The
public education I received under the age of 18 unknowingly taught me the
history of food while sitting in my world history class – yes, world history.
Oddly, the rituals, sacrifices, and beliefs of how sacred and important food
was to communities were noted as small and insignificant factors within these history
textbooks. What they did with this food and how it was incorporated into the
larger urban-rural community were simple bullet points listed and forgotten. The
old age of rural and urban inter-mixing with, for example, chickens in the city
and city people owning country farms for residential stay have ended and I
found it peculiar that I am only now seeing the connection of the simple bullet
points to the larger picture.
We
use to hold food to such high regards and now those values are just thrown in
the trash. Humans and food are intertwined for humanity’s survival – yet the
thing we require most, food, is given no second thoughts or consideration as to
how it is being carried out to us. Thus, I find it all the more peculiar that middle
school and high school students continue learning all this history of the world
but never have a supplementary class on the history of food. Such a significant
need is largely disrespected today, despite people in the past who have given
sacrifices to their gods for it and others who lived as one within natural
forests. By choosing what people learn through education we either widen or
narrow the gap of advocating a certain issue – such as our food dilemma.
Thus,
as adults become educated on what really occurs behind closed doors within the
community the market can and will slowly shift. Eventually, the demand for
fresh, local, organic food within the surround area will decrease prices and in
a idealistic world create harmony between urban and rural settings. Although this
is quite an optimistic view does any see the role public education plays in
teaching our youth?
I definitely agree that the public education system does play a role in teaching our youth on what is considered a healthy lifestyle. However, for the public education system to truly be effective in educating our youth, they need to be provided tools that are based on science and not politics. This reminds me of the Nestle article, which illustrated the politics involved in determining the recommended daily food consumption for each major food group. The final recommendation in every case was never based on science, but how to cautiously release recommendations without the objection of one of our major food producers. We have to get private interests out of our regulatory agencies and provide factual tools that will ultimately lead to educated Americans. My view is very utopian. The chances of ever reducing the role of private interests in government are slim, but our federal government at some point has to look at what is best for the American people.
ReplyDeleteGreat points! I definitely agree that education is the foundation for change and that there should be incorporation of the history of food into our K-12 history classes or into a class all its own. I always think about home economics class and how I was taught the basics of how to sew and some simple meals to cook, but there was never any mention of growing your own food to cook or where food comes from. Although it's a slow process, I am happy that more information is publicized about the 'construction' of food and that movements such as urban agriculture, community gardening, and farm to school are becoming more popular tools and conversation topics.
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