41,272
we're seeing
it's not just China.
458
00:22:41,751 --> 00:22:44,667
It's not just Saudi Arabia.
Not just Russia.
459
00:22:44,667 --> 00:22:46,539
It's the United States, too.
460
00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,324
♪ [tense music playing] ♪
461
00:22:50,456 --> 00:22:52,936
Hargroves: Every century
is characterized by
462
00:22:52,936 --> 00:22:55,765
a key commodity,
an empire commodity.
463
00:22:55,765 --> 00:22:58,377
So in the 1500s,
you had spices.
464
00:22:58,377 --> 00:22:59,856
1600s, sugar.
465
00:22:59,856 --> 00:23:03,904
17-1800s, cotton.
1900s, hydrocarbons.
466
00:23:03,904 --> 00:23:07,342
And the 2000s and going forward,
I think it's really about water.
467
00:23:08,691 --> 00:23:10,998
For instance,
if you focus on China,
468
00:23:11,694 --> 00:23:15,176
China does not have enough
water to feed its population.
469
00:23:15,959 --> 00:23:19,006
The reason that they are such
large food importers
470
00:23:19,006 --> 00:23:22,879
is that they are importing food
as a proxy for water.
471
00:23:25,055 --> 00:23:28,972
So, our way is
basically buying farmland
472
00:23:28,972 --> 00:23:30,757
and we want to make sure
473
00:23:30,757 --> 00:23:33,237
that we're focusing on areas
that are water-rich
474
00:23:33,237 --> 00:23:36,763
you know, that can sell crops
to areas that are water-poor.
475
00:23:37,328 --> 00:23:41,724
So in 2018, we purchased
a farm in southwest Arkansas
476
00:23:42,290 --> 00:23:46,642
that is 25,000 acres in size.
And to put that in perspective,
477
00:23:46,642 --> 00:23:49,602
that is close to two times
the size of Manhattan.
478
00:23:50,864 --> 00:23:55,042
Look, so a property
of this size is enough to feed
479
00:23:55,042 --> 00:23:57,261
the corn consumption
of Hong Kong
480
00:23:57,261 --> 00:23:58,349
for two-and-a-half years.
481
00:24:03,311 --> 00:24:06,270
Shane: Our guys
in New York, the way I see it,
482
00:24:06,270 --> 00:24:08,272
their job is to raise the money,
483
00:24:08,272 --> 00:24:10,492
manage it
for the investment side.
484
00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,886
My job is to manage the asset.
485
00:24:13,582 --> 00:24:15,976
Director: Who have you heard
that the potential buyers are?
486
00:24:16,455 --> 00:24:18,544
That's an Edward question
on that.
487
00:24:18,544 --> 00:24:19,849
That's an Edward question.
488
00:24:19,849 --> 00:24:21,938
So, who would lease this farm?
489
00:24:21,938 --> 00:24:25,551
Well, it could be
any number of large farmers.
490
00:24:25,551 --> 00:24:28,684
There are some very large
farming operations out there.
491
00:24:28,684 --> 00:24:31,470
Or it really could be...
492
00:24:31,470 --> 00:24:34,298
It could even go down
to food buyers, or...
493
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:38,564
food security, um,
agents of governments.
494
00:24:39,478 --> 00:24:41,088
Emma: So this is
Wall Street big money
495
00:24:41,349 --> 00:24:43,307
operating all over
the United States,
496
00:24:43,307 --> 00:24:45,092
leasing land
to foreign countries.
497
00:24:45,092 --> 00:24:47,398
Nate: You know,
he's one of the original people
498
00:24:47,398 --> 00:24:48,791
that saw this coming.
499
00:24:48,791 --> 00:24:52,186
Edward Hargroves manages
750 million dollars
500
00:24:52,186 --> 00:24:53,317
in farmland investments.
501
00:24:55,363 --> 00:24:58,584
Hargroves: The joy about Arizona
is in the certain areas
502
00:24:58,584 --> 00:25:00,803
in which you have
unrestricted water access.
503
00:25:00,803 --> 00:25:02,588
Arizona is one of the few places
504
00:25:02,588 --> 00:25:04,285
that you can have
that privilege.
505
00:25:04,894 --> 00:25:06,592
We have a farm
that we've been developing
506
00:25:06,592 --> 00:25:09,203
for the past few years.
It's about 5,000 acres,
507
00:25:09,638 --> 00:25:12,598
growing alfalfa that's exported
out to the UAE.
508
00:25:13,642 --> 00:25:15,470
Nate:
Wall Street sees the same thing
509
00:25:15,470 --> 00:25:17,298
that these big powerful
countries see.
510
00:25:17,298 --> 00:25:21,084
They see increasing demand,
decreasing supply.
511
00:25:21,084 --> 00:25:23,522
And what does that mean?
That means profits.
512
00:25:23,522 --> 00:25:25,611
♪ [tense music concludes]
513
00:25:35,055 --> 00:25:38,537
You know, certainly,
um, I sympathize,
514
00:25:38,537 --> 00:25:41,583
empathize with, you know,
the water scenario.
515
00:25:41,583 --> 00:25:44,891
The fact that, you know,
when you get asked questions,
516
00:25:44,891 --> 00:25:48,242
"Are we exporting our water
to somewhere else in the world?"
517
00:25:48,242 --> 00:25:51,114
And, you know, of course,
ultimately, the answer is yes.
518
00:25:52,115 --> 00:25:56,076
And it's a hard, you know,
question to navigate on
519
00:25:56,076 --> 00:25:57,773
you know,
what is right and wrong,
520
00:25:57,773 --> 00:26:00,733
the value between
commerce and sustainability.
521
00:26:00,733 --> 00:26:02,386
♪ [pensive music playing]
522
00:26:02,386 --> 00:26:05,041
Hargroves: The U.S. is
the greatest exporter of food
523
00:26:05,041 --> 00:26:06,216
in the world.
524
00:26:06,869 --> 00:26:08,958
If the U.S.
was to stop exporting,
525
00:26:09,655 --> 00:26:10,960
we would have Armageddon.
526
00:26:11,613 --> 00:26:13,267
Absent our product,
527
00:26:14,050 --> 00:26:15,878
Uh, I mean, I...
528
00:26:16,139 --> 00:26:18,968
You'd have world war.
Absolute world war.
529
00:26:22,450 --> 00:26:24,191
Robert:
The U.S. government regulates
530
00:26:24,191 --> 00:26:27,281
the export of technology
very rigorously
531
00:26:28,064 --> 00:26:30,632
for national security interests.
Okay.
532
00:26:31,677 --> 00:26:33,374
Should our food
and water not fall
533
00:26:33,374 --> 00:26:34,854
under similar consideration?
534
00:26:37,073 --> 00:26:40,816
So... is it possible
to regulate that?
535
00:26:40,816 --> 00:26:42,775
I have... You know, that's a...
536
00:26:43,689 --> 00:26:47,127
deeply philosophical,
academic type of question.
537
00:26:47,127 --> 00:26:49,651
I will tell you
as a practical matter,
538
00:26:49,651 --> 00:26:52,175
while the policy experts
are debating,
539
00:26:52,175 --> 00:26:53,916
whoever needs the water
and has guns
540
00:26:53,916 --> 00:26:55,614
is gonna go after it and get it.
541
00:26:58,051 --> 00:27:01,532
Maria: I started
addressing the topic of water
542
00:27:01,532 --> 00:27:04,971
as a national security issue
in 2011.
543
00:27:05,319 --> 00:27:08,583
The CIA looks ahead
25 and 50 years.
544
00:27:09,105 --> 00:27:12,892
And when they saw that
that equation with water
545
00:27:12,892 --> 00:27:15,895
was going to change,
and potentially dramatically,
546
00:27:16,591 --> 00:27:19,072
that made them sit up
and listen.
547
00:27:22,075 --> 00:27:24,338
Lee: It's unusual to see a group
548
00:27:24,338 --> 00:27:27,646
of retired three- and four-star
admirals and generals
549
00:27:27,646 --> 00:27:31,214
talking about
this set of issues.
550
00:27:31,475 --> 00:27:33,521
Between now and 2050,
551
00:27:33,521 --> 00:27:36,176
two billion people are gonna
be added to the planet.
552
00:27:37,090 --> 00:27:38,744
The demand for food
is gonna increase.
553
00:27:38,744 --> 00:27:43,270
The amount of arable land is not
substantially going to increase.
554
00:27:44,227 --> 00:27:47,143
The lack of arable land,
useful land,
555
00:27:47,143 --> 00:27:50,146
is going to be a serious problem
for many countries.
556
00:27:50,146 --> 00:27:52,366
Aaron: We're gonna
have over a billion people
557
00:27:52,366 --> 00:27:55,412
living in countries that face
absolute water scarcity.
558
00:27:55,412 --> 00:27:57,240
In other words, they're not
gonna have enough water
559
00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,634
to meet their domestic,
their economic,
560
00:27:59,634 --> 00:28:00,853
their environmental needs.
561
00:28:01,375 --> 00:28:04,334
And these countries are gonna be
at a greater risk of fragility,
562
00:28:04,334 --> 00:28:05,684
a greater risk of failure.
563
00:28:06,902 --> 00:28:08,687
Molly: You know,
the famous quote about
564
00:28:08,687 --> 00:28:10,776
nine meals away from chaos,
565
00:28:10,776 --> 00:28:12,908
you know,
there's a lot of truth to that.
566
00:28:13,779 --> 00:28:15,650
It's all about power, really.
567
00:28:15,911 --> 00:28:20,524
And food is a very obvious
and central way to wield power.
568
00:28:21,003 --> 00:28:23,223
I had somebody within
the U.S. intelligence community
569
00:28:23,223 --> 00:28:25,791
say to me that the 20th Century
had OPEC,
570
00:28:26,182 --> 00:28:28,968
a few countries that controlled
the world's oil supply.
571
00:28:28,968 --> 00:28:30,883
In the future, we're gonna
have Food-PEC,
572
00:28:30,883 --> 00:28:33,450
a few countries that control
the world's food supply.
573
00:28:33,450 --> 00:28:35,626
You know, for years
and generations,
574
00:28:35,626 --> 00:28:37,933
wars have been fought over oil.
575
00:28:39,021 --> 00:28:41,720
In a short matter of time,
they will be fought over water.
576
00:28:42,503 --> 00:28:45,767
♪ [mysterious music playing] ♪
577
00:28:45,767 --> 00:28:48,117
Molly: There's a process
called "red-teaming."
578
00:28:48,727 --> 00:28:50,772
And that's,
you become like the devil.
579
00:28:50,772 --> 00:28:52,992
You become the very worst
kind of enemy,
580
00:28:52,992 --> 00:28:54,776
you know, that you
could possibly imagine.
581
00:28:54,776 --> 00:28:57,039
And this is used in war games.
582
00:28:57,039 --> 00:29:00,695
If I were to red-team
the U.S. food system,
583
00:29:01,435 --> 00:29:03,176
to do serious damage,
584
00:29:03,176 --> 00:29:06,222
I'm not gonna have
the war they're ready for.
585
00:29:06,222 --> 00:29:08,094
I'm gonna go for something
586
00:29:08,094 --> 00:29:11,227
that really just sits us
back on our heels,
587
00:29:11,227 --> 00:29:12,968
and we're out of commission.
588
00:29:13,229 --> 00:29:15,579
You know,
and I've joked with people,
589
00:29:15,579 --> 00:29:18,017
that would be trashing Netflix,
590
00:29:18,017 --> 00:29:21,194
making your bank account
read "00.00,"
591
00:29:21,716 --> 00:29:23,762
and messing with
our food supply.
592
00:29:26,460 --> 00:29:29,855
For example, there is a very
defined period of time
593
00:29:30,159 --> 00:29:31,857
where those combines
have to get out
594
00:29:31,857 --> 00:29:34,163
and work
basically 24 hours a day.
595
00:29:35,164 --> 00:29:37,776
And they're smart.
596
00:29:37,776 --> 00:29:39,647
And they're generally unsecured.
597
00:29:39,647 --> 00:29:44,870
It's amazing technology that has
not been secured against hacks.
598
00:29:45,609 --> 00:29:48,090
Nobody ever thought
about the hacks.
599
00:29:49,744 --> 00:29:52,094
So stop the combines
for three weeks.
600
00:29:53,269 --> 00:29:56,577
It would be a disaster
for the American economy.
601
00:29:56,577 --> 00:29:59,798
[indistinct chatter]
602
00:30:03,236 --> 00:30:04,933
Nate: Some of the best military
603
00:30:04,933 --> 00:30:07,283
and intelligence minds,
I mean, this is like three-,
604
00:30:07,283 --> 00:30:08,807
four-star generals,
605
00:30:08,807 --> 00:30:10,896
intelligence from Britain
and the U.S.,
606
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:13,072
like, experts in their field,
607
00:30:13,072 --> 00:30:15,814
actually come together
and do simulations where
608
00:30:15,814 --> 00:30:18,860
two countries are in
a massive conflict over water.
609
00:30:19,643 --> 00:30:22,951
We need to take
decisive military action.
610
00:30:22,951 --> 00:30:26,563
We show our people that
we're prepared to take action
611
00:30:26,563 --> 00:30:28,827
to get them the access
to the resources
612
00:30:28,827 --> 00:30:29,958
that they deserve.
613
00:30:29,958 --> 00:30:31,830
How do you think
that's going to end?
614
00:30:31,830 --> 00:30:35,616
Once we have taken over the dam,
do we destroy the dam?
615
00:30:35,616 --> 00:30:37,139
Do we... How do you see
this ending?
616
00:30:37,139 --> 00:30:39,620
You can't hold a dam
on the ground with a helicopter.
617
00:30:39,620 --> 00:30:40,882
So how are you gonna hold it?
618
00:30:40,882 --> 00:30:42,405
And how many people
are you gonna lose?
619
00:30:42,405 --> 00:30:43,885
Surely you've done
that modeling.
620
00:30:43,885 --> 00:30:45,017
[speaking Chinese]
621
00:30:45,887 --> 00:30:47,280
Nate: [in English]
These are the things
I'm hearing from sources,
622
00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:48,934
you know, the experts,
623
00:30:48,934 --> 00:30:50,849
the people in the know
on food and water,
624
00:30:51,153 --> 00:30:53,982
that these are the drivers
of conflict and war
625
00:30:53,982 --> 00:30:55,201
in the future.
626
00:30:56,158 --> 00:30:58,160
The most original
human interaction,
627
00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:02,034
in many cases,
is the rise to violence.
628
00:31:02,034 --> 00:31:04,775
Reduction in resources that
comes from climate change,
629
00:31:04,775 --> 00:31:06,777
comes from changes
to the environment,
630
00:31:07,213 --> 00:31:09,868
may, and in our case will,
lead to conflict.
631
00:31:10,259 --> 00:31:13,045
Humans will rise to violence
if they have nowhere else to go.
632
00:31:13,045 --> 00:31:15,786
If they have nothing else to do,
they move to violence,
633
00:31:15,786 --> 00:31:19,529
not always, not inevitably,
but very often.
634
00:31:19,878 --> 00:31:21,357
Nate: Climate change can mean
635
00:31:21,357 --> 00:31:23,751
that some areas are gonna
get not enough water,
636
00:31:23,751 --> 00:31:26,058
and some areas are gonna
get too much water.
637
00:31:26,058 --> 00:31:29,061
But the net of that
is less food.
638
00:31:29,061 --> 00:31:30,976
It's less arable land.
639
00:31:31,628 --> 00:31:34,240
And although climate change
has been in the conversation,
640
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,720
you know, what's not really
being talked about is what
641
00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,375
some of the most powerful people
are doing with that knowledge.
642
00:31:39,375 --> 00:31:41,725
And we're not seeing
the global community
643
00:31:41,725 --> 00:31:44,119
taking concrete steps
to solve this.
