Agricultural
and food issues don’t necessarily have broad popular support, for the reason
that people, in general, don’t understand
them very well. People tend to think
that being environmental, or local, or organic, or even healthy, is 1) a
luxury, and 2) something that doesn’t concern them. People often believe that:
·
Healthy
foods are too expensive
·
Vegetarian
foods are too expensive (vegan even more so)
·
Organic
foods are too expensive (and smaller – get less for your money)
·
Healthy choices are too expensive
Due to
these beliefs, people often convince themselves (or, let themselves be convinced) that responsible and healthy choices
are less important than they actually are, and deprioritize not only political
support of health and environmental responsibility, but health and
responsibility in their personal lives.
Some results of this include:
·
Unhealthy
diet
·
Poor
choices/overspending
·
Overpurchasing/food
waste
·
Overeating/lessened
impulse control
Now, since we always seem to think of things in
the broadest terms, from a global perspective inward, we become frustrated,
stressed, and discouraged – disheartened, even – all the time. The following is just such an example of a
source that gives very important, very necessary information; but, because of
its impersonal, global nature, tends to discourage us as individuals: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/bill-mckibben-falter-climate-change-817310/
We get discouraged like this precisely because,
as individual people, none of us is in
control of the entire globe. As
individual people, we aren’t even in control of others around us, our friends
or our family members (and we shouldn’t want to be!). For that reason, I want my half of class on Wednesday to reverse the perspective, to start not in global terms but in personal,
individual terms. One of our key
environmental ideas, anyway, is that of diversity, of local solutions to local
problems, that vary as different communities and ecosystems vary. I think this approach can be a welcome breath
of positivity for us, as we explore individual little ways we can and are
contributing, and celebrate the little things that we are, even now – all the
time – doing. Towards the end of
discussion, if we want, we can broaden the perspective again, and contemplate
ways we might try and transfer our good habits – and our values – to broader
society. Here are a couple examples
Professor Newday helped me find, which focus on how little, local, and
individual things can help – and how a state of hope is never out of reach:
Finally,
as a small homework assignment, I’d like each of you to bring in on Wednesday
one example of some little way you feel
you are personally helping to solve an environmental issue, or a theoretical
example of a way you could help. Some examples of this might include:
“Too much meat” issue:
-a
vegetarian/vegan list of the foods you generally eat each week
-one
recipe (personal or Googled) of a good, nutritious, simple, or cheap
vegetarian/vegan meal
-a
couple vegetarian sources of nutrients (like cabbage), with a brief
price-comparison between a few stores
-a
meal-schedule for one day, made in
advance and carried out, that features meat no more than once
“Food Waste” Issue (rather
similar):
-a
one-day meal schedule, as above, that just shows intentionality – meals thought
out ahead of time to minimize waste
-a
theoretical, one-week meal schedule, that tries to plan ahead for ‘excess’ food
(pizza, restaurants, free food at K) by leaving a couple blank spaces
-a real
or theoretical grocery list with calculations (based on portion/calories/other)
illustrating how the amount you buy corresponds only to how much you need in a
week; if carried out, this could include notes on ‘substitutions’ (“I had the
impulse to buy X, so I put back Y in exchange)
“Food Affordability” Issue:
-a few
examples of very affordable foods, price-compared by a couple stores as above
-one
recipe that uses very affordable ingredients
-a
theoretical grocery list minimizing food costs, with an estimated total
https://www.debtreductionservices.org/cost-groceries-person-month/ - this article gives examples of how to save money on groceries
“Disconnected from the Food
we Eat” Issue:
-one plan you have (or come up
with) or story about a way in which you can ‘get closer’ to the actual food you
eat: growing a vegetable/herb/spice, raising chickens for your own eggs,
hunting/killing and cleaning, harvesting/foraging, etc
-one
practice (fasting, prayer before meals, other
self-discipline/gratitude/mindfulness exercise) you do or could employ to be
more aware of, and thankful for, the food you eat
Remember,
I’m only asking for a single one out
of any of these options – or
something else that is along similar lines.
And please, be positive, and try and have fun! This is not supposed to be about feeling bad
because you don’t do a hundred different things – it is about all of us sharing with each other one thing,
proudly, that we do because we care.
It’s basically an undergraduate show-and-tell… and maybe we’ll learn
some fun things from each other, too.
Also,
remember that you still have to write a comment on the blog! Sorry for all the extra work, and I hope it’s
fun.
I think what you have written about it really true... 'healthy' and 'sustainable' food can be viewed as being too expensive or not worth the effort. However, I have people in my life who make non-traditional choices, say eating organic, and argue that the price is not higher. They try an rephrase how we view price to include the 'price on their health' or the 'price on the environment'. Essentially in the long term they argue that this will save them money... something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI know as I have changed my diet to resemble more of a whole food, raw food Vegan diet that I am spending more money on produce and other goods each week. On average I will spend roughly $100 a week on groceries all of which are organic and contain no animal products. I know from a past history of food insecurity that for many low-income families spending $100 a week on food is out of the question and is not affordable. As a family, each member of my family only had $40 a week per person to buy our entire weeks worth of food, often leaving us with little to no food for the last week of every month. Organic foods are more expensive than GMO food products and meat alternative options are also more expensive when you compare the quantity you get from say four non-meat chicken patties from Quorn for $4 at Meijer compared to non-organic farm raised chicken from Meijer for $4. So if you are an individual which a strict budget and have two children to feed, would you rather have them go hungry for a week because you spent more on food for less quantity or be able to feed them each day? This is a very common issue many low-income families must deal with and I think should be addressed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for leading our discussion on this topic Wednesday! I am excited to hear more as well as my classmates perspective and ideas for how we as individuals can help the environment. The individual choices we make can have an impact on the environment, climate change, and some of these larger issues that are hard to wrap our heads around. However, something I struggle with is the notion that individuals fighting climate change distracts from large corporations and major contributors of these environmental problems because we are now assuming responsibly. I firmly believe that we should adjust our lifestyle (when able) to better the environment, but also be conscious and vigilant in our call to action for governing bodies and companies to do the same on a larger scale. Those in a position to make lifestyle change should do so, but we cannot expect environmental issues to be everyone's top priority.
