 |
Store Wars
June 2005
If a picture is worth a thousand words,
a moving picture must be worth volumes. Recently I received a short
animated video, sent from a friend that expresses a serious topic in
a way that is so creative, so funny and memorable that it captivated
me immediately. This friend was responding to a recent discussion I
had with him in which I shared my profound interest in cooking and
dining on fresh flavorful food and my growing concern that many
Americans are losing site of just what that is.
We all know about harmful chemicals added to, sprayed on or mixed
into our food. We are all—I hope—by now aware of the disastrous
effects of a steady diet of fast food. Isn’t there something
depressing about viewing an American landscape of strip malls and
fast food joints? What value has fast and convenient food added to
our lives? Has it given us more time to spend with our family? Has
cheap food, shipped from all over the world saved us money or
broadened our horizon? Has it helped the environment? I think not.
But like many things in life we have the good with the bad sitting
right beside each other. The question is, “What do we see?”
Actually, when it comes to food, the good and the bad literally do
sit side by side on supermarket shelves and bins all over the
country. It’s easy to tell the difference between them when it comes
to canned and packaged food; just read the list of ingredients. I
say, for most items, if the ingredient list is more than 6 or 7
items, then it’s not food, it’s chemistry. When it comes to fish,
distinguishing the good from the bad gets a bit trickier. Where does
your fish come from? Is it fresh or frozen? Is it wild or farmed?
Are fishing and harvesting practices organic and sustainable? You
can ask the same questions about meat and produce. There are no
simple, pat answers. The answers are complicated by a host of
variables and trade-offs.
What I did find in my research, which consistently distinguishes the
good from the bad is, sustainability. You will hear this word in
relation to not only farming, but also economic and social
development and more. So what does sustainable really mean? It
means, “able to be maintained”. When food, life, commerce and
progress can be maintained in harmony with the needs of society and
the environment, I think, we have a formula for success. But how do
we get from here to there?
We can start by supporting companies that believe in producing
products of high quality instead of buying only what is offered at
low prices. Artificially low prices virtually guarantee low
standards in taste, health and safety. Every time we buy something,
we are in fact casting a vote for that product and the company that
produced it. According to Frances Moore Lappe, and Anna Lappe in
their wonderful book “Hope’s Edge”, the average American supermarket
has 30,000 different products. Of those 30,000 products, about half
are produced by only ten corporations. That’s scary. I don’t know
about you but I don’t like the fact that 140 individuals—the
collective board members of these 10 corporations—are making many of
the decisions on how we eat! But it doesn’t have to be this way. We
still have choices---15,000 other choices in supermarkets alone. And
then of course there are farmers’ markets, organic and local shops,
food co-ops and more. Let’s support those that deserve it.
Therefore the best defense is remaining informed. Here are a few
links to web sites loaded with helpful information that I hope will
inspire you to become more aware of how we all can help to make more
conscious, responsible decisions and eat healthier, more flavorful
food in the process.
http://www.enature.com/feature/feature_news.asp?storyID=509 --on
how to choose fish
http://www.slowfood.com/ ----
a grass roots movement that promotes dining on local fresh food and
sustainable farming
http://www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/fitnessanddiet/food/supermarketsvlocalshops
article on supermarkets vs. local shops
http://www.foodroutes.org/howtobuylocal.jsp
on where to buy local food in your area
On the positive side, we are making some progress in the war against
harmful, tasteless food. This can be seen in stricter labeling laws,
in the phenomenal growth of organizations such as Slow Foods, and in
supermarkets everywhere that stock a growing array of organic
products. Still, we need to do more, and that -- I believe-- is
accomplished with awareness and action. Read and talk to your
friends. Take action! This can be as simple as buying an organic
apple. Speaking of apples, if this fruit lured us out of the Garden
of Eden, can buying an organic apple be symbolic of a gateway back
into the garden? Hum, something else to ponder. In the meantime,
since I started this letter telling you of a video worth volumes,
I’ll stop here by asking you to view this unforgettable short war
story. Enjoy!
http://www.storewars.org/flash/index.html
Thanks,
Chef Silvia
Sign up for
Chef Silvia's Monthly Newsletter!
|
|