644
00:31:44,815 --> 00:31:46,730
What we're seeing
in the background is
645
00:31:46,730 --> 00:31:48,689
countries beginning to grab up
646
00:31:48,689 --> 00:31:50,734
those final resources
for themselves.
647
00:31:51,126 --> 00:31:53,955
And a lot of this is happening
in the shadows,
648
00:31:53,955 --> 00:31:56,218
quietly,
away from the public eye.
649
00:32:03,008 --> 00:32:04,400
I mean, we...
650
00:32:05,227 --> 00:32:06,968
Yeah, I mean, you know,
651
00:32:06,968 --> 00:32:09,362
the trove
is something that we, you know,
652
00:32:09,362 --> 00:32:11,320
want to make sure that, uh,
653
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,932
that we're being secure about,
talking about the trove.
654
00:32:16,021 --> 00:32:18,501
Director:
655
00:32:18,501 --> 00:32:19,763
I mean...
656
00:32:20,329 --> 00:32:21,591
I don't know.
657
00:32:22,288 --> 00:32:23,942
I don't know how
the other team members felt,
658
00:32:23,942 --> 00:32:25,378
but I think once you realize
what the trove is
659
00:32:25,378 --> 00:32:27,380
and what we're working on,
I don't know how...
660
00:32:27,771 --> 00:32:30,731
Like, it creates
a sense of insecurity
661
00:32:30,731 --> 00:32:31,993
in your life.
662
00:32:33,647 --> 00:32:37,651
[laughter and chatter]
663
00:32:38,739 --> 00:32:40,132
[Nate sighs]
664
00:32:40,132 --> 00:32:42,003
♪ [ominous music playing]
665
00:32:42,003 --> 00:32:43,918
- Robert: Hey.
- Nate: Hey!
666
00:32:45,137 --> 00:32:46,399
- Robert: How's it going?
- Nate: Good.
667
00:32:46,399 --> 00:32:47,835
- Where are we going?
- Nate: We're gonna...
668
00:32:47,835 --> 00:32:49,706
- We'll go into Kevin's office.
- Okay, cool.
669
00:32:49,706 --> 00:32:51,012
I'll show you, uh...
670
00:32:52,361 --> 00:32:54,624
We have
an exciting development.
671
00:32:54,624 --> 00:32:56,191
- Yeah, yeah.
- A treasure trove.
672
00:32:56,191 --> 00:32:57,627
Yeah, in there?
And that's an air gap?
673
00:32:57,627 --> 00:32:58,933
- Nate: It's air-gapped.
- Robert: Okay.
674
00:32:59,281 --> 00:33:02,067
So, we got it yesterday.
We moved it to this machine.
675
00:33:02,067 --> 00:33:03,894
But I figured, uh,
676
00:33:03,894 --> 00:33:05,896
I'll kind of just show you
a little bit of what we got,
677
00:33:05,896 --> 00:33:07,768
- and...
- Yeah, what is it?
678
00:33:07,768 --> 00:33:08,899
I want to know.
679
00:33:09,422 --> 00:33:11,467
So, uh... Let's, uh... I'm just
gonna close the door here.
680
00:33:11,467 --> 00:33:12,599
All right.
681
00:33:14,601 --> 00:33:15,602
Nate: So, uh...
682
00:33:16,211 --> 00:33:21,608
a source who I've been talking
to for quite some time
683
00:33:22,304 --> 00:33:24,263
finally kicked over...
684
00:33:24,915 --> 00:33:26,700
Robert: Did they email,
by the way? Okay.
685
00:33:26,700 --> 00:33:28,789
- Hand-delivery.
- Robert: Okay.
686
00:33:30,269 --> 00:33:31,183
Good.
687
00:33:31,487 --> 00:33:34,316
- Thousands and thousands of...
- Oh, wow.
688
00:33:36,101 --> 00:33:38,146
Oh, fucking A. All right.
689
00:33:39,278 --> 00:33:40,844
- Thousands of?
- Thousands of.
690
00:33:40,844 --> 00:33:43,804
Ten thousand plus. I have to
go through it all still,
691
00:33:43,804 --> 00:33:46,372
but we're talking thousands
and thousands.
692
00:33:46,372 --> 00:33:50,245
And they include attachments,
prospectuses, drafts.
693
00:33:50,245 --> 00:33:51,725
This is the whole company?
694
00:33:51,725 --> 00:33:53,596
It's not one particular
person's email?
695
00:33:53,596 --> 00:33:56,121
We have basically
the company's emails
696
00:33:56,121 --> 00:33:57,905
- for about a one-year period.
- Okay.
697
00:33:57,905 --> 00:33:59,994
- And...
- Alright.
698
00:34:00,342 --> 00:34:02,605
What... [laughs]
699
00:34:04,129 --> 00:34:06,044
Director:
Can you tell us how you got it?
700
00:34:06,914 --> 00:34:08,307
I can talk, uh...
701
00:34:08,307 --> 00:34:11,310
I can describe vaguely
how I got this information.
702
00:34:11,745 --> 00:34:14,269
- ♪ [ominous music concludes]
- Um... I...
703
00:34:14,704 --> 00:34:16,228
have a source...
704
00:34:17,838 --> 00:34:19,492
um... who hinted
705
00:34:19,883 --> 00:34:21,798
that they might have something
I'd be interested in.
706
00:34:22,756 --> 00:34:25,193
And that started
a two-year dance
707
00:34:25,715 --> 00:34:28,718
of me learning a little bit more
about what they had,
708
00:34:28,718 --> 00:34:30,546
a little bit more about
what they have.
709
00:34:30,546 --> 00:34:33,071
"Oh my God, do they
really have that?"
710
00:34:33,375 --> 00:34:35,029
"Holy shit, I think
they have that."
711
00:34:35,508 --> 00:34:37,031
"Oh my God, I have it."
712
00:34:37,466 --> 00:34:39,381
And that computer has
never been on the internet.
713
00:34:39,381 --> 00:34:41,470
We wiped it clean.
714
00:34:41,470 --> 00:34:44,560
We ripped out, we physically
ripped out its WiFi.
715
00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:46,649
And then we put glue
in the ethernet.
716
00:34:46,649 --> 00:34:49,217
Okay, all right.
Wait, what is this map?
717
00:34:49,217 --> 00:34:50,566
This was just, uh...
718
00:34:50,566 --> 00:34:52,394
Okay, this is how they're
dividing up Africa?
719
00:34:52,394 --> 00:34:53,613
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
720
00:34:54,875 --> 00:34:57,834
And these are their
investment opportunities.
721
00:34:57,834 --> 00:35:00,968
So, of course, the usual stuff,
minerals and oil.
722
00:35:00,968 --> 00:35:02,883
And smack dab in the middle...
723
00:35:03,710 --> 00:35:04,580
food.
724
00:35:06,191 --> 00:35:09,281
♪ [ominous music playing]
725
00:35:12,110 --> 00:35:13,459
So just like a bunch
726
00:35:13,459 --> 00:35:15,983
of really interesting
characters, people...
727
00:35:15,983 --> 00:35:17,811
Lots of military folk,
lots of veterans.
728
00:35:17,811 --> 00:35:19,160
Nate: You know, we've been
trying to figure out
729
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:20,640
who else was grabbing up
food and water
730
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,598
and where they were doing it,
and that's when
731
00:35:22,598 --> 00:35:23,947
this fell into our lap.
732
00:35:24,774 --> 00:35:27,560
I don't know what point the team
started calling it "the trove,"
733
00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:29,170
but it was the way
we could just, you know,
734
00:35:29,170 --> 00:35:30,954
securely talk about what we had.
735
00:35:31,216 --> 00:35:33,043
[speaking indistinctly]
736
00:35:33,305 --> 00:35:35,307
Uh, Nate, can we talk
about the trove? [laughs]
737
00:35:35,307 --> 00:35:36,699
Nate: Yeah, go for it.
738
00:35:37,526 --> 00:35:40,442
- ♪ [ominous music playing]
- All right, um, so,
the trove is a collection
739
00:35:40,442 --> 00:35:44,403
of, um, over 10,000 documents
that were leaked to Nate
740
00:35:44,403 --> 00:35:45,926
that are
the internal communications
741
00:35:45,926 --> 00:35:48,581
of Erik Prince's
Frontier Resource Group.
742
00:35:48,581 --> 00:35:51,540
That is his venture that
he started after Blackwater.
743
00:35:51,540 --> 00:35:53,542
Members of the Committee,
my name is Erik Prince
744
00:35:53,542 --> 00:35:55,240
and I am the Chairman
and CEO of the Prince Group
745
00:35:55,240 --> 00:35:56,197
and Blackwater USA.
746
00:35:56,893 --> 00:35:58,417
Reporter: Blackwater,
the secretive private army
747
00:35:58,417 --> 00:36:01,985
that for critics, came to
represent the ugliest face
748
00:36:01,985 --> 00:36:03,422
of American power.
749
00:36:03,422 --> 00:36:07,121
Blackwater, we have to question
in this hearing whether
750
00:36:07,121 --> 00:36:11,430
it created a shadow military
of mercenary forces
751
00:36:11,908 --> 00:36:15,347
that are not accountable
to the United States government,
752
00:36:15,347 --> 00:36:16,522
or to anyone else.
753
00:36:16,522 --> 00:36:18,480
He's been accused
of getting rich
754
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:21,222
off of the deeply
unpopular war in Iraq,
755
00:36:21,222 --> 00:36:23,790
but he says his critics
have it all wrong.
756
00:36:23,790 --> 00:36:27,315
Reporter: Did your people
ever kill innocent civilians?
757
00:36:27,315 --> 00:36:28,534
It's entirely possible.
758
00:36:28,882 --> 00:36:31,101
Reporter: The CIA
declined to comment
759
00:36:31,101 --> 00:36:33,321
on its association with Prince.
760
00:36:33,321 --> 00:36:35,889
Nate: Erik Prince is
a super divisive person.
761
00:36:36,150 --> 00:36:40,241
Prince's sister is Betsy DeVos,
former Secretary of Education.
762
00:36:40,241 --> 00:36:41,590
He's a former Navy SEAL,
763
00:36:41,590 --> 00:36:44,811
so he's a highly trained,
skilled soldier.
764
00:36:45,507 --> 00:36:48,554
He then hired a bunch
of highly skilled,
765
00:36:48,554 --> 00:36:49,816
trained soldiers
766
00:36:49,816 --> 00:36:52,122
to do those things
in Iraq and Afghanistan
767
00:36:52,122 --> 00:36:53,254
for the U.S. government
768
00:36:53,602 --> 00:36:55,778
and became a very lucrative
and large business.
769
00:36:56,257 --> 00:36:58,303
He then sold that company.
770
00:36:58,303 --> 00:37:00,000
Because you're still
in business, yes?
771
00:37:00,435 --> 00:37:02,132
- Not in government
contracting business.
- ♪ [menacing music playing] ♪
772
00:37:02,132 --> 00:37:04,091
You don't work with the United
States government anymore?
773
00:37:04,091 --> 00:37:05,571
I sold the whole thing.
I'm done.
774
00:37:05,571 --> 00:37:06,702
So what do you do?
775
00:37:07,268 --> 00:37:09,749
I started a private-equity fund.
We invest in energy, mining,
776
00:37:09,749 --> 00:37:11,881
agriculture kind of things
in Africa.
777
00:37:11,881 --> 00:37:13,753
Get the fu-- Okay.
Can I tell you something?
778
00:37:13,753 --> 00:37:14,667
[audience laughter]
779
00:37:24,851 --> 00:37:25,721
Correct.
780
00:37:34,861 --> 00:37:37,777
Oh, yeah, for sure. This is
the part of the story that...
781
00:37:39,648 --> 00:37:42,738
increasingly makes us think that
782
00:37:42,738 --> 00:37:44,871
all of our communications
are hacked.
783
00:37:46,742 --> 00:37:49,310
Mm-hmm. Because there's
no bigger story
784
00:37:49,310 --> 00:37:50,964
I can see to work on
785
00:37:50,964 --> 00:37:54,663
that will impact more people
than this story.
786
00:37:54,663 --> 00:37:56,491
And there's no story
I've worked on
787
00:37:56,491 --> 00:38:00,016
that has this amount
of wealth behind it.
788
00:38:00,016 --> 00:38:01,844
And there's no story
that I've worked on
789
00:38:01,844 --> 00:38:04,804
that has this amount of,
like, mercenary guns behind it.
790
00:38:04,804 --> 00:38:07,067
And there's no story I've
worked on that has, like,
791
00:38:07,067 --> 00:38:10,288
this level of spycraft
technology behind it.
792
00:38:11,898 --> 00:38:13,247
But... [stammering]
793
00:38:15,380 --> 00:38:17,164
I'm always gonna operate
under the assumption
794
00:38:17,164 --> 00:38:18,339
that I'm hacked.
795
00:38:25,259 --> 00:38:26,260
What's that? Yeah.
796
00:38:26,260 --> 00:38:28,523
Sound recorder:
797
00:38:28,523 --> 00:38:29,611
Yeah.
798
00:38:29,611 --> 00:38:32,310
Sound recorder:
799
00:38:33,223 --> 00:38:34,964
Uh...
800
00:38:36,749 --> 00:38:38,751
♪ [menacing music fades]
801
00:38:38,751 --> 00:38:40,448
Nate: Erik Prince started
this company
802
00:38:40,448 --> 00:38:42,189
called Frontier Resource Group,
803
00:38:42,537 --> 00:38:45,105
right, to invest
in land in Africa.
804
00:38:45,410 --> 00:38:47,020
Well, we have the company emails
805
00:38:47,020 --> 00:38:48,151
for about, like,
a one-year period
806
00:38:48,674 --> 00:38:50,328
where, you know, we can see
that they're looking at
807
00:38:50,328 --> 00:38:52,112
possible farm deals in Africa.
808
00:38:52,547 --> 00:38:54,941
And Erik Prince doesn't
work for free, right?
809
00:38:54,941 --> 00:38:56,377
I mean,
his client list historically
810
00:38:56,377 --> 00:38:57,813
has been some of the most
powerful people,
811
00:38:57,813 --> 00:38:59,815
the most powerful governments
in the world.
812
00:39:00,903 --> 00:39:03,819
So, we expect these emails are
gonna become a playbook for
813
00:39:03,819 --> 00:39:06,474
how people are looking
to grab up food and water.
814
00:39:08,389 --> 00:39:10,391
Imagine somebody wants
to go and start a farm,
815
00:39:10,391 --> 00:39:11,958
what do you think they do?
816
00:39:11,958 --> 00:39:13,873
They go buy tractors.
They go do this.
817
00:39:13,873 --> 00:39:15,918
They do that. They do
farmer stuff, farmer stuff.
818
00:39:16,223 --> 00:39:19,095
But what is Erik Prince talking
about in these emails?
819
00:39:19,095 --> 00:39:20,836
He's talking about things like
820
00:39:20,836 --> 00:39:25,101
having a robust defensive
capability around a farm.
821
00:39:26,233 --> 00:39:28,757
These are the kind of things
that Erik Prince is looking at
822
00:39:28,757 --> 00:39:30,629
when he's going into
these regions.
823
00:39:30,629 --> 00:39:34,023
...so it says "area by hectare"?
824
00:39:34,023 --> 00:39:37,244
Nate: Why is somebody whose
background and expertise
825
00:39:37,244 --> 00:39:39,507
is fighting wars, like,
826
00:39:39,942 --> 00:39:43,816
what value do they bring
to the farms, right? Like, why?
827
00:39:44,207 --> 00:39:45,557
I mean, it's like a who's-who.
828
00:39:45,557 --> 00:39:48,211
It's like the MVPs
of the mercenary world, right?
829
00:39:48,211 --> 00:39:49,212
Mallory: Right.
830
00:39:49,735 --> 00:39:51,258
Nate: And the answer,
from our reporting,
831
00:39:51,258 --> 00:39:55,001
is because this stuff has
become the point of conflict.
832
00:39:55,305 --> 00:39:56,437
Hey, Captain Mann.
