One incredibly important argument that Carolyn Steel
discusses in Hungry City: How Food Shapes
Our Lives is how important oil is to the modern food industry. Often
consumer demands are at odds with the environment—maybe we want guacamole in
December as the final touch on our Chipotle masterpiece or maybe we want to eat
oranges on the beach in summer, the fact of the matter is that there is a
tradeoff for these products. The amount of fuel required to transport large
quantities of food around the nation is inherently impacting our environment
negatively.
This idea reinforces a working theory I have: the solution to many
of our agricultural problems lies in the hands of our local farms. Local farms promote sustainability, citizenships, community,
as well as health and quality of food. No doubt about it tomatoes from Turkey
Hill, honey from Orchard Pond, or arugula from Restoration Orchard tastes
different than the products we can buy at the supermarket. Buying local reduces
the impact on our environment; additionally, it makes the food we eat more
healthful, better tasting, and wholesome, and often times cheaper.
The other part of the Steel reading I found incredibly
important is the statement she poses in regards to a sustainable farming
practice: “instead of asking how we’re going to be feeding ourselves in the
future, we ought to be questioning the way we eat now.” She makes such an
eye-opening statement that many of us fall trap to—with no immediately
detrimental consequences to ourselves and our surroundings, we trade off
permanence for temporary. We assume that someone else will fix it later instead
of taking action now. Much of this comes from the disconnect we experience
between our food production and food consumption, so how do we get more people
connected to what they’re putting into their bodies? It seems like an
overwhelming problem that starts with education--perhaps education at the local level.
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