Why Food?
Face it: EVERYBODY EATS.
And looking at what goes into our food gets right to