833
00:39:56,785 --> 00:39:58,787
Sorry, some technical
difficulties with Zoom here,
834
00:39:58,787 --> 00:39:59,962
but I think...
835
00:40:00,615 --> 00:40:02,400
I can hear you now.
836
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:05,054
We were told that mercenaries
wouldn't talk to us.
837
00:40:05,054 --> 00:40:06,099
There we go.
838
00:40:06,491 --> 00:40:07,622
- Hi.
- Greetings.
839
00:40:07,622 --> 00:40:08,580
Greetings.
840
00:40:09,363 --> 00:40:12,627
But, you know, we were able
to get these folks on the line.
841
00:40:12,932 --> 00:40:15,543
We were actually surprised by
the candor in which they spoke.
842
00:40:15,543 --> 00:40:17,937
And they warned us how
some mercenaries operate
843
00:40:17,937 --> 00:40:20,026
and what some of them
are up to now.
844
00:40:20,026 --> 00:40:23,203
Simon: The whole story
of why Africa
845
00:40:23,203 --> 00:40:24,857
looks the way it does today,
846
00:40:25,248 --> 00:40:28,817
which obviously has a lot
to do with the colonial era,
847
00:40:28,817 --> 00:40:32,908
a lot of that has to do with
what we would now call PMC.
848
00:40:33,866 --> 00:40:35,520
Private military corporations.
849
00:40:35,824 --> 00:40:39,480
So what happened with
the Equatorial Guinea situation?
850
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:41,830
What were you asked to do,
and how did that turn out?
851
00:40:42,309 --> 00:40:48,184
Yeah, I mean, I was asked to,
um, overthrow the regime.
852
00:40:48,184 --> 00:40:49,185
♪ [pensive music playing]
853
00:40:49,664 --> 00:40:51,274
Nate: Simon Mann
is former British military
854
00:40:51,274 --> 00:40:53,625
who was hired to overthrow
the government
855
00:40:53,625 --> 00:40:57,193
of Equatorial Guinea.
He ended up being arrested
856
00:40:57,193 --> 00:41:00,196
and spending time in
an Equatorial Guinea prison.
857
00:41:00,980 --> 00:41:03,373
You know, so we figured
if anyone knows
858
00:41:03,373 --> 00:41:05,506
the inner workings
of the mercenary world,
859
00:41:05,506 --> 00:41:06,551
it's this guy.
860
00:41:06,855 --> 00:41:08,291
I mean, is that possible?
861
00:41:08,291 --> 00:41:11,207
Is Erik Prince investing
in agriculture in Africa?
862
00:41:12,078 --> 00:41:13,122
Yeah, I think he is.
863
00:41:13,514 --> 00:41:15,473
I mean, I know Erik.
Erik's a friend of mine.
864
00:41:16,474 --> 00:41:21,827
They know that Africa represents
this enormous untapped resource.
865
00:41:22,436 --> 00:41:24,525
They also know that
it's not for the...
866
00:41:24,525 --> 00:41:26,788
It's not for the faint-hearted.
867
00:41:27,049 --> 00:41:29,399
So if you're gonna go
and do stuff in Africa,
868
00:41:29,399 --> 00:41:31,358
you need airplanes,
you need logistics,
869
00:41:31,358 --> 00:41:32,402
you need trucks.
870
00:41:32,838 --> 00:41:34,492
And you're gonna need security.
871
00:41:36,885 --> 00:41:37,930
Enter Erik.
872
00:41:40,541 --> 00:41:42,325
John: I think Iraq
873
00:41:42,325 --> 00:41:44,327
glamorized the PMC industry
somewhat.
874
00:41:45,285 --> 00:41:48,157
All of a sudden, there were tens
of thousands of these people
875
00:41:48,157 --> 00:41:52,074
running around in Iraq
as private security consultants.
876
00:41:52,466 --> 00:41:55,382
Big players such as, you know,
Erik Prince with Blackwater
877
00:41:55,382 --> 00:41:56,775
is probably the most prominent.
878
00:41:56,775 --> 00:41:58,733
But that day's come and gone.
879
00:41:58,733 --> 00:42:01,301
And the opportunities
are not there for people
880
00:42:01,301 --> 00:42:03,477
to get those sorts
of contracts anymore.
881
00:42:04,086 --> 00:42:07,350
And so I guess the issue is,
where are the hotspots?
882
00:42:07,350 --> 00:42:09,483
And most of them
are in Africa at the moment.
883
00:42:10,702 --> 00:42:13,531
Nate: Africa has
50 to 60 percent
884
00:42:13,531 --> 00:42:16,577
of the remaining
arable land left in the world
885
00:42:16,577 --> 00:42:18,492
that hasn't been,
quote, unquote, "farmed."
886
00:42:18,492 --> 00:42:20,450
That doesn't mean that
it's just sitting there
887
00:42:20,450 --> 00:42:21,582
without people on it.
888
00:42:21,582 --> 00:42:23,192
It's peopled.
People are farming it.
889
00:42:23,192 --> 00:42:24,890
They're farming it
for their food,
890
00:42:24,890 --> 00:42:26,935
for their lives, you know,
to feed their children.
891
00:42:27,545 --> 00:42:30,025
♪ [women singing]
892
00:42:30,025 --> 00:42:31,157
Nate: In a lot of these places,
893
00:42:31,505 --> 00:42:32,985
I mean, these are these people's
ancestral lands.
894
00:42:32,985 --> 00:42:34,552
They were born there.
Their parents were born there.
895
00:42:34,552 --> 00:42:36,162
Their grandparents
were born there.
896
00:42:36,162 --> 00:42:37,424
They don't have deeds.
897
00:42:37,424 --> 00:42:39,687
You don't have deeds
to the land you've owned
898
00:42:39,687 --> 00:42:41,428
for, like, time immemorial.
899
00:42:41,733 --> 00:42:43,430
There's always
a problem in Africa
900
00:42:43,430 --> 00:42:45,519
where, you know, you don't
really have ownership
901
00:42:45,519 --> 00:42:47,434
of land necessarily
in the same way
902
00:42:47,782 --> 00:42:50,393
that we would see it.
You know, there's no deeds.
903
00:42:50,393 --> 00:42:51,786
There's a village over there.
904
00:42:51,786 --> 00:42:53,440
This is where they graze
their cattle.
905
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:55,442
Well, now you're not gonna be
able to graze your cattle.
906
00:42:55,442 --> 00:42:58,097
And maybe this... We're gonna
have to move you.
907
00:42:59,315 --> 00:43:01,317
That potentially is
a great problem.
908
00:43:01,927 --> 00:43:04,494
Director: And what if
there's an uprising?
909
00:43:07,236 --> 00:43:08,194
Well...
910
00:43:08,586 --> 00:43:11,501
That's part of...
That's where we come in.
911
00:43:11,501 --> 00:43:13,808
Anuradha:
To be a good investor in Africa,
912
00:43:13,808 --> 00:43:16,724
it's not just about
having your resources
913
00:43:16,724 --> 00:43:18,900
and you go and buy
or lease land.
914
00:43:19,248 --> 00:43:20,815
It is logistics.
915
00:43:21,207 --> 00:43:25,211
You're moving into areas where
nobody has gone before.
916
00:43:25,211 --> 00:43:29,824
So you need people
who have experience
917
00:43:29,824 --> 00:43:32,174
and no hesitation
to use weapons,
918
00:43:32,479 --> 00:43:36,352
who can ensure movement of
whatever resources are needed.
919
00:43:36,352 --> 00:43:40,182
And then you need connections
with the political elite.
920
00:43:40,182 --> 00:43:42,532
- [computer chimes]
- Sean: Okay, let's see.
921
00:43:42,532 --> 00:43:44,360
Nate:
You still sound okay on our end.
922
00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:45,448
Director: Yeah.
923
00:43:45,884 --> 00:43:48,060
I have a separate
microphone here.
924
00:43:49,714 --> 00:43:53,456
I think in areas where
there's very weak rule of law
925
00:43:53,456 --> 00:43:57,504
and very little international
media attention,
926
00:43:58,113 --> 00:43:59,898
it's a wild, wild west.
927
00:44:01,029 --> 00:44:02,901
Real experts in this field,
928
00:44:03,162 --> 00:44:05,251
you've gotta go around
and do things
929
00:44:05,251 --> 00:44:07,906
like make bribes
and keep order...
930
00:44:07,906 --> 00:44:09,995
Nate: One of the questions
I always have is,
931
00:44:09,995 --> 00:44:13,433
why does a community
give up their land, right?
932
00:44:13,433 --> 00:44:15,304
And as you're going in
through the emails,
933
00:44:15,304 --> 00:44:16,436
there's answers in there.
934
00:44:17,959 --> 00:44:19,657
In the emails they write,
935
00:44:19,657 --> 00:44:21,702
"So, the price for us
will be very low."
936
00:44:21,702 --> 00:44:23,399
You know, "It depends
how many gifts
937
00:44:23,399 --> 00:44:25,010
we grant the village chief."
938
00:44:26,141 --> 00:44:29,101
And I think you'll always find
somebody out there
939
00:44:29,101 --> 00:44:31,059
to give their clients
whatever they want,
940
00:44:31,059 --> 00:44:32,626
if the price is right.
941
00:44:32,626 --> 00:44:34,410
♪ [pensive music concludes]
942
00:44:34,410 --> 00:44:36,282
Mallory: Because we know
that they focus...
943
00:44:36,282 --> 00:44:38,458
When they're trying to pitch
all these banks,
944
00:44:38,458 --> 00:44:40,982
like Credit Suisse
and JP Morgan,
945
00:44:40,982 --> 00:44:43,376
they're focusing
on Sub-Saharan Africa.
946
00:44:43,376 --> 00:44:44,769
So we know that's where
they're looking.
947
00:44:44,769 --> 00:44:46,727
It's like the place
is the frontier market.
948
00:44:46,727 --> 00:44:49,338
Nate: We can see
in the emails back in 2012
949
00:44:49,338 --> 00:44:53,299
that they've charted out
what areas have the best water
950
00:44:53,299 --> 00:44:54,561
and the cheapest land.
951
00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:56,824
And in the trove,
they make it super clear,
952
00:44:57,607 --> 00:44:58,783
that place is Zambia.
953
00:44:59,784 --> 00:45:02,525
And I've been
to Zambia before, in 2017,
954
00:45:02,525 --> 00:45:04,266
on a previous reporting trip.
955
00:45:04,876 --> 00:45:07,269
And so, you know, I reached
back out to my contacts.
956
00:45:07,269 --> 00:45:10,533
I set it up for us to go back,
so we could see, you know,
957
00:45:10,533 --> 00:45:12,492
what this looks like
for the people
958
00:45:12,492 --> 00:45:14,450
who are living in the spaces
being grabbed up.
959
00:45:15,974 --> 00:45:19,934
♪ [tense music playing]
960
00:45:37,952 --> 00:45:42,740
[indistinct announcement
over P.A.]
961
00:45:50,443 --> 00:45:51,661
Nate: Um...
962
00:45:51,661 --> 00:45:53,141
It's fine. It's okay.
963
00:45:53,141 --> 00:45:55,274
[indistinct chatter]
964
00:45:57,711 --> 00:45:58,886
Nate: Oh, she wants the... Yeah.
965
00:45:58,886 --> 00:46:00,496
Emma: Yeah,
the invitation letter.
966
00:46:00,496 --> 00:46:01,584
Officer 1: Mm-hmm.
967
00:46:01,584 --> 00:46:02,847
Emma: Okay. So...
968
00:46:02,847 --> 00:46:04,370
[Officer speaks indistinctly]
969
00:46:05,066 --> 00:46:06,981
Emma: Of course, of course.
Let me just hand you my...
970
00:46:07,634 --> 00:46:08,853
Nate: And you saw, ma'am,
971
00:46:08,853 --> 00:46:10,680
that we have the business visa
stamped here.
972
00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:11,812
Officer 1: Yes, I know.
973
00:46:13,771 --> 00:46:15,685
Nate: Yeah, they've taken
our paperwork
974
00:46:15,685 --> 00:46:17,383
and they've pulled us aside
975
00:46:17,383 --> 00:46:19,254
and are making us stand here
976
00:46:19,254 --> 00:46:21,300
and jump through some
extra hoops.
977
00:46:21,779 --> 00:46:23,258
Crew member:
I think it's gonna be fun.
978
00:46:35,270 --> 00:46:37,446
Officer 2:
979
00:46:37,446 --> 00:46:38,708
Nate:
Sorry, what was the question?
980
00:46:38,708 --> 00:46:40,667
Emma:
Who gave us authority to board?
981
00:46:40,667 --> 00:46:42,234
Nate:
The Zambian Embassy, yeah.
982
00:46:42,234 --> 00:46:43,452
Officer 2:
Let me see your paper.
983
00:46:43,452 --> 00:46:45,150
Nate: This is from
the Zambian Embassy.
984
00:46:45,150 --> 00:46:46,238
Do you want that? No.
985
00:46:47,021 --> 00:46:48,370
Emma: At that point...
986
00:46:49,371 --> 00:46:51,809
this woman took all
of our passports.
987
00:46:54,289 --> 00:46:56,509
She escorted us to a room
in the back,
988
00:46:57,292 --> 00:47:00,774
which ultimately became,
you know, a detention room.
989
00:47:01,079 --> 00:47:04,038
♪ [ominous music playing] ♪
990
00:47:13,831 --> 00:47:15,223
[muffled chatter]
991
00:47:27,148 --> 00:47:30,673
♪ [ominous music fades]
992
00:47:31,631 --> 00:47:35,548
[indistinct chatter]
993
00:47:35,548 --> 00:47:39,378
[speaking Lala]
994
00:47:39,944 --> 00:47:42,598
Nate: On that previous trip
to Zambia in 2017,
995
00:47:42,598 --> 00:47:44,513
I had met
a human rights attorney,
996
00:47:44,513 --> 00:47:47,821
a guy named Brig,
who was helping people
997
00:47:47,821 --> 00:47:49,475
fight back against
their land being grabbed.
998
00:47:49,910 --> 00:47:53,914
[in Lala]
999
00:48:02,183 --> 00:48:03,968
Nate: [in English]
With essentially nothing,
1000
00:48:03,968 --> 00:48:06,666
Brig pushed and shoved
and fought his way
1001
00:48:06,666 --> 00:48:09,582
into university,
and then into law school,
1002
00:48:09,582 --> 00:48:11,976
and then ultimately
into Georgetown.
1003
00:48:12,237 --> 00:48:14,935
And this is a person who
could have done anything.
1004
00:48:15,196 --> 00:48:16,067
And instead,
1005
00:48:16,545 --> 00:48:18,852
he just went back to fight
for the people.
1006
00:48:18,852 --> 00:48:21,942
♪ [mysterious music playing]
1007
00:48:21,942 --> 00:48:24,249
On my first trip, Brig had
taken me up to Serenje
1008
00:48:24,727 --> 00:48:26,773
to meet families,
to meet people
1009
00:48:26,773 --> 00:48:28,731
that had been kicked off
of their land.
1010
00:48:32,561 --> 00:48:35,260
Nate: What... Can he tell us
what happened to his house?
1011
00:48:36,304 --> 00:48:39,960
Felix: [in Lala]
1012
00:48:56,020 --> 00:48:57,717
Kharika: [in English]
He said this white man
1013
00:48:57,717 --> 00:49:00,676
just came with a tractor
and said, "Now this is my land."
1014
00:49:00,676 --> 00:49:02,069
"You have to move out."
1015
00:49:02,069 --> 00:49:03,636
Nate: Nobody consulted them,
1016
00:49:03,636 --> 00:49:05,507
nobody told them,
nobody paid them or...
1017
00:49:05,507 --> 00:49:06,987
[Kharika speaking Lala]
1018
00:49:07,466 --> 00:49:09,163
[in Lala]
1019
00:49:09,163 --> 00:49:10,991
Kharika: [in English]
The only help they received
1020
00:49:10,991 --> 00:49:13,472
is this tent
from the government.
