No More Anonymous Food

[nosmokes]

original-worldwatch

No More Anonymous Food

Brian Halweil
– July 23, 2007

At a potluck dinner last night, in the midst of local skirt steak, Montauk scallops, a frittata made with the year’s first potatoes, and a salad made with the year’s first tomatoes, the conversation naturally turned to the origin of our foods. The guests included a farmer, two winemakers, and a fisherman, as well as a nurse, several writers, and others who don’t directly make their living from food, but were happy to speak about it.

More than ever, it seems, people are talking about where their food comes from. It must have something to do with the recent news about contaminated food imported from China and other nations whose food safety laws seem equally porous. Food scares always push people toward farmers markets and more home-cooked fare made with fresh ingredients.

In North Carolina, concerned citizens recently issued a grassroots call for food labeling. Finally, there may be enough political will to fight opposition from international food makers and pass country-of-origin-labeling laws that, in the words of a recent New York Times op-ed, let Americans consumers “know where their food comes from before popping it into their mouths.”

But as my dining companions made clear, knowing where your food was grown is only the beginning. At a time when our food travels farther than ever before, eating local is not just about geography—it’s about the end of “anonymous food.” It’s about asking how our food was raised, who raised it, and what impact it had on the landscape. Remember, food is still our most intimate connection to the soil and water around us.

Consider two recent—and creative—“eat local” campaigns. The first was launched by the Center for a New American Dream as part of their six-month Carbon Conscious Consumer (C3) campaign. “Big changes start with small steps” is the campaign’s tagline, and this month’s goal is to buy one pound of locally grown food each week. Future months will encourage people to cold wash their clothes and dishes, reduce their junk mail, and carve out one car-free day a week.
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complete article here

[bleedingheart]

1. yesterday I made salmon as a treat for my family...

I bought only the Alaskan salmon and I noticed that the local grocery store had marked country of origin on most of the fish...

I regret not getting into the co-op this year because I was thinking we wouldn't be around much this summer...now I am kicking myself...

[brentspeak]

2. k and r

:kick:

[Richard D]

3. I've eaten locally

and organically for all of my adult life, since 18. I'm at about 80-90 percent now. Really makes a difference in health, well-being, and taking the time to cook real food is a joy, not a burden.

[Deja Q]

4. Pity more people can't afford the foods you take for granted.

[Richard D]

5. It's rather amazing . . .

. . . how little such food costs when you eat simply and cook for yourself. I rarely, like really rarely buy anything in a box, bottle, or can or jar, which is where costs get really out of hand. The basis of my diet is whole grains, beans, vegetables, and occasional fish and chicken. Sure, I might pay twice as much for organic chicken, but I eat half as much, filling out the meal with whole grains and vegetables. Plus I haven't needed to go to a doctor in close to 15 years, which I attribute to good genes and my lifestyle. Rarely get sick too, and if I do it is for a fairly short period of time. I've taken prescription drugs twice in the last 20 years. So a ton of savings there. So in other words, I might spend a bit more than I would if I were eating a typical American diet, but I save tons of money in other ways.

[lonestarnot]

6. Hey

:smoke: Just had to do that.