Some thoughts on food...and local produce.

Living in a small town in Catalonia for the past year has taught me a lot of things...

One of those things being the importance of buying locally produced goods as well as ethical consumption.  The following is by no means an exhaustive discussion of this subject, but more a personal reflection as this topic can be discussed forever and a day. I will however mention a few articles, videos, books at the end of this post if you would like to explore the subject further.

I started my journey into learning about ethical alternatives to consumption, especially when it came to food, whilst I was in a lecture on the topic of Anthropology of Food at SOAS and I remember something that has stayed with me in particular.

http://www.maria-brazil.org/

It was regarding a banana.

Yes, a banana, one of the most potassium rich fruits in the world that most athletes devour to give them a burst of energy.

A perfect morning snack.

Also the subject of two characters of a children's favourite TV show. See: 'Bananas in Pyjamas'.

Now, we all know that a banana doesn't magically appear on the supermarket shelf.
A banana in fact has a story - and all food that we eat does.

Note: Unfortunately many children probably do think that banana's grow on supermarket shelves or may not even know WHAT a banana is - no fault of their own... See 'Potato or Tomato': Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution).

The way human beings interact with food has changed drastically. Not only are we not teaching future generations WHERE fruit and vegetables come from, WHERE their steak comes from (and with animals it is a different story. See: my article 'Meet your Meat') but we are not teaching them  HOW they are produced, WHY we buy food in supermarkets and WHAT they are good for.

I mean the amount of problems that exist regarding food nowadays is what I would probably call INSANE. A system of instant gratification and over consumption has left us with problems ranging from global warming, destruction of nature and our natural interaction with plant/animal life, GMO crops, unfair trade regulations, paying more for ORGANIC food that isn't ridden with toxic pesticides etc. etc. etc.

Where did all go wrong? And when did we forget that a plain old banana has a long, at times, painful story...in order to reach our mouths?

Where was it planted? By who? Which country? Who was the middle-man that allowed it to be shipped across the globe? Then the other who decided which supermarket chain it would go to? What mark-up price will it be sold at? Is the farmer who planted this banana being treated fairly?

The questions are endless. So, in fact, when we bite into that banana, we are biting into a lot more than we realise....until we start realising that we ourselves are part of a long long chain in this system of global trade and consumption. We can either choose to ignore this fact or we can choose to face it and realise the consequences of our actions and buying habits.

I think it's important to realise our own place in global market and trade system; and make ourselves aware of the many initiatives currently across the globe trying to raise light to issues that has been kept in the dark. It's a complicated topic and there are many sides to it...

Luckily enough for me there is a fresh fruit/vegetable/cheese/fish market everyday in this town of 22,000 and that allows one easier access the food produced in the area. But not only is it about going to the fresh food markets but also buying from smaller shops scattered around that help support the local economy (especially in times of crises such as this). And these CAN be found in every city (most of the global human population, for the first time in history are living in cities).

I think it's important to realise we can all do our bit. Often people think that because they cannot be 100% ethical as EVERYTHING we buy has a story (from the clothes we wear, to the toothpaste we use, to the phone we text on) then there is no point.

www.CartoonStock.com

I disagree....if we start learning about ourselves and the things we CAN do, then it is just a matter of taking baby steps and deciding WHAT is really important to us, others and the world. We cannot deny that we are indeed a global world much more connected than ever before. The more we deny this fact, the more we are shying away from a reality, of which, if a blind eye is turned, I fear will tear us away from our own humanity. We are after all 'what we eat'...

 The consumption of a banana suddenly becomes much much more.


THINGS TO LOOK AT:

Bananas: A 2009 Swedish documentary directed by Fredrik Gertten about a conflict between the Dole Food Company and banana plantation workers in Nicaragua over alleged cases of sterility caused by the pesticide DBCP.
Top 10 Genetically modified crops
Local produce and healthy eating
Fair Trade website

22

I've just turned 22 recently. When I was about 16 I used to think "Oh God! 22, that must be so old". Well now I realise that it isn't. I also chatted to a 35 year old man the other day who told me that, "my dad is 68, but really he's 17....in fact, everyone's actually 17". This conversation might have taken place in a rock bar, and he might have been there celebrating his birthday (drinking) from 11am (by this time it was 9pm), but I still sense the profoundness in his words. In reality, we are all 'pubescent 17 year olds' wondering 'what the hell am I supposed to be doing right now?!'. So, confusion is not the end of the world. It's ok to be confused, life is about confusion, just take it by the hand and go with the flow. These words made me feel better. Everyone is constantly worried about success and becoming 'CEO' of this company or having enough money to buy three cars and five houses etc. etc. I just want a roof over my head and be able to get a job that will sustain me. Naive perhaps, and maybe in the future I will look back at what I have written and say, 'it wasn't that easy'. But it never has to be, and also I believe that we can genuinely change people's outlook of being constant consumers and wanting to have the bigger and better of everything. In reality, what we take away from this life is our experiences with others, be it our family, our friends, polite strangers, or even the impolite ones that we say we will never become. I am now 22 and I feel there is a lot for me to learn and it is all very exciting....