1021
00:49:13,472 --> 00:49:15,126
Since then, there's no one
who's helping them.
1022
00:49:16,562 --> 00:49:19,434
You can see this is
where they live,
1023
00:49:19,434 --> 00:49:20,958
this is where they sleep.
1024
00:49:23,743 --> 00:49:27,442
So these are the provisions
for housing
1025
00:49:27,442 --> 00:49:29,096
that were given
by the government.
1026
00:49:29,923 --> 00:49:31,403
Nate:
How long ago did this happen?
1027
00:49:32,186 --> 00:49:34,972
Kharika: [in Lala]
1028
00:49:49,638 --> 00:49:51,379
Kharika: [in English] She said
when they arrived here,
1029
00:49:51,379 --> 00:49:54,730
they just slept under a tree
with their goods.
1030
00:49:54,730 --> 00:49:59,822
[in Lala]
1031
00:49:59,822 --> 00:50:03,696
Kharika: [in English]
As a result of the cold
of staying under the tree,
1032
00:50:03,696 --> 00:50:05,654
the small child died.
1033
00:50:06,655 --> 00:50:12,052
[in Lala]
1034
00:50:22,410 --> 00:50:24,978
[sobbing]
1035
00:50:24,978 --> 00:50:28,199
Kharika: [in English]
She's saying she's suffering,
1036
00:50:28,199 --> 00:50:32,942
she's crying, because she has
been subjected to hardship.
1037
00:50:33,204 --> 00:50:37,512
[in Lala]
1038
00:50:37,512 --> 00:50:39,514
Kharika: [in English]
She's saying she used to
have the house,
1039
00:50:39,514 --> 00:50:41,038
now she's sleeping like this.
1040
00:50:43,214 --> 00:50:45,390
- [Brig speaking softly]
- ♪ [melancholy music playing]
1041
00:50:45,390 --> 00:50:47,783
[Febby speaking Lala]
1042
00:50:47,783 --> 00:50:49,959
Kharika: [in English]
He's telling her just to wait,
1043
00:50:49,959 --> 00:50:52,049
that some help is gonna come.
1044
00:50:53,920 --> 00:50:56,966
[baby gurgling]
1045
00:51:35,048 --> 00:51:36,919
Nate: What we're hearing
is that these are...
1046
00:51:36,919 --> 00:51:38,225
These are white farmers
1047
00:51:38,225 --> 00:51:39,444
that are kicking them
off their land.
1048
00:51:39,444 --> 00:51:42,229
And so I begin to dig into it.
1049
00:51:42,577 --> 00:51:45,450
And these guys
are backed by LLCs.
1050
00:51:45,754 --> 00:51:49,541
But then that LLC in Zambia
will be owned by another LLC
1051
00:51:49,541 --> 00:51:54,111
that is actually registered
in an offshore company
1052
00:51:54,111 --> 00:51:57,984
in Mauritius or the BVIs
or the Cayman Islands.
1053
00:51:57,984 --> 00:51:59,551
And that's a dead end.
1054
00:51:59,551 --> 00:52:04,686
It's like a Russian doll
of LLCs and LLCs.
1055
00:52:05,122 --> 00:52:07,559
And the more we dig,
the more it becomes clear,
1056
00:52:07,559 --> 00:52:09,256
that could be owned by anybody.
1057
00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:12,651
You know, and that's
what the trove emails
1058
00:52:12,651 --> 00:52:14,174
have begun to show us,
1059
00:52:14,174 --> 00:52:16,481
how investors
structure these deals
1060
00:52:16,481 --> 00:52:18,744
to hide who is behind them.
1061
00:52:18,744 --> 00:52:20,224
And what Brig shows us
1062
00:52:20,224 --> 00:52:23,096
is the human cost
of these hidden deals.
1063
00:52:25,490 --> 00:52:29,929
Man: [on TV] ...before you begin
to take possession of the land
1064
00:52:29,929 --> 00:52:32,888
that the Lord,
the God of your ancestors...
1065
00:52:32,888 --> 00:52:35,195
Nate: Is it okay if we
answer this phone call, sir?
1066
00:52:35,674 --> 00:52:36,588
Officer 3: Come again?
1067
00:52:37,197 --> 00:52:38,546
Nate: Is it okay
if we answer this phone call?
1068
00:52:38,546 --> 00:52:39,634
Officer 3: Yeah, it's fine.
1069
00:52:39,634 --> 00:52:40,548
Emma: Thank you.
1070
00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:45,031
So, we'd been sitting
in the room for some time,
1071
00:52:45,031 --> 00:52:48,643
when one of the crew
members pointed out that
1072
00:52:48,643 --> 00:52:51,690
there was a piece of paper
on a police bulletin board
1073
00:52:51,690 --> 00:52:53,605
- right behind my head.
- [camera clicks]
1074
00:52:53,605 --> 00:52:55,172
Nate: Right there,
smack dab on it,
1075
00:52:55,520 --> 00:52:58,305
was all of our names
and passport numbers.
1076
00:52:59,524 --> 00:53:01,439
They were definitely
waiting for us.
1077
00:53:09,969 --> 00:53:13,146
[plane engine rumbling]
1078
00:53:16,193 --> 00:53:17,890
Director:
What's going on now, Nate?
1079
00:53:18,499 --> 00:53:20,109
Nate:
1080
00:53:28,857 --> 00:53:31,033
♪ [ominous music playing]
1081
00:53:41,479 --> 00:53:43,568
Nate: [sighs]
I called people I knew
1082
00:53:43,568 --> 00:53:45,396
from U.S. intelligence.
1083
00:53:45,657 --> 00:53:50,662
And I called people in Zambia
and talked to whoever I could
1084
00:53:50,662 --> 00:53:52,272
to try to piece together
why it was
1085
00:53:52,272 --> 00:53:54,274
that we were getting kicked
out of the country.
1086
00:53:55,188 --> 00:53:57,669
Yeah, hi, Ambassador.
How are you doing today?
1087
00:53:58,844 --> 00:54:00,759
Ambassador:
1088
00:54:00,759 --> 00:54:02,717
I'm doing all right.
I'm doing all right.
1089
00:54:05,851 --> 00:54:07,679
Ambassador:
1090
00:54:07,679 --> 00:54:11,509
Thank you. Yeah, it was
disappointing to get so close.
1091
00:54:11,509 --> 00:54:13,250
We got the paperwork, you know,
1092
00:54:13,250 --> 00:54:17,384
Emma specifically got
the paperwork that showed...
1093
00:54:17,384 --> 00:54:20,300
I mean, I'm just gonna say it.
They basically said
1094
00:54:20,300 --> 00:54:21,823
that we were hostile
to the state,
1095
00:54:21,823 --> 00:54:23,825
that we were
basically enemies of the state.
1096
00:54:23,825 --> 00:54:25,566
Ambassador:
...not given properly.
1097
00:54:25,566 --> 00:54:27,438
I see. We had business visas
1098
00:54:27,438 --> 00:54:29,309
and we also had
media credentials.
1099
00:54:30,441 --> 00:54:34,271
Ambassador:
1100
00:54:36,751 --> 00:54:38,318
But they were the ones
that told us we could...
1101
00:54:38,318 --> 00:54:39,798
Ambassador:
1102
00:54:39,798 --> 00:54:40,842
Nate: Okay.
1103
00:54:40,842 --> 00:54:43,845
Ambassador:
1104
00:54:43,845 --> 00:54:45,499
Nate: Okay. Alright, um...
1105
00:54:45,499 --> 00:54:46,935
Ambassador:
1106
00:54:46,935 --> 00:54:48,981
Thank you, Ambassador,
you have a good day.
1107
00:54:49,590 --> 00:54:50,896
Ambassador:
1108
00:54:51,766 --> 00:54:52,985
[call ends]
1109
00:54:56,293 --> 00:54:58,556
[chuckles]
1110
00:54:58,556 --> 00:55:02,516
Oh, right. Right. [chuckles]
1111
00:55:05,780 --> 00:55:09,480
[birds calling]
1112
00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:11,612
- ♪ [pensive music playing]
- Nate: So our sources are
telling us that
1113
00:55:11,612 --> 00:55:14,702
we got kicked out because of
our reporting on food and water,
1114
00:55:15,094 --> 00:55:17,792
and we don't know who pushed
the Zambian government
1115
00:55:17,792 --> 00:55:20,317
to kick us out.
And we might not ever know.
1116
00:55:21,535 --> 00:55:23,145
And we're still trying
to figure out
1117
00:55:23,145 --> 00:55:25,278
who's the big money
behind grabbing up,
1118
00:55:25,278 --> 00:55:26,845
you know, land in Africa.
1119
00:55:26,845 --> 00:55:28,803
And we're calling people,
1120
00:55:29,195 --> 00:55:32,329
emailing people,
and just getting blocked.
1121
00:55:32,329 --> 00:55:35,027
[laughs] Just...
Nobody wants to talk.
1122
00:55:37,159 --> 00:55:39,336
Um, he's a ghost, right.
1123
00:55:39,336 --> 00:55:42,556
I mean, like, I don't think
he'll ever talk to us.
1124
00:55:42,556 --> 00:55:45,124
You know, I think,
two words to us, he'll speak,
1125
00:55:45,124 --> 00:55:47,387
- "Fuck you, fuck off," right?
- [Mallory chuckles]
1126
00:55:47,387 --> 00:55:50,390
So I think we have
to find somebody
1127
00:55:50,782 --> 00:55:54,002
who was there with
Frontier Resource Group.
1128
00:55:54,873 --> 00:55:57,745
Mallory:
I think Gregg Smith is actually
1129
00:55:58,006 --> 00:56:01,445
one of the ones
that is most likely to talk.
1130
00:56:02,184 --> 00:56:04,230
Nate: Gregg Smith is in
a lot of emails.
1131
00:56:05,100 --> 00:56:07,146
He's somebody
with a military background,
1132
00:56:07,146 --> 00:56:09,235
also a finance background.
1133
00:56:09,888 --> 00:56:12,020
This is a guy right
at the center of things.
1134
00:56:12,020 --> 00:56:13,848
You know, he came in,
he joined them
1135
00:56:13,848 --> 00:56:17,939
in their effort to grab up
resources in Africa.
1136
00:56:18,723 --> 00:56:20,420
They were working together.
Yeah.
1137
00:56:20,420 --> 00:56:22,466
Erik Prince and Gregg Smith
were working together.
1138
00:56:22,988 --> 00:56:24,990
And then, at some point,
1139
00:56:24,990 --> 00:56:27,819
you know, he says he didn't like
what Erik Prince was doing.
1140
00:56:27,819 --> 00:56:30,082
Well, would it work for us
1141
00:56:30,082 --> 00:56:31,649
to come out
and sit down with you,
1142
00:56:32,301 --> 00:56:33,955
at the end of this month?
1143
00:56:33,955 --> 00:56:36,262
At first, it went really well.
He said he would talk to us.
1144
00:56:36,958 --> 00:56:40,179
And then, one day,
maybe a week or two
1145
00:56:40,179 --> 00:56:42,007
before we were set to fly
out and meet him...
1146
00:56:43,095 --> 00:56:45,445
Mallory: This is another tweet
that came from Gregg Smith
1147
00:56:45,445 --> 00:56:47,186
that said, "Just a heads up
to friends and journos
1148
00:56:47,186 --> 00:56:48,317
looking into Erik Prince."
1149
00:56:48,317 --> 00:56:49,928
"The word is Erik is using NSO
1150
00:56:49,928 --> 00:56:52,452
or a similar technology to track
a bunch of comms."
1151
00:56:52,452 --> 00:56:54,628
"Might want
to look into new devices
1152
00:56:54,628 --> 00:56:56,891
or have yours scrubbed.
2016 all over again."
1153
00:56:56,891 --> 00:56:59,938
Nate: And also we see
a tweet from Gregg Smith,
1154
00:56:59,938 --> 00:57:02,506
you know,
warning journos, journalists,
1155
00:57:02,767 --> 00:57:05,639
that Prince might be trying
to hack their phones.
1156
00:57:06,379 --> 00:57:09,251
"Nate, I've decided not to
participate in the documentary."
1157
00:57:09,251 --> 00:57:10,949
"Please cancel any plans
you have made
1158
00:57:10,949 --> 00:57:12,907
to come out here.
Regards, Gregg."
1159
00:57:13,647 --> 00:57:14,996
Doesn't want to be interviewed.
1160
00:57:15,910 --> 00:57:16,911
Director: Why?
1161
00:57:16,911 --> 00:57:18,217
He didn't say.
1162
00:57:18,217 --> 00:57:20,219
He hasn't responded
to my messages
1163
00:57:20,219 --> 00:57:22,787
or calls since, so...
I don't know.
1164
00:57:22,787 --> 00:57:25,659
I know last time we spoke,
you said you weren't interested
1165
00:57:25,659 --> 00:57:27,618
in being in the documentary,
and I totally hear that.
1166
00:57:27,618 --> 00:57:28,532
Um...
1167
00:57:30,316 --> 00:57:31,360
Mm-hmm.
1168
00:57:33,537 --> 00:57:36,104
He said, "I trust no one
but myself right now."
1169
00:57:39,586 --> 00:57:42,067
Nate: What about
the admiral in D.C.?
1170
00:57:42,459 --> 00:57:44,112
Mallory: So,
he's another potential person
1171
00:57:44,112 --> 00:57:46,332
and I reached out
to him last week
1172
00:57:46,332 --> 00:57:48,987
and I sort of,
you know, did the,
1173
00:57:48,987 --> 00:57:52,381
"Good evening sir,
as a former Marine, I..."
1174
00:57:52,381 --> 00:57:54,253
He said, "I don't have anything
to do with them anymore,
1175
00:57:54,253 --> 00:57:55,907
and I won't talk about that."
1176
00:57:55,907 --> 00:57:56,995
So...
1177
00:57:57,517 --> 00:57:59,519
Let's add in Dorian's...
1178
00:58:06,526 --> 00:58:08,180
Automated voice: Your call
has been forwarded to
1179
00:58:08,180 --> 00:58:09,529
an automated
voice messaging system.
1180
00:58:10,051 --> 00:58:11,531
And I just wanted to make sure
1181
00:58:11,531 --> 00:58:13,533
I give you every opportunity
to comment.
1182
00:58:13,533 --> 00:58:15,622
[phone ringing]
1183
00:58:15,622 --> 00:58:17,145
[failed call chime]
1184
00:58:17,145 --> 00:58:18,277
Automated voice:
The mailbox is full...
1185
00:58:18,712 --> 00:58:19,931
Nate: You know, so I think
in any investigation,
1186
00:58:19,931 --> 00:58:21,280
you hit a low point, right,
1187
00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:23,456
where you're swimming
in information,
1188
00:58:23,456 --> 00:58:25,153
you're trying
to make sense of it.
1189
00:58:26,285 --> 00:58:28,330
Emma: In order to tell
this story right,
1190
00:58:28,940 --> 00:58:30,811
you need to tell it on
this massive global scale.
1191
00:58:30,811 --> 00:58:31,769
That's right.
1192
00:58:32,334 --> 00:58:34,249
- It's all interconnected now.
- It's all connected.
1193
00:58:35,033 --> 00:58:36,513
It's like every thread
could be a story.
1194
00:58:36,513 --> 00:58:38,645
Every thread could be
something potentially,
1195
00:58:38,645 --> 00:58:40,386
if you do enough digging.
1196
00:58:40,386 --> 00:58:42,127
And it's hard to not feel
overwhelmed.
1197
00:58:43,998 --> 00:58:45,522
Nate:
And then in a story like this,
1198
00:58:45,522 --> 00:58:48,133
you're also dealing with
the fact that you're witnessing
1199
00:58:48,133 --> 00:58:49,438
the callousness of...
