I love food. Love it. Everything about it. The tastes, the textures, the smells. The way it makes me feel. Full, satisfied, sleepy.
My favorite thing about food is the way that it nourishes us. It seems to me that food not only satisfies our most fundamental need as animals, but also brings us closer to our world, to each other, and to the earth. Such a vital connection needs to be wholesome. That means that the food itself needs to be good, grown with care and organic nutrients. The network between producers and consumers needs to be close, effective and mutually beneficial. The value added to food products should be shared fairly with the folks involved in adding that value. Everyone should have enough to eat, and everyone should be able to enjoy eating.
That's my idea of world peace.
I realize, as I step back from this and consider what it really means, that to obtain this utopia would require radical changes to the global food system, international trade agreements as a whole, and, fundamentally, the way we live in the West. I'll get into that at some point later on.
I think we can do it. The need for change is more apparent than other, in the midst of a food crisis that is forcing millions of Americans into hunger, at the same time that obesity is at its highest levels EVER. And the evidence that we can bring these necessary changes to fruition is all around us, from the rising numbers of farmers and green markets around the country, to the international Slow Food movement, to the growing bar-scenes focused on artisinal alcohols and cocktail crafting, to the myriad grassroots campaigns to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into schools and low-income and urban neighborhoods.
Not to mention what just happened in this last election. If ever there was a time to agitate for reform to our nation's food policies, it's now. It's an issue of national security, public health, environmental concern, and freaking justice, for Pete's sake.
More to come...
