I’ve carried the knowledge of my experience with me in my traveling months on TBB. Since studying sustainable agriculture in India, I’ve added two more key words to my general knowledge of food consumption: local and seasonal. Selecting and eating food with these three qualities in mind (organic, local, and seasonal) can provide a blueprint for navigating your way through the American food system. Additionally, eating locally produced, seasonal, organic foods could be the secret to regaining the health and wellness of our country.
Unraveling the complex fabric of the American food system is a rather daunting task that I could never undertake in one blog post. From our pesticide ridden produce to genetically modified crops, to corn and soybean based processed foods and CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), the entire industrialization of agriculture has taken a rather simple task –eating – and turned it into a daily dilemma. So how do we begin to make sense of it all? For me, it all goes back to those three little words: organic, local, and seasonal. Growing organic foods eliminates the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, allowing for a healthier population and a healthier environment. There’s no risk of carcinogenic substances weaseling their way into your food and no toxic runoff to deal with either. Eating locally gets rid of the fuel and pollution costs involved in transporting your food over long distances. Buying local produce also provides an outlet for community interaction, strengthening relationships between growers and eaters, producers and consumers. This provides accountability on the part of the farmer, ensuring quality product and production methods. Finally, eating seasonally forces people to eat foods when they’re at the peak of their nutritional value.
I’m not naïve enough to expect change to happen overnight. Even when confronted with cancer in my immediate family and informed about healthy changes in my personal eating habits, I still pop back a few peanut M&Ms every now and then. Informing yourself is a start. Switching from conventional produce to organic or buying from CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), co-ops, or farmer’s markets instead of grocery stores are two examples of simple but effective changes that you can make immediately. Ultimately, I think making change in the American agricultural system comes down to two things: educating the people about the current system and the alternatives to the industrial system, and voting with our dollars. Ignorance is the lynchpin holding together the current industrialized agricultural system. By educating our friends and neighbors, we empower our nation to create the change that we so desperately need. Similarly, if we choose to spend every one of our dollars on food that is healthy, whole, organic, local, and seasonal, the market will inevitably respond to the demand.