1200
00:58:50,091 --> 00:58:53,181
the way we're seeing people
treat other humans.
1201
00:58:53,747 --> 00:58:56,010
Um... It gets to you
after a while.
1202
00:58:56,533 --> 00:58:58,273
So here's one of the examples
1203
00:58:58,273 --> 00:59:00,580
of an email I came across
from Sean Rump.
1204
00:59:00,580 --> 00:59:01,886
Sean Rump is his right-hand man.
1205
00:59:01,886 --> 00:59:02,887
Yeah, yeah.
1206
00:59:03,235 --> 00:59:04,366
Mallory: "If you come across
some run-over,
1207
00:59:04,366 --> 00:59:06,412
shot, or otherwise
fucked-up native..."
1208
00:59:06,412 --> 00:59:08,240
This is hard for me to even
say out loud.
1209
00:59:08,240 --> 00:59:10,808
But obviously, I'm reading
from this. So...
1210
00:59:10,808 --> 00:59:12,592
"If you come across
some run-over, shot,
1211
00:59:12,592 --> 00:59:14,463
or otherwise fucked-up native,
say a prayer for them."
1212
00:59:14,463 --> 00:59:17,075
"You don't help injured bleeding
people in Africa."
1213
00:59:17,075 --> 00:59:20,818
"AIDS, Hep A, B and C
and the myriad of other ailments
1214
00:59:20,818 --> 00:59:23,081
that keep their life expectancy
around 42
1215
00:59:23,081 --> 00:59:25,257
is to be avoided at all costs."
1216
00:59:25,257 --> 00:59:26,737
"People die in the Third World."
1217
00:59:26,737 --> 00:59:28,477
"It's Darwin's selection
at its most pure."
1218
00:59:31,350 --> 00:59:32,699
It was really upsetting,
1219
00:59:32,699 --> 00:59:35,267
and I think that sort of
indicates what they are...
1220
00:59:35,267 --> 00:59:36,181
Yeah, it's infuriating.
1221
00:59:36,921 --> 00:59:38,357
They can't come forward and say,
1222
00:59:38,357 --> 00:59:40,533
"We're going to Africa to build
farms to feed Africans."
1223
00:59:40,533 --> 00:59:42,927
Like, you just said you don't
give a fuck about Africans.
1224
00:59:55,026 --> 00:59:55,896
Nate: David.
1225
00:59:57,028 --> 00:59:57,985
Mallory: Hello.
1226
00:59:58,464 --> 00:59:59,726
How's it going?
1227
01:00:01,032 --> 01:00:03,904
David: So, this is the galaxy.
1228
01:00:03,904 --> 01:00:05,427
What we call the galaxy.
1229
01:00:05,427 --> 01:00:07,778
And basically, it is all
of the connections
1230
01:00:07,778 --> 01:00:11,477
that we've found so far
from looking through the trove.
1231
01:00:11,477 --> 01:00:13,827
Nate: David is like
the wizard behind the curtain
1232
01:00:13,827 --> 01:00:15,524
that nobody ever sees.
1233
01:00:15,873 --> 01:00:18,484
David: And so this shows
who was communicating
1234
01:00:18,484 --> 01:00:20,312
with who on the emails.
1235
01:00:20,312 --> 01:00:22,531
Nate: He took, you know,
this trove of emails,
1236
01:00:22,531 --> 01:00:24,185
of Erik Prince's
company's emails,
1237
01:00:24,185 --> 01:00:26,013
with all of these attachments
1238
01:00:26,013 --> 01:00:28,102
and worked with
the CIR data team
1239
01:00:28,102 --> 01:00:30,496
to, you know,
put it all into a database
1240
01:00:30,496 --> 01:00:33,455
that we could search.
And then David, on top of that,
1241
01:00:33,455 --> 01:00:36,502
built this incredible
visualization tool.
1242
01:00:36,502 --> 01:00:38,809
David: And that allowed us
to build out
1243
01:00:38,809 --> 01:00:40,114
some of these other connections.
1244
01:00:40,114 --> 01:00:42,682
And from this we saw
that Erik Prince
1245
01:00:42,682 --> 01:00:46,773
was tied to his company,
Frontier Resource Group...
1246
01:00:47,078 --> 01:00:51,256
Nate: After months and months,
you know, we had a breakthrough.
1247
01:00:52,257 --> 01:00:56,304
Frontier Resource Group,
they had a silent partner
1248
01:00:56,304 --> 01:00:58,480
that we, or one
of my teammates specifically,
1249
01:00:58,480 --> 01:01:00,700
had that eureka moment,
where she was like,
1250
01:01:00,700 --> 01:01:04,225
"I think I've figured out
who's secretly backing them."
1251
01:01:04,922 --> 01:01:07,315
Something called RG.
I stumbled upon an email,
1252
01:01:07,315 --> 01:01:11,145
where they were saying that it
was tied to RG, these initials.
1253
01:01:11,406 --> 01:01:13,408
And that it was something
that the boss
1254
01:01:13,408 --> 01:01:14,671
didn't want anybody
to talk about.
1255
01:01:15,367 --> 01:01:17,412
So once I started doing
some searches,
1256
01:01:17,412 --> 01:01:19,545
I found this email
called Royal Group,
1257
01:01:19,545 --> 01:01:20,764
with Sheikh Tahnoon's
name in it.
1258
01:01:22,591 --> 01:01:23,941
Nate: This is Sheikh Tahnoon.
1259
01:01:25,203 --> 01:01:27,858
Brother of the ruler
of the United Arab Emirates.
1260
01:01:27,858 --> 01:01:29,686
A member of the royal family.
1261
01:01:31,122 --> 01:01:33,472
Sheikh Tahnoon was the founder
of First Gulf Bank,
1262
01:01:33,472 --> 01:01:34,865
now First Abu Dhabi Bank.
1263
01:01:35,300 --> 01:01:39,957
He is behind ADQ, which is
a huge sovereign wealth fund.
1264
01:01:42,655 --> 01:01:44,526
Nate: One of the most
powerful men in the world.
1265
01:01:45,832 --> 01:01:47,007
That's his backer.
1266
01:01:47,355 --> 01:01:50,532
Runs the national security
for the Emirates.
1267
01:01:51,446 --> 01:01:52,839
You know,
he's building companies
1268
01:01:52,839 --> 01:01:56,103
to dig into spy tech,
intelligence efforts.
1269
01:01:56,625 --> 01:01:58,192
This is a bigger-than-life guy.
1270
01:01:59,193 --> 01:02:00,760
And Sheikh Tahnoon's companies,
1271
01:02:00,760 --> 01:02:02,501
they've gone on
a huge buying spree.
1272
01:02:02,849 --> 01:02:05,025
They've bought one
of the largest grain traders
1273
01:02:05,025 --> 01:02:06,853
in the world,
or a big portion of it.
1274
01:02:07,158 --> 01:02:09,160
And they're buying companies
that own food
1275
01:02:09,160 --> 01:02:10,639
and water all over the world.
1276
01:02:11,379 --> 01:02:12,903
When we figured out
it was Tahnoon,
1277
01:02:12,903 --> 01:02:16,515
it again was
the pattern re-emerging.
1278
01:02:17,298 --> 01:02:19,605
It was another
water-stressed country
1279
01:02:19,605 --> 01:02:21,825
that was going to another
part of the world
1280
01:02:21,825 --> 01:02:24,218
to grab food
and water resources.
1281
01:02:24,218 --> 01:02:26,351
And this time,
it wasn't Arizona.
1282
01:02:26,351 --> 01:02:28,483
It was all across Africa.
1283
01:02:29,789 --> 01:02:33,140
The question is, why does
Tahnoon need Erik Prince?
1284
01:02:33,140 --> 01:02:34,446
Turn the camera off, man.
1285
01:02:34,881 --> 01:02:36,970
You know, we've reached out
to Erik Prince.
1286
01:02:36,970 --> 01:02:38,580
I've gone to his offices
in Hong Kong.
1287
01:02:38,580 --> 01:02:40,365
You know, we've reached out
to Sheikh Tahnoon,
1288
01:02:40,365 --> 01:02:42,541
and we haven't been able
to get anywhere with it.
1289
01:02:42,541 --> 01:02:45,457
But we found somebody
who was willing to talk to us.
1290
01:02:45,457 --> 01:02:47,111
Somebody who was on the inside.
1291
01:02:52,203 --> 01:02:54,335
Robert: [over phone]
So you're gonna drive through,
1292
01:02:54,335 --> 01:02:55,467
go straight up.
1293
01:02:55,467 --> 01:02:57,861
[gate opening]
1294
01:02:58,949 --> 01:03:00,341
Look how beautiful. Wow.
1295
01:03:01,386 --> 01:03:03,692
Yeah, it's a pretty nice
fucking spread.
1296
01:03:05,172 --> 01:03:07,435
I'm gonna go into business
with Erik Prince.
1297
01:03:08,480 --> 01:03:11,570
So this is a souvenir
from my special forces friends
1298
01:03:11,570 --> 01:03:13,398
who are working in Syria.
1299
01:03:13,702 --> 01:03:16,009
And I asked him
for an ISIS flag.
1300
01:03:16,009 --> 01:03:17,968
Nate: Robert Young Pelton
is a writer.
1301
01:03:17,968 --> 01:03:19,143
He's an entrepreneur.
1302
01:03:19,665 --> 01:03:22,233
He even has run, you know,
intelligence networks in Africa.
1303
01:03:22,233 --> 01:03:24,017
They just loosed off
a few artillery shells at us,
1304
01:03:24,017 --> 01:03:25,105
but, uh...
1305
01:03:25,671 --> 01:03:27,325
Nate: He shows up in
the emails. He's in the emails.
1306
01:03:27,325 --> 01:03:29,588
Him and Erik Prince
worked together for years.
1307
01:03:29,588 --> 01:03:31,720
You know, at one point
they have a falling out.
1308
01:03:31,720 --> 01:03:33,287
They even at one point
sued each other.
1309
01:03:33,287 --> 01:03:35,855
He's written books about
the Blackwater guys.
1310
01:03:35,855 --> 01:03:37,944
I mean, he knows
this world well.
1311
01:03:38,945 --> 01:03:41,513
It's wrong to be
obsessed with Erik Prince
1312
01:03:41,513 --> 01:03:44,733
because it's kind of like,
how did he get into the room?
1313
01:03:44,733 --> 01:03:46,213
Like, who led him into the room?
1314
01:03:46,213 --> 01:03:48,259
So you got to remember,
the UAE...
1315
01:03:48,955 --> 01:03:50,522
energized Erik Prince.
1316
01:03:51,262 --> 01:03:52,829
So, I've known Erik, I mean...
1317
01:03:54,308 --> 01:03:56,876
ten years, I guess.
I've known him more than that.
1318
01:03:56,876 --> 01:03:59,052
And he's gone through
different phases.
1319
01:03:59,052 --> 01:04:00,837
He did something
very interesting.
1320
01:04:01,750 --> 01:04:04,405
Well, and that is basically,
what's the most valuable thing
1321
01:04:04,405 --> 01:04:06,190
to the wealthiest people?
1322
01:04:06,581 --> 01:04:07,844
Security. Right?
1323
01:04:08,540 --> 01:04:12,065
Sheikh Tahnoon is responsible
for the security
1324
01:04:12,065 --> 01:04:13,806
and well-being of the kingdom.
1325
01:04:13,806 --> 01:04:16,243
That's a very heavy
responsibility to have.
1326
01:04:17,723 --> 01:04:21,901
Erik was hired to help build
a mercenary army
1327
01:04:21,901 --> 01:04:23,860
for the Emirati royal family.
1328
01:04:26,688 --> 01:04:28,429
Nate: People in
the national security sphere,
1329
01:04:28,429 --> 01:04:30,562
like Tahnoon,
they know that this is
1330
01:04:30,562 --> 01:04:32,520
a political stability issue.
1331
01:04:33,173 --> 01:04:34,827
Ultimately,
what they're controlling
1332
01:04:34,827 --> 01:04:39,179
is not having a bunch
of hungry, pissed-off citizens.
1333
01:04:39,658 --> 01:04:42,530
And this is what people tell us
over and over again
1334
01:04:42,530 --> 01:04:44,402
is what happened
with the Arab Spring.
1335
01:04:44,402 --> 01:04:46,186
- ♪ [anxious music playing]
- [indistinct clamor]
1336
01:04:46,186 --> 01:04:48,188
Reporter: This is what popular
uprising looks like.
1337
01:04:48,188 --> 01:04:50,234
- [gunfire]
- [yelling]
1338
01:04:50,234 --> 01:04:52,410
Reporter: It appears to be
the end for Tunisia's president
1339
01:04:52,410 --> 01:04:54,455
after 23 years in power.
1340
01:04:54,455 --> 01:04:56,936
[chanting in Arabic]
1341
01:04:57,197 --> 01:04:59,808
So the Arab Spring
was a key time
1342
01:04:59,808 --> 01:05:03,334
in the last decade
for agriculture in general.
1343
01:05:03,334 --> 01:05:05,379
And it was the result
of shortages
1344
01:05:05,379 --> 01:05:07,468
of available food supply
around the world.
1345
01:05:07,468 --> 01:05:09,906
[shouting in Arabic]
1346
01:05:09,906 --> 01:05:12,386
Reporter 1: Unrest is spreading
across the Arab world...
1347
01:05:12,386 --> 01:05:14,084
Reporter 2: Now to the growing
unrest in the Middle East.
1348
01:05:14,084 --> 01:05:16,347
Reporter 3: Protests that
toppled President Hosni Mubarak
1349
01:05:16,347 --> 01:05:18,653
in Egypt are now ripping
through the Middle East,
1350
01:05:18,653 --> 01:05:20,699
with anti-government
demonstrations in Bahrain,
1351
01:05:20,699 --> 01:05:23,310
Yemen, and most
significantly in Iran.
1352
01:05:23,310 --> 01:05:26,226
Reporter 4: The political fires
that burned across North Africa,
1353
01:05:26,226 --> 01:05:28,968
many say, were kindled
in Russia last summer.
1354
01:05:29,403 --> 01:05:31,449
Extreme drought
triggered wildfires
1355
01:05:31,449 --> 01:05:34,278
and destroyed a third
of the country's wheat harvest.
1356
01:05:34,278 --> 01:05:36,976
Russia refused to export
the rest of its harvest.
1357
01:05:36,976 --> 01:05:39,805
Markets panicked
and food prices shot up.
1358
01:05:40,414 --> 01:05:43,765
Nate: When Russia
shut down its wheat exports,
1359
01:05:44,027 --> 01:05:46,159
they needed to make sure
they had enough grain at home,
1360
01:05:46,159 --> 01:05:48,118
so people wouldn't
slaughter their cattle.
1361
01:05:48,118 --> 01:05:50,990
They were
protecting Putin's idea
1362
01:05:50,990 --> 01:05:52,949
of building up that cattle herd.
1363
01:05:52,949 --> 01:05:54,907
The cattle industry
that they were importing
1364
01:05:54,907 --> 01:05:56,387
American cowboys for.
1365
01:05:56,691 --> 01:05:57,997
And when they did that,
1366
01:05:57,997 --> 01:06:00,826
it sent global grain prices
through the roof.
1367
01:06:01,740 --> 01:06:03,742
[indistinct clamor]
1368
01:06:03,742 --> 01:06:05,613
Reporter: Meanwhile,
the revolution in Egypt
1369
01:06:05,613 --> 01:06:07,876
has sparked a new wave
of protests across the region.
1370
01:06:08,616 --> 01:06:10,096
Nate:
Anytime you talk to somebody
1371
01:06:10,096 --> 01:06:11,924
in the intelligence community,
they always say, like,
1372
01:06:11,924 --> 01:06:14,100
"It's never
just one thing, right?"
1373
01:06:14,405 --> 01:06:16,581
"It's a combination of things."
