Friday, December 29, 2006

I think we can all agree that garden fresh tomatoes taste better than supermarket tomatoes

Let's say that you are a person who eats food. Oh, you are? Well, then, this commentary may actually be meaningful for you. Excellent.

Now, let's say that you, like a vast majority of Americans, purchase primarily conventionally produced & delivered food products (ie. not organic or locally produced). You're in good company as this segment of the food market constitutes about 98% of total food purchases in the US.

Finally, let us say that 40+% (Lord knows it's probably more) of the conventionally produced & delivered food products that you buy are brought to you by just four megolithic, multinational corporations (MMCs) & their complimentary minion subsidiaries. Well, they like to call them their "families of businesses" which of course sounds very "warm" & "fuzzy" but as you may know I am no marketer for The Man.

Now, it makes sense to me that these corporations would be guarding our food system & the productivity of the land in the interest of the long-term profitability of their own companies if for no other reason. BUT NO! What they seem to be doing is just the opposite - exploiting to the fullest & fiercest extent the fertility of the land including the labor of its people (farmers & farm workers), those people themselves, & the consumers of its products (you & me & everyone we know) for short-term profit. They are accomplishing this by such market-cornering means as patenting lifeforms, creating closed loop systems for their own toxic chemicals & genetically proprietary seeds, & using scare tactics against farmers who operate outside of the neo-serfdom that they promote. As a food consumer just trying to eat well & feel secure in the safety & long-term viability of the food system upon which my loved ones, neighbors & I rely, I gotta say, "Ouch!" Does this way of doing business make sense to anyone? I mean, is this how YOU would (or currently do) operate your business?

Ish! Enough already of this whining about what is completely fucked about our food system. (However, I do think that it would be o'so nice if people were more aware of this when selecting their afternoon snacks 'n such. As in, "This apple here comes from a system that is FUCKED. Therefore, I will choose this organic apple grown by Farmer Don down the way.") What are better options? Does it sound good to anyone else to support food production that promotes land stewardship, supports small farmers (i.e. real people), enhances the natural fertility of the land & is not an all-around bummer (OH, such a complete bummer)? Yeah? All right, then, get with this....

What we choose to buy does matter. If no one chooses to buy goods from the people who are caring for our world, there will be no more goods produced in this way. Sad, right? Likewise, if no one chooses to buy goods from the corporations that are using & abusing our world, there will be no more goods produced in this way. Dig?

I personally find this to be an axiom most starkly important when choosing food. With what other earthly objects do we have a more intimate & dependent relationship? Food is meant to nourish us, to give us strength, to keep us healthy. Food is a focal point of families, love affairs & entire cultures. Good food inspires love, heals ills, & makes our parties more fun by acting as a social lubricant! In short, food is AWESOME!

So just think about it. Think about buying whole foods rather than processed foods. Think about buying organically grown, local produce. Think about buying it directly from the farmers who grow it for you. Think about visiting their farm & hearing their story of the land.

1 comment:

Mme Piggy said...

Tell it, sister...