ReplyDeleteThe 'inthesetimes' article talked about futility and pinpointed so much of what I often feel about climate change issues. The problem is so large and dramatic that changing a lightbulb or biking to work does not seem like it will "fix" things. But this stance is counterproductive, denies responsibility on my own part, and, I know, is wrong. The grand scale of climate related issues can be overwhelming but this sort of cynicism does not offer anything resembling a solution. While I still have a lot to learn in terms of implementing lifestyle changes for myself, however little a change may seem, I do believe it can add up to something significant. I am excited to hear about the small strategies others are able to create in their own lives to see what changes I can continue to work on.
ReplyDeleteI think this topic will allow us all to brainstorm/compare methods. However, I think of families who simply don't have the financial or physical energy to prepare food, let alone really examine the long term effects of their choices. Often, even for myself, I find that when given a choice between healthy (and often slightly more expensive or takes more prep time) and cheaper easy-to-prepare foods, I go with the latter based primarily on convenience and trying to pad my pocketbook a bit. That being said, there are ways to eat healthier, but I think often the reasons people don't utilize these routes is due to other more pressing priorities in the short-term.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I just want to say that I found the idea of 'well-informed futility' particularly resonant, as I have felt the grips of paralysis regarding seemingly unfixable issues. It is super important to approach social and environmental issues within a framework that seeks solutions so that we can retain hope moving forward. That being said, I also would like to echo Rose's point that pinning all the solutions on the individual (The US has a weird complex over individuality, but that's a whole different discussion) has its limits, and that governmental and corporate participation in (or lack thereof) will make or break sustainability efforts.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to bring up the point that, while eating organic may be more financially attainable than it is made out to be, there are many more factors than just income that factor into whether or not someone can eat organically. For example, many people with low-income jobs work more hours to make ends meet than people with higher salaries. If someone can afford organic food, that does not necessarily mean they have the resources of time to be able to prepare organic meals from scratch, go to a store that is farther away, etc. If we want everyone to eat healthy and sustainably, we have to address all the social inequalities that block people from this goal.
Giving thanks before meals is a practice that I recommitted to this year. I feel like taking that pause before I eat to acknowledge the beings that died so that I can live helps remind me that in choosing to partake in their deaths I have a responsibility to live in a good way and to use the energy their lives give me to try to make the world more beautiful and inhabitable. I absolutely agree that some of our individual actions need to be working for social and institutional change, since our social structures limit the choices and opportunities we have as individuals to make real the changes we want to see in the world.
ReplyDelete1) I agree with you. I definitely think that we sometimes can get overwhelmed with the loss of control. Climate change is such a huge topic that it’s interconnected with other major factors that are so far beyond of what we can control. I do sincerely believe that solutions to these global topics can definitely seem impossible, but certainly is attainable. However, in order to do so, we must take that initiatives to start amongst ourselves and the people around us. I think that making these small, incremental change in our daily lives — whether from our diets, composting, gardening, and etc — is a very practical approach that can impact our overall wellbeing and progressively turning our goals into reality.
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up a lot of interesting points and appreciate the variety of sources that you included. I myself try to shop organic when my budget allows for it. However, I sometimes struggle with the knowledge that the ability to buy 'organic' has become commodified and capitalized on as a classist issue. In many ways, I think the ability to 'buy organic' can reinforce some of the tropes around food that we discussed last class, when really these are issues of accessibility.
ReplyDeleteAs for myself, my recent commitment around food has been attempting to reduce the amount of single-use plastics that I consume, as well as reducing my own food waste. It's often clear to me that I won't eat an entire bag of apples in one week so, though I may not get the same money's worth, I will buy just a few instead. Similarly, I have stopped accepting plastic bags when I'm checking out of stores. I have a lil roll-up reusable bag that I carry around! Also quite convenient when you need to carry random things :)
I immediately think about how, when I was younger, my family would go to pick our own fruit every summer. Going to blueberry, strawberry, and peach farms was a family activity that I always loved. We would pick pounds and pounds of fruit. We would eat a lot of it, but also work together to make pies and preserves from our loot. I dream about one day having my own chickens. I love fresh eggs in the morning. Also, I eat way too fast. I would love to incorporate some more mindfulness into my eating.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your piece. I sometimes worry about moralizing rhetoric surrounding food and food habits and I think that one way that I start hoping that I am making an impact is by not judging what is accesible but rather interacting with folks and introducing new recipes or other ways of knowing and eating as accesible too. I also think that thinking about how we are community and how food is pertinent to our lives and as such should be part of how we sustain and maintain community is something I have always done to unite and create community (which is one of the only ways I think we can have progress!!)
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I try to do is eat as little meat as possible. One of my favorite things to eat is a guisado de carnitas with bell peppers which is pulled pork in lard and seasonings, and because I love it so much I made an alternative with jackfruit and it tasted great. Though I would not be a vegetarian again, I do find solutions to enjoying meat but not too often.
ReplyDelete