1374
01:06:16,581 --> 01:06:19,366
But in this case, our sources
are telling us
1375
01:06:19,366 --> 01:06:21,455
that the thing
that pushes it over the cliff
1376
01:06:21,934 --> 01:06:23,066
is food prices.
1377
01:06:23,631 --> 01:06:25,111
Food prices spiking.
1378
01:06:25,807 --> 01:06:27,374
All across the Middle East,
1379
01:06:27,374 --> 01:06:29,681
countries saw what happened
in the Arab Spring.
1380
01:06:30,203 --> 01:06:32,901
They saw what happened
when food prices spiked,
1381
01:06:33,250 --> 01:06:35,339
and they said, "We need
to control our food
1382
01:06:35,339 --> 01:06:37,863
if we want to control
our political stability."
1383
01:06:39,647 --> 01:06:42,694
So this email is
on the last day of the trove,
1384
01:06:42,955 --> 01:06:44,739
September 25th, 2012.
1385
01:06:45,262 --> 01:06:47,786
It says, "He's the fourth
richest man in China."
1386
01:06:47,786 --> 01:06:49,135
"We're gonna have
dinner together
1387
01:06:49,135 --> 01:06:51,616
at our mutual friend's
home in Shenzhen."
1388
01:06:51,616 --> 01:06:53,009
Nate:
So we had our breakthrough.
1389
01:06:53,009 --> 01:06:55,185
We figured out who his
financial backer was.
1390
01:06:55,446 --> 01:06:56,751
And at the end of the trove,
you know,
1391
01:06:56,751 --> 01:06:58,927
we can't see which
of those big farm deals,
1392
01:06:58,927 --> 01:07:00,103
if any, they finalized.
1393
01:07:00,668 --> 01:07:03,193
But we can see that they're
going in search of a new client.
1394
01:07:03,193 --> 01:07:06,283
And we follow that path
to Hong Kong.
1395
01:07:06,805 --> 01:07:09,068
When we start researching there,
1396
01:07:09,068 --> 01:07:11,027
we found out
he's got a new backer.
1397
01:07:11,853 --> 01:07:12,767
China.
1398
01:07:13,333 --> 01:07:16,032
And we're back where the entire
investigation started.
1399
01:07:16,554 --> 01:07:18,469
♪ [tense music playing] ♪
1400
01:07:18,469 --> 01:07:19,905
Erik Prince:
Frontier Service Group,
1401
01:07:19,905 --> 01:07:21,080
a Hong Kong company,
1402
01:07:21,080 --> 01:07:25,389
will provide fresh capital,
know-how.
1403
01:07:25,389 --> 01:07:28,044
And we'll tie it into
our logistics expertise.
1404
01:07:28,044 --> 01:07:30,568
We have a significant
logistics operation
1405
01:07:30,568 --> 01:07:31,960
that operates from South Africa.
1406
01:07:32,396 --> 01:07:34,354
Nate: Well, I think
the takeaway here is that
1407
01:07:34,354 --> 01:07:36,400
the world's
wealthiest governments
1408
01:07:36,400 --> 01:07:38,054
are turning to Erik Prince
1409
01:07:38,054 --> 01:07:40,578
to help them
get into Africa, right,
1410
01:07:40,578 --> 01:07:43,755
to help them use
his muscle and know-how
1411
01:07:43,755 --> 01:07:46,497
from working in the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars
1412
01:07:46,497 --> 01:07:49,021
to get resources out of Africa.
1413
01:07:49,021 --> 01:07:51,458
And so we started looking into
Erik Prince's new company.
1414
01:07:51,458 --> 01:07:53,982
And he's got a new partner,
Johnson Ko.
1415
01:07:54,374 --> 01:07:56,028
A well-known Hong Kong financier
1416
01:07:56,289 --> 01:07:58,465
with ties to
the Chinese government.
1417
01:07:58,726 --> 01:08:01,816
And around 2014, at the same
time when they became partners,
1418
01:08:01,816 --> 01:08:04,515
Johnson Ko had helped create
another new company,
1419
01:08:04,515 --> 01:08:05,907
KuangChi Science.
1420
01:08:05,907 --> 01:08:08,214
which had started doing
classified research
1421
01:08:08,214 --> 01:08:09,868
for the Chinese government.
1422
01:08:09,868 --> 01:08:11,565
Announcer: The development
of a jetpack
1423
01:08:11,565 --> 01:08:12,958
that based on current testing,
1424
01:08:12,958 --> 01:08:15,569
will have over 30 minutes
flight capability
1425
01:08:15,569 --> 01:08:18,224
and an altitude
up to 1,000 meters.
1426
01:08:18,224 --> 01:08:21,575
This company,
KuangChi Science, bills itself
1427
01:08:21,575 --> 01:08:23,795
as helping within
the African market.
1428
01:08:24,143 --> 01:08:27,320
Announcer: With potential usage
spanning search and rescue...
1429
01:08:27,320 --> 01:08:30,541
Nate: So Erik Prince's
partner was part of a company
1430
01:08:30,541 --> 01:08:32,456
that was designing jetpacks.
1431
01:08:33,370 --> 01:08:35,502
They were billing these things
as could be used
1432
01:08:35,502 --> 01:08:36,808
for executive extraction.
1433
01:08:36,808 --> 01:08:41,204
So, if an executive
was at a refinery
1434
01:08:41,204 --> 01:08:43,293
or at a big corporate farm,
1435
01:08:43,597 --> 01:08:45,208
and people rose up,
1436
01:08:45,208 --> 01:08:47,993
and there was unrest,
and there was an attack,
1437
01:08:47,993 --> 01:08:51,127
you could get into your jetpack
and...[whistles] ...get out.
1438
01:08:54,217 --> 01:08:56,044
They're doing
all kinds of things.
1439
01:08:56,567 --> 01:08:58,438
They're doing
invisibility cloaks.
1440
01:08:59,570 --> 01:09:02,486
Reporter: It works by bending
the light around an object.
1441
01:09:03,400 --> 01:09:05,619
Imagine what that could do
for a sniper.
1442
01:09:05,619 --> 01:09:07,317
Nate: You know,
secret classified work
1443
01:09:07,317 --> 01:09:08,753
for the Chinese military.
1444
01:09:08,753 --> 01:09:11,756
[speaking Chinese]
1445
01:09:11,756 --> 01:09:13,192
You just got to remember,
I started looking
1446
01:09:13,192 --> 01:09:15,847
at food and water.
I started looking at pigs,
1447
01:09:15,847 --> 01:09:17,327
if you really want
to get down to it.
1448
01:09:18,066 --> 01:09:21,244
Why and how China purchased
one in four American pigs.
1449
01:09:21,592 --> 01:09:25,639
How I went from pigs
to invisibility cloaks...
1450
01:09:25,900 --> 01:09:30,166
And just following it,
I found myself back in China.
1451
01:09:31,776 --> 01:09:34,561
Yeah, and you know,
it kind of makes sense.
1452
01:09:34,561 --> 01:09:38,086
Because China is one of the most
powerful countries in the world.
1453
01:09:38,609 --> 01:09:41,829
But we know that China, the one
thing that they really need...
1454
01:09:42,352 --> 01:09:43,918
food and water resources.
1455
01:09:45,181 --> 01:09:51,143
The truth is, China's
economic growth strategy
1456
01:09:51,404 --> 01:09:53,928
is non-sustainable.
1457
01:09:54,712 --> 01:09:58,455
China is running
out of water in the north.
1458
01:09:59,412 --> 01:10:02,285
And without water,
you can't grow.
1459
01:10:02,285 --> 01:10:04,069
♪ [ominous music playing]
1460
01:10:07,551 --> 01:10:09,857
Nate: Hongzhou, thank you
so much for sitting down
1461
01:10:09,857 --> 01:10:12,208
and talking with us.
I appreciate it.
1462
01:10:12,730 --> 01:10:16,212
Can you just say in basic terms
what the Great Famine is?
1463
01:11:02,170 --> 01:11:04,738
[speaking Chinese]
1464
01:11:04,738 --> 01:11:07,741
Hongzhou:
1465
01:11:28,066 --> 01:11:29,633
One thing that I saw
in your book
1466
01:11:29,633 --> 01:11:33,332
that I didn't know was that
during the Great Famine,
1467
01:11:33,332 --> 01:11:34,768
the U.S. had a...
1468
01:11:34,768 --> 01:11:38,555
When millions of people
were starving in China,
1469
01:11:39,033 --> 01:11:41,340
the U.S. had an embargo
against China.
1470
01:11:41,819 --> 01:11:44,343
So they wouldn't let food
go into China.
1471
01:11:44,343 --> 01:11:45,344
Hongzhou: Yes.
1472
01:11:58,052 --> 01:11:58,966
Um...
1473
01:12:23,077 --> 01:12:25,993
Nate: The leadership
of China remember a period
1474
01:12:25,993 --> 01:12:28,169
of dark, deep deprivation.
1475
01:12:28,605 --> 01:12:30,476
And they don't ever wanna
go back there.
1476
01:12:30,476 --> 01:12:32,565
And they know
that their political futures
1477
01:12:32,565 --> 01:12:34,132
and the stability of the country
1478
01:12:34,132 --> 01:12:36,743
is based on being able
to feed their people.
1479
01:12:36,743 --> 01:12:39,746
It's become part
of their five-year plan,
1480
01:12:39,746 --> 01:12:42,619
their national
security strategy,
1481
01:12:42,619 --> 01:12:44,708
to get food and water
from around the world.
1482
01:12:44,969 --> 01:12:47,319
♪ [ominous music continues] ♪
1483
01:12:47,319 --> 01:12:50,844
Nate: And this is what
we're seeing. This is the grab.
1484
01:12:51,584 --> 01:12:55,109
A scramble for food and water
in the 21st century.
1485
01:12:56,763 --> 01:12:59,070
Slowly, we're seeing
a massive consolidation
1486
01:12:59,070 --> 01:13:01,333
of who controls the food
and the water in the world.
1487
01:13:03,422 --> 01:13:04,684
[chanting]
1488
01:13:05,076 --> 01:13:07,600
Nate: If we know that
hungry people are unhappy people
1489
01:13:07,600 --> 01:13:10,298
and unhappy people rise up,
1490
01:13:10,734 --> 01:13:12,344
it's kind of a no-brainer
to make the connection
1491
01:13:12,344 --> 01:13:13,867
that there might be conflict.
1492
01:13:14,868 --> 01:13:18,219
And this is what we're starting
to see, all across Africa.
1493
01:13:18,524 --> 01:13:21,179
People fighting back
when their land is taken.
1494
01:13:24,182 --> 01:13:25,705
Just now, we're getting
reports from Brig
1495
01:13:25,705 --> 01:13:27,359
that people are rising up.
1496
01:13:28,099 --> 01:13:30,318
That there are these incidents
now of conflict
1497
01:13:30,318 --> 01:13:31,885
that are beginning to bubble up.
1498
01:13:34,061 --> 01:13:36,281
People are beginning
to push back.
1499
01:13:36,281 --> 01:13:39,023
[crowd shouting indistinctly]
1500
01:13:41,155 --> 01:13:42,374
Cameraman:
Tell me what happened here.
1501
01:14:05,571 --> 01:14:07,747
Nate: And then we got
an update from Brig,
1502
01:14:07,747 --> 01:14:09,270
who had visited his homeland,
1503
01:14:09,270 --> 01:14:11,055
his ancestral land
where he grew up.
1504
01:14:11,925 --> 01:14:13,361
And it was happening there, too.
1505
01:14:40,214 --> 01:14:42,521
[chatter and laughter]
1506
01:14:43,217 --> 01:14:46,743
Brig:
1507
01:15:25,477 --> 01:15:28,567
♪ [melancholy music playing]
1508
01:15:28,567 --> 01:15:30,090
Nate: And they're trying so hard
1509
01:15:30,090 --> 01:15:31,744
to get the world
to pay attention
1510
01:15:31,744 --> 01:15:33,964
to what's happening to them.
You know?
1511
01:15:33,964 --> 01:15:36,836
They're using their cell phones
to document what's happening
1512
01:15:37,707 --> 01:15:40,536
to show the world
in real time what's going on.
1513
01:15:40,884 --> 01:15:44,801
[indistinct argument]
1514
01:15:44,801 --> 01:15:47,151
Nate: We don't always know
who the investors were there.
1515
01:15:47,630 --> 01:15:51,111
China, UAE, Saudi Arabia,
1516
01:15:51,111 --> 01:15:53,853
Wall Street, Erik Prince.
We don't know.
1517
01:15:54,941 --> 01:15:57,465
But we can see the damage being
done on the ground.
1518
01:15:58,423 --> 01:16:01,557
[indistinct chatter]
1519
01:16:01,905 --> 01:16:04,864
[machinery whirring]
1520
01:16:07,563 --> 01:16:12,655
[in Lala]
1521
01:16:14,439 --> 01:16:15,658
[crowd murmuring]
1522
01:16:18,965 --> 01:16:20,053
[crowd murmurs]
1523
01:16:29,802 --> 01:16:30,760
[crowd murmurs]
1524
01:16:31,674 --> 01:16:34,720
♪ [pensive music playing]
1525
01:16:36,592 --> 01:16:39,029
[in English]
1526
01:16:55,349 --> 01:16:56,524
It does...
1527
01:17:03,009 --> 01:17:04,968
This is the idea of being
1528
01:17:04,968 --> 01:17:07,623
these quote, unquote,
"frontier markets." Right?
1529
01:17:07,623 --> 01:17:10,321
They're very far
from watching eyes.
1530
01:17:10,756 --> 01:17:12,671
These things kind of
happen in the shadows.
1531
01:17:12,671 --> 01:17:15,021
And these are...
Ultimately, they can become
1532
01:17:15,021 --> 01:17:16,414
just forgotten people,
1533
01:17:16,806 --> 01:17:19,809
until they get pissed enough,
until they rise up,
1534
01:17:19,809 --> 01:17:21,767
until there's
a big enough conflict
1535
01:17:21,767 --> 01:17:24,248
that the world takes note
for a little bit.
1536
01:17:24,596 --> 01:17:26,250
♪ [pensive music continues] ♪
1537
01:17:26,642 --> 01:17:30,297
[in Somali]
1538
01:17:35,259 --> 01:17:38,088
Nate: [in English]
One of the surprising
things we learned was that
1539
01:17:38,088 --> 01:17:40,786
Somali pirates
came from fishermen
1540
01:17:41,178 --> 01:17:43,484
that had their fishing stocks
depleted.
1541
01:17:45,661 --> 01:17:46,792
Foreigners came in.
1542
01:17:47,184 --> 01:17:48,968
They trawled all of the fish
out of those regions.
1543
01:17:49,447 --> 01:17:52,755
And so the Somalis that had
been making their livings
1544
01:17:52,755 --> 01:17:55,540
off of going out and fishing
and selling that fish
1545
01:17:55,540 --> 01:17:57,281
didn't have that income anymore.
1546
01:17:57,281 --> 01:18:00,197
And it was an incentive
for them to become
1547
01:18:00,197 --> 01:18:01,720
quote, unquote, "pirates."
1548
01:18:02,068 --> 01:18:04,157
Reporter 1: More than 90 ships
have been attacked this year.
1549
01:18:04,592 --> 01:18:06,769
And at least 36
have been hijacked,
1550
01:18:06,769 --> 01:18:08,684
according to the International
Maritime Bureau.
1551
01:18:08,684 --> 01:18:10,207
Reporter 2:
To defend themselves,
1552
01:18:10,207 --> 01:18:11,861
shipping companies
are now spending
1553
01:18:11,861 --> 01:18:14,994
close to a billion
dollars on private guards,
1554
01:18:14,994 --> 01:18:17,475
who are now waging
a largely hidden
1555
01:18:17,475 --> 01:18:19,869
mercenary war against pirates.
1556
01:18:20,260 --> 01:18:23,263
[machine gun fire]
1557
01:18:23,263 --> 01:18:28,225
You know, where does Daesh,
or ISIS, or ISIL, pop up?
1558
01:18:28,529 --> 01:18:32,229
It pops up in places
where it's, you know,
1559
01:18:32,229 --> 01:18:34,971
tough to get by,
generally speaking.
1560
01:18:35,493 --> 01:18:37,321
Translator:
I swear to the Almighty God,
1561
01:18:37,321 --> 01:18:39,758
you will not see them again
until after you release
1562
01:18:39,758 --> 01:18:41,238
our people that you captured.
1563
01:18:41,238 --> 01:18:44,415
Ertharin: That's
a reality in too many places.
1564
01:18:44,415 --> 01:18:48,027
Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria,
the Lake Chad region.
1565
01:18:48,462 --> 01:18:51,422
Al-Shabaab in Somalia.
1566
01:18:51,944 --> 01:18:55,078
You can go around
the continent and identify
1567
01:18:55,426 --> 01:19:00,387
different extremist groups
that prey upon deprivation.
1568
01:19:01,084 --> 01:19:02,868
- [crowd chanting]
- They are not happy.
1569
01:19:02,868 --> 01:19:04,783
Schoonover:
There are ongoing conflicts
1570
01:19:04,783 --> 01:19:07,830
in Yemen, in Libya,
1571
01:19:07,830 --> 01:19:10,441
Mali, Venezuela, of course.
1572
01:19:11,050 --> 01:19:12,835
It would not be
in the best interests
1573
01:19:12,835 --> 01:19:15,054
of the United States
to add to that list.
1574
01:19:15,054 --> 01:19:17,230
[indistinct clamor]
1575
01:19:17,230 --> 01:19:19,276
Schoonover: If you follow
this trajectory,
1576
01:19:19,276 --> 01:19:25,108
we may see a world that is
essentially unrecognizable.
1577
01:19:27,893 --> 01:19:31,592
A world war triggered
by competition
1578
01:19:31,592 --> 01:19:33,551
over natural resources
1579
01:19:33,551 --> 01:19:36,815
doesn't seem
that improbable to me.
1580
01:19:36,815 --> 01:19:37,990
Um...
1581
01:19:37,990 --> 01:19:39,949
Whether we go to war
or not, you know,
1582
01:19:39,949 --> 01:19:41,733
that's a political
decision, right?
1583
01:19:46,085 --> 01:19:49,915
[footsteps echoing]
1584
01:19:52,265 --> 01:19:53,919
[film crew speaking Russian]
1585
01:19:55,791 --> 01:19:58,924
[conversation in Russian]
1586
01:20:02,362 --> 01:20:03,624
Crew member:
We are rolling, guys.
1587
01:20:03,624 --> 01:20:06,802
[conversation in Russian]
1588
01:20:07,672 --> 01:20:09,239
Nate: [in English]
Andriy, thank you so much
1589
01:20:09,239 --> 01:20:11,371
for doing this interview
with us.
1590
01:20:11,371 --> 01:20:13,547
I know it's late
in the evening there.
1591
01:20:13,547 --> 01:20:17,203
So back in 2020, we interviewed
Andriy Senchenko,
1592
01:20:17,203 --> 01:20:20,380
the former Deputy Chief of Staff
for the Ukrainian president
1593
01:20:20,380 --> 01:20:23,557
when Russia grabbed
Crimea in 2014.
1594
01:20:23,557 --> 01:20:24,994
♪ [pensive music playing]
1595
01:20:24,994 --> 01:20:26,952
Reporter 1:
This is a Russian invasion.
1596
01:20:26,952 --> 01:20:30,521
The U.S. says it has no doubt
these are Russian forces
1597
01:20:30,521 --> 01:20:32,697
and has demanded
their immediate withdrawal.
1598
01:20:32,697 --> 01:20:34,568
Reporter 2:
When Russian forces invaded,
1599
01:20:34,568 --> 01:20:36,919
the Ukrainian government
then built this dam
1600
01:20:36,919 --> 01:20:40,574
to try and stop the water flow
and force the Russians out.
1601
01:20:41,010 --> 01:20:42,794
Nate: And it turns out
that when Russia
1602
01:20:42,794 --> 01:20:44,840
came over and grabbed Crimea,
1603
01:20:45,666 --> 01:20:47,320
the Ukrainians were like,
cool, well...
1604
01:20:47,320 --> 01:20:48,931
[clicks tongue] No water.
1605
01:20:49,453 --> 01:20:51,803
And it was this decision
made by Senchenko.
1606
01:20:51,803 --> 01:20:53,022
[speaking Russian]
1607
01:20:53,022 --> 01:20:54,632
Nate: And so, yeah,
we were like,
1608
01:20:54,632 --> 01:20:56,286
"Well, we gotta talk
to this guy."
1609
01:20:56,286 --> 01:20:59,855
So, when the Russians
entered Crimea,
1610
01:20:59,855 --> 01:21:02,248
why cut off
their water supply?
1611
01:21:03,293 --> 01:21:08,167
[in Russian]
1612
01:21:26,882 --> 01:21:28,666
Nate: [in English]
So by the time we talked to him,
1613
01:21:28,666 --> 01:21:31,408
the water to Crimea had been
shut off for seven years.
1614
01:21:31,712 --> 01:21:33,801
The agriculture
had been decimated.
1615
01:21:34,541 --> 01:21:36,108
They were trying
to put in desal plants,
1616
01:21:36,108 --> 01:21:38,110
they were trucking water over.
1617
01:21:38,110 --> 01:21:40,504
And it had become
so expensive for the Russians
1618
01:21:40,504 --> 01:21:43,681
that a lot of people were
beginning to conjecture
1619
01:21:43,681 --> 01:21:46,249
that in order to save Crimea,
1620
01:21:46,640 --> 01:21:48,947
Putin was going to
have to invade Ukraine
1621
01:21:48,947 --> 01:21:50,862
and take control
of that water canal.
1622
01:21:51,950 --> 01:21:55,911
The Crimea buildup is
getting pretty intense now.
1623
01:21:55,911 --> 01:21:57,869
- There's, like, 80,000 troops.
- Emma: Yeah.
1624
01:21:57,869 --> 01:21:59,958
Nate: So, Mal's tracking this.
1625
01:21:59,958 --> 01:22:02,439
Mal's tracking this dispute
over water
1626
01:22:02,439 --> 01:22:03,919
between Russia and Ukraine.
1627
01:22:04,615 --> 01:22:07,400
Because this was a case
where tensions over water
1628
01:22:07,400 --> 01:22:09,011
could spark
an international war.
1629
01:22:09,315 --> 01:22:11,013
They built up these troops,
they're doing exercises,
1630
01:22:11,013 --> 01:22:13,580
and they're
bringing in artillery, and...
1631
01:22:13,580 --> 01:22:16,540
Nate: So less than a year
before the Russians invaded,
1632
01:22:17,062 --> 01:22:18,934
we reach out to Senchenko again,
1633
01:22:18,934 --> 01:22:20,674
because we want to know
what he's seeing
1634
01:22:20,674 --> 01:22:22,067
and what he thinks about it.
1635
01:22:22,067 --> 01:22:23,547
♪ [ominous music playing]
1636
01:22:23,547 --> 01:22:25,941
I'm sorry, do I understand
you correctly?
1637
01:22:25,941 --> 01:22:27,986
You think the Russians
are bluffing,
1638
01:22:27,986 --> 01:22:30,597
that they're not going
to invade and take the canal?
1639
01:22:31,120 --> 01:22:35,298
[in Ukrainian]
1640
01:22:59,148 --> 01:23:02,368
[in Russian]
1641
01:23:31,441 --> 01:23:34,574
♪ [ominous music intensifies]
1642
01:23:35,401 --> 01:23:36,402
[explosion]
1643
01:23:38,448 --> 01:23:40,537
Reporter: [in English]
Months-long build-up
of Russian troops
1644
01:23:40,537 --> 01:23:44,715
on the border with Ukraine
has turned now into an invasion.
1645
01:23:45,107 --> 01:23:47,326
The skies over multiple cities,
1646
01:23:47,326 --> 01:23:49,111
including the capital Kyiv,
lit up...
1647
01:23:49,111 --> 01:23:52,984
Fontelles: These are among
the darkest hours
1648
01:23:52,984 --> 01:23:55,856
for Europe
since the end of World War II.
1649
01:23:57,815 --> 01:23:59,904
Nate: Within the first days
of the war,
1650
01:23:59,904 --> 01:24:01,384
what do the Russians do?
1651
01:24:01,732 --> 01:24:04,300
They blow up the dam
blocking water to the canal.
1652
01:24:06,389 --> 01:24:09,566
And that gets immediately
reported back to Putin.
1653
01:24:09,566 --> 01:24:11,568
♪ [ominous music playing]
1654
01:24:11,872 --> 01:24:13,918
Man: [in Russian]
1655
01:24:21,143 --> 01:24:22,622
Nate: [in English]
Reports of Russians
1656
01:24:22,622 --> 01:24:24,624
seizing Ukrainian cargo ships
1657
01:24:24,624 --> 01:24:26,104
full of grain
1658
01:24:26,104 --> 01:24:28,367
and taking it and hauling it
back to Russia.
1659
01:24:29,629 --> 01:24:33,068
One of Ukraine's largest
grain silos, blown up.
1660
01:24:35,374 --> 01:24:39,465
We see this concentration
on food, on water,
1661
01:24:39,465 --> 01:24:41,815
immediately as the war starts.
1662
01:24:43,078 --> 01:24:45,123
You see a country that's
been talking about creating
1663
01:24:45,123 --> 01:24:49,301
a Grain-OPEC or a Food-OPEC
invading another country
1664
01:24:49,301 --> 01:24:53,305
that would make it the largest
grain exporter in the world,
1665
01:24:53,305 --> 01:24:55,873
effectively the most powerful
food-exporting country
1666
01:24:55,873 --> 01:24:57,483
in the world. You know?
1667
01:24:57,483 --> 01:25:00,312
This is what security experts
are now worried about.
1668
01:25:00,617 --> 01:25:04,011
They're openly talking about
the possibility of Russia
1669
01:25:04,011 --> 01:25:06,884
using its food supply
as a weapon.
1670
01:25:08,538 --> 01:25:09,930
The Russian government
seems to believe
1671
01:25:09,930 --> 01:25:11,149
that using food as a weapon
1672
01:25:11,715 --> 01:25:14,109
will help accomplish
what its invasion does not.
1673
01:25:15,197 --> 01:25:17,503
The consequences
of these actions
1674
01:25:18,200 --> 01:25:19,636
have been devastating.
1675
01:25:19,636 --> 01:25:22,160
The food supply
for millions of Ukrainians
1676
01:25:22,160 --> 01:25:24,597
and millions more
around the world
1677
01:25:25,381 --> 01:25:27,296
has quite literally
been held hostage
1678
01:25:27,818 --> 01:25:29,298
by the Russian military.
1679
01:25:29,602 --> 01:25:31,213
♪ [melancholy music playing] ♪
1680
01:25:31,213 --> 01:25:32,475
Ertharin: The reality is,
1681
01:25:32,475 --> 01:25:35,826
Ukraine is
the number-one provider
1682
01:25:36,174 --> 01:25:40,135
of food that WFP,
the World Food Programme,
1683
01:25:40,657 --> 01:25:43,790
distributes into
the populations in need.
1684
01:25:43,790 --> 01:25:46,097
Reporter: And now, the head
of the World Food Programme
1685
01:25:46,097 --> 01:25:48,621
has warned that
the conflict in Ukraine
1686
01:25:48,621 --> 01:25:51,189
could send
global food prices soaring...
1687
01:25:51,189 --> 01:25:54,410
WFP noted that the Russian
Federation and Ukraine
1688
01:25:54,410 --> 01:25:58,544
are responsible for 29 percent
of the global wheat trade,
1689
01:25:58,544 --> 01:26:01,808
and that any serious disruption
of production and exports
1690
01:26:01,808 --> 01:26:04,289
from the region
could push food prices
1691
01:26:04,289 --> 01:26:06,465
beyond their current
ten-year highs.
1692
01:26:07,727 --> 01:26:10,034
The Executive Director
of World Food Programme,
1693
01:26:10,034 --> 01:26:11,992
he warned that bullets
and bombs in Ukraine
1694
01:26:11,992 --> 01:26:14,125
could take
the global hunger crisis
1695
01:26:14,125 --> 01:26:16,649
to levels beyond anything
we've seen before.
1696
01:26:18,912 --> 01:26:21,219
Anuradha: We need
to understand Ukraine
1697
01:26:21,219 --> 01:26:23,874
as not just a struggle
for democracy,
1698
01:26:24,483 --> 01:26:28,618
but it is, once again,
a struggle for resources
1699
01:26:28,618 --> 01:26:30,837
and who owns and controls it.
1700
01:26:36,321 --> 01:26:38,889
- [insects hissing]
- [bird squawking]
1701
01:26:38,889 --> 01:26:40,847
Nate:
We're seeing the destitution,
1702
01:26:40,847 --> 01:26:42,240
the damage this is causing
1703
01:26:42,240 --> 01:26:43,763
for millions of people
around the world.
1704
01:26:46,505 --> 01:26:47,637
I mean, it's...
1705
01:26:47,637 --> 01:26:49,073
You're gonna want
to talk to him.
1706
01:26:49,073 --> 01:26:50,553
Nate: I think it's fair to say
1707
01:26:50,553 --> 01:26:52,511
that there are people
in the United States
1708
01:26:52,511 --> 01:26:56,950
who are suffering from
essentially the same thing.
1709
01:26:58,300 --> 01:26:59,736
Not at the same scale
1710
01:26:59,736 --> 01:27:02,086
and not with the same
degree of deprivation,
1711
01:27:02,086 --> 01:27:04,480
but they are watching
what was theirs
1712
01:27:04,480 --> 01:27:05,959
become someone else's,
1713
01:27:05,959 --> 01:27:07,874
and having little
or no recourse.
1714
01:27:08,962 --> 01:27:12,139
This is the pension fund
for Arizona state.
1715
01:27:12,139 --> 01:27:15,317
Nate: Holly's own pension fund,
without her even knowing it,
1716
01:27:15,317 --> 01:27:18,537
the money that's supposed
to fund her retirement
1717
01:27:18,885 --> 01:27:21,148
is draining the water
from her land.
1718
01:27:22,324 --> 01:27:24,587
And she has no idea. No idea.
1719
01:27:25,109 --> 01:27:30,332
So basically, your pension fund
funded that takeover
1720
01:27:30,332 --> 01:27:33,552
that is now Al Dahra,
that's shipping it overseas.
1721
01:27:35,946 --> 01:27:38,165
I want to scream
right now. [laughs]
1722
01:27:38,165 --> 01:27:39,819
That is incredible.
1723
01:27:40,255 --> 01:27:42,605
Absolutely incredible.
1724
01:27:43,954 --> 01:27:45,869
Wow. [clears throat]
1725
01:27:46,783 --> 01:27:47,827
Yeah.
1726
01:27:50,830 --> 01:27:51,918
Wow.
1727
01:27:52,484 --> 01:27:53,790
[clears throat]
1728
01:27:54,660 --> 01:27:55,531
This...
1729
01:27:56,923 --> 01:27:59,665
- And you know, I'd be...
- [vehicle rumbling]
1730
01:28:00,144 --> 01:28:03,103
There you go. All day long.
See it all day long.
1731
01:28:03,103 --> 01:28:06,324
And what is our state doing?
Absolutely nothing.
1732
01:28:06,324 --> 01:28:08,021
And because you just
showed me this,
1733
01:28:08,021 --> 01:28:10,415
it explains why they're
not doing anything.
1734
01:28:10,415 --> 01:28:11,851
Because why would they?
1735
01:28:12,112 --> 01:28:13,592
They're, you know, it...
1736
01:28:13,592 --> 01:28:16,291
To me,
it's extremely disturbing.
1737
01:28:17,379 --> 01:28:19,729
And it quite frankly
makes me very angry.
1738
01:28:21,078 --> 01:28:24,560
♪ [melancholy music playing]
1739
01:28:26,083 --> 01:28:28,259
Anuradha: In our work,
where we have looked at
1740
01:28:28,259 --> 01:28:30,261
hundreds and hundreds
of land deals
1741
01:28:30,261 --> 01:28:31,741
all over the world,
1742
01:28:31,741 --> 01:28:35,135
majority of the deals
are actually U.S.-based
1743
01:28:35,135 --> 01:28:37,224
and by European investors.
1744
01:28:38,356 --> 01:28:40,619
So there's far more in common
1745
01:28:40,619 --> 01:28:43,970
in the struggles
of the dispossessed.
1746
01:28:44,667 --> 01:28:47,104
You talk about Africa,
1747
01:28:47,104 --> 01:28:48,932
along with land grab,
you have water grab.
1748
01:28:49,324 --> 01:28:52,196
But if you look at the struggles
in the United States,
1749
01:28:52,196 --> 01:28:55,678
the fight and the struggle is
against the same corporations
1750
01:28:55,678 --> 01:28:58,289
who are taking over
land globally.
1751
01:28:58,550 --> 01:29:00,944
These corporations, of course,
are not working
1752
01:29:00,944 --> 01:29:04,208
for the U.S. government
to ensure U.S. food supply.
1753
01:29:04,948 --> 01:29:08,125
Instead, you have a scenario
where the U.S. government,
1754
01:29:08,604 --> 01:29:12,303
or the European governments are
working for the corporations.
1755
01:29:13,304 --> 01:29:15,306
The priority is not the people.
1756
01:29:17,221 --> 01:29:19,745
Ertharin: When we talk about
a vulnerable population,
1757
01:29:19,745 --> 01:29:22,922
we are not talking about
a particular geography.
1758
01:29:23,314 --> 01:29:25,577
We're talking about
people who lack power,
1759
01:29:26,012 --> 01:29:28,667
lack access
to making the decisions
1760
01:29:28,928 --> 01:29:30,365
about their own lives.
1761
01:29:31,148 --> 01:29:36,414
And that's true whether
that population is in Arizona
1762
01:29:36,414 --> 01:29:39,461
or in the Ukraine.
1763
01:29:40,331 --> 01:29:42,899
Man: [in Ukrainian]
1764
01:29:52,299 --> 01:29:54,824
Molly: [in English]
Rural communities have a fabric.
1765
01:29:55,433 --> 01:29:58,218
And so when that land
is purchased,
1766
01:29:58,567 --> 01:30:01,004
if it is managed in a way
1767
01:30:01,004 --> 01:30:03,572
that is not contributing
to the community,
1768
01:30:03,572 --> 01:30:05,574
that's a sabotage
of the community.
1769
01:30:07,750 --> 01:30:10,622
So it really becomes
like a raid.
1770
01:30:11,406 --> 01:30:13,973
And even though it's legal...
1771
01:30:15,148 --> 01:30:18,064
it's raiding resources
that aren't yours.
1772
01:30:20,502 --> 01:30:22,460
Nate: People are going to
have to ask themselves
1773
01:30:22,460 --> 01:30:25,115
if this is
an intractable movement.
1774
01:30:25,115 --> 01:30:26,638
If you have some of
the wealthiest countries
1775
01:30:26,638 --> 01:30:29,598
in the world, and you have
people's own pension funds
1776
01:30:29,989 --> 01:30:31,687
that are all
behind this movement,
1777
01:30:32,078 --> 01:30:33,819
who's going to stop it?
1778
01:30:34,951 --> 01:30:36,474
If you're an Emirati,
1779
01:30:36,474 --> 01:30:37,997
why would you
want to stop them?
1780
01:30:37,997 --> 01:30:39,608
If you were Chinese, why would
you want to stop them?
1781
01:30:39,608 --> 01:30:41,305
You want your country
doing these things.
1782
01:30:41,305 --> 01:30:43,960
And I think it's tough
to fault China
1783
01:30:43,960 --> 01:30:45,744
for making sure
that they're gonna have
1784
01:30:45,744 --> 01:30:47,572
enough food and water
for their people.
1785
01:30:47,964 --> 01:30:50,357
That's the purview of a country.
1786
01:30:51,097 --> 01:30:54,187
The same with UAE, and the same
with the Saudis, you know.
1787
01:30:54,971 --> 01:30:57,060
It's the purview of a country
to make sure they have
1788
01:30:57,060 --> 01:30:59,454
the resources that their people
want and need.
1789
01:31:00,672 --> 01:31:03,893
Molly: The capitalist system
we've got now permits that,
1790
01:31:03,893 --> 01:31:06,722
because we thought these
resources were all endless.
1791
01:31:07,462 --> 01:31:09,507
It's one of those classic things
1792
01:31:09,507 --> 01:31:13,163
where the fundamentals have
changed very significantly,
1793
01:31:13,598 --> 01:31:17,559
and we're just operating along
like it's business as usual.
1794
01:31:17,559 --> 01:31:20,039
♪ [music intensifies]
1795
01:31:20,039 --> 01:31:21,693
Nate: The problem
isn't countries
1796
01:31:21,693 --> 01:31:24,479
or people trying to secure
their food supply.
1797
01:31:24,479 --> 01:31:26,568
The problem is how.
1798
01:31:27,612 --> 01:31:31,224
How some people in some places
are securing their food.
1799
01:31:31,921 --> 01:31:33,009
[protestors chanting]
1800
01:31:33,531 --> 01:31:35,446
Nate: Going in and grabbing
other people's land,
1801
01:31:35,446 --> 01:31:37,535
depriving them of a future.
1802
01:31:37,535 --> 01:31:39,624
Going in
and grabbing people's water,
1803
01:31:39,624 --> 01:31:42,932
sucking their aquifers dry,
depriving them of a future.
1804
01:31:42,932 --> 01:31:44,760
It's problematic
in so many ways.
1805
01:31:45,543 --> 01:31:46,501
It's inequity.
1806
01:31:47,502 --> 01:31:49,678
It's seeding future conflict.
1807
01:31:50,548 --> 01:31:52,463
It's destabilizing the world.
1808
01:31:54,596 --> 01:31:56,641
Owen-Burge:
We in the developed nations
1809
01:31:56,641 --> 01:31:59,383
demand huge amounts of food,
1810
01:31:59,775 --> 01:32:03,996
out of season, whenever we want.
And we throw away a third of it.
1811
01:32:05,258 --> 01:32:08,827
If we didn't say, "I want
a watermelon in December,"
1812
01:32:08,827 --> 01:32:11,003
then they wouldn't
have that pressure,
1813
01:32:11,003 --> 01:32:12,178
that market pressure,
1814
01:32:12,483 --> 01:32:16,313
to suck up all the water
to make this food for us.
1815
01:32:16,661 --> 01:32:19,359
All of these problems
always end up with
1816
01:32:19,359 --> 01:32:22,362
an inability to accept
the responsibility
1817
01:32:22,362 --> 01:32:23,538
by developed nations.
1818
01:32:24,582 --> 01:32:26,453
Anuradha: We have over-consumed.
1819
01:32:27,106 --> 01:32:29,544
We have overdrawn
1820
01:32:30,283 --> 01:32:33,199
on resources that were meant
for future generations.
1821
01:32:35,637 --> 01:32:37,943
Nate: The West
often looks to other countries.
1822
01:32:37,943 --> 01:32:40,119
There's reports that have
come out that said,
1823
01:32:40,119 --> 01:32:42,339
"If China's meat
consumption continues,
1824
01:32:42,339 --> 01:32:44,297
there's no way we're
gonna be able to meet
1825
01:32:44,297 --> 01:32:45,864
our climate change goals."
1826
01:32:45,864 --> 01:32:49,302
And that might be true,
but it's said by the West,
1827
01:32:49,302 --> 01:32:51,391
who consumes almost
twice as much meat
1828
01:32:51,391 --> 01:32:53,306
per capita as does China.
1829
01:32:53,306 --> 01:32:55,482
And yet, there's this
finger-pointing
1830
01:32:55,482 --> 01:32:58,790
at the developing world
for increasingly eating meat.
1831
01:32:58,790 --> 01:33:00,836
But it's like, yeah,
but they're just getting closer
1832
01:33:00,836 --> 01:33:03,273
to eating your diet!
You know? Like...
1833
01:33:04,056 --> 01:33:05,710
Maybe you look in.
1834
01:33:06,058 --> 01:33:09,584
Maybe the solution is
inside your borders, you know?
1835
01:33:10,410 --> 01:33:12,282
♪ [music picks up tempo]
1836
01:33:12,282 --> 01:33:15,024
Molly: This is the master plan.
1837
01:33:15,938 --> 01:33:17,722
This is how it's gonna work.
1838
01:33:18,331 --> 01:33:21,247
Nate: One of the points of hope
1839
01:33:21,247 --> 01:33:24,729
is that the same people that
are identifying the problems,
1840
01:33:24,729 --> 01:33:28,211
that are saying the future
looks really bleak,
1841
01:33:28,690 --> 01:33:31,649
there's always an asterisk,
"unless we do..."
1842
01:33:32,258 --> 01:33:33,564
And there's a solution.
1843
01:33:38,003 --> 01:33:40,963
Molly: What if we use,
instead of grass,
1844
01:33:40,963 --> 01:33:42,312
we use bacteria,
1845
01:33:42,312 --> 01:33:44,836
and instead of cows,
we use fungi.
1846
01:33:45,532 --> 01:33:47,143
And you can do that
in three days.
1847
01:33:48,231 --> 01:33:52,278
In theory, you could
make food out of thin air.
1848
01:33:53,453 --> 01:33:55,064
So we have people
from the defense sector
1849
01:33:55,064 --> 01:33:57,719
talking about restructuring
the food system.
1850
01:33:57,719 --> 01:34:00,156
You have Wall Street investors
like Edward Hargroves
1851
01:34:00,156 --> 01:34:02,332
operating big commercial farms
1852
01:34:02,680 --> 01:34:04,987
who have kind of done
an about-face.
1853
01:34:05,814 --> 01:34:08,947
Because they saw first-hand
what was happening to the soil.
1854
01:34:09,208 --> 01:34:11,689
And now they're moving
into regenerative farming.
1855
01:34:22,744 --> 01:34:27,400
So, you know, at the time,
you only know what you know.
1856
01:34:28,097 --> 01:34:31,927
And without the current
farmland portfolio,
1857
01:34:31,927 --> 01:34:33,929
we never would have
had this opportunity.
1858
01:34:34,451 --> 01:34:36,018
But we can do better.
1859
01:34:36,018 --> 01:34:38,411
And we're always going
to be looking to do better
1860
01:34:38,411 --> 01:34:39,630
across the board.
1861
01:34:40,718 --> 01:34:43,416
Anuradha: We know the hungry are
the best experts on hunger.
1862
01:34:43,416 --> 01:34:46,593
We know that the majority
of the food that is consumed
1863
01:34:46,593 --> 01:34:47,943
in the world today,
1864
01:34:47,943 --> 01:34:51,511
eighty percent of it
comes from family farmers.
1865
01:34:52,251 --> 01:34:55,559
We need to invest
in smallholder farmers.
1866
01:34:55,559 --> 01:34:58,649
We need to ensure
their seed rights,
1867
01:34:58,649 --> 01:35:01,086
their land rights,
their water rights.
1868
01:35:03,654 --> 01:35:05,569
Molly: The world produces
enough food
1869
01:35:05,569 --> 01:35:08,615
to feed everybody now properly,
and we don't do it.
1870
01:35:08,615 --> 01:35:10,313
In fact, some people say
1871
01:35:10,313 --> 01:35:12,358
the world produces
enough food today
1872
01:35:12,358 --> 01:35:14,273
to feed those in 2050,
1873
01:35:14,273 --> 01:35:16,101
if we were to reshape
the food system.
1874
01:35:17,886 --> 01:35:20,192
Nate: There's enough
water in the world
1875
01:35:20,497 --> 01:35:22,238
to grow enough calories
1876
01:35:22,238 --> 01:35:24,849
to feed everyone
in the world, not just today,
1877
01:35:24,849 --> 01:35:27,373
but in the year 2050 when
there's nine billion people,
1878
01:35:27,373 --> 01:35:29,332
and when there's
ten billion people.
1879
01:35:31,116 --> 01:35:34,163
The intelligence community
says this is solvable.
1880
01:35:34,163 --> 01:35:36,818
Engineers say this is solvable.
1881
01:35:37,775 --> 01:35:38,820
If we solve it.
1882
01:35:38,820 --> 01:35:40,691
♪ [music concludes]
1883
01:35:40,691 --> 01:35:43,825
[crowd cheering]
1884
01:35:46,610 --> 01:35:50,701
♪ [crowd singing in Lala]
1885
01:36:01,407 --> 01:36:04,715
♪ [continue singing]
1886
01:36:08,806 --> 01:36:09,851
Brig: [in Lala]
1887
01:36:14,072 --> 01:36:15,073
[crowd murmurs]
1888
01:36:15,073 --> 01:36:17,902
[in English]
1889
01:36:21,863 --> 01:36:22,951
Okay.
1890
01:36:38,967 --> 01:36:40,533
[applause]
1891
01:36:41,621 --> 01:36:43,972
Anuradha: This is
the height of resistance.
1892
01:36:43,972 --> 01:36:45,930
This is the height of conflict.
1893
01:36:46,844 --> 01:36:48,063
And there are victories.
1894
01:36:50,108 --> 01:36:51,893
Yes, they're few. They're rare.
1895
01:36:52,415 --> 01:36:53,982
But we cannot undermine
1896
01:36:54,547 --> 01:36:56,462
the importance
of those victories.
1897
01:36:57,115 --> 01:36:59,030
History will repeat itself,
1898
01:36:59,030 --> 01:37:01,598
because the model of
taking over resources
1899
01:37:01,598 --> 01:37:04,340
is so unsustainable,
it cannot last.
1900
01:37:05,428 --> 01:37:09,171
♪ [crowd singing]
1901
01:37:11,913 --> 01:37:16,221
♪ [soft music playing]
1902
01:37:18,528 --> 01:37:19,964
Nate:
It's always the big question
1903
01:37:19,964 --> 01:37:22,314
when you're working on
a big investigative piece,
1904
01:37:22,314 --> 01:37:24,534
when do you call it enough?
1905
01:37:26,101 --> 01:37:29,234
When do you say, okay, I need
to take what we've learned
1906
01:37:29,234 --> 01:37:30,670
and share it with the public.
1907
01:37:32,020 --> 01:37:34,196
And I think we're at that point.
1908
01:37:39,375 --> 01:37:41,812
[indistinct chatter]
1909
01:37:43,205 --> 01:37:45,772
Nate: Whether or not people
are gonna give a shit or not,
1910
01:37:45,772 --> 01:37:47,035
you can't control.
1911
01:37:50,125 --> 01:37:52,040
What you can control
is getting it done.
1912
01:37:52,649 --> 01:37:54,564
Getting the information
into people's hands.
1913
01:37:57,349 --> 01:37:58,960
Then it's up to them.
1914
01:38:04,226 --> 01:38:05,531
Nate: It is pleasant, isn't it?
1915
01:38:05,531 --> 01:38:06,532
Mallory: Yeah.
1916
01:38:19,067 --> 01:38:25,682
♪ [ominous music playing]
1917
01:39:00,369 --> 01:39:04,547
[talking indistinctly]
1918
01:39:31,269 --> 01:39:33,489
Manager:
1919
01:39:58,731 --> 01:39:59,689
Thank you.
1920
01:40:02,344 --> 01:40:06,391
[indistinct chatter over radio]
1921
01:40:45,474 --> 01:40:51,001
♪ [tense music playing]
1922
01:42:09,166 --> 01:42:11,821
♪ [tense music continues]
1923
01:45:03,862 --> 01:45:06,952
♪ [tense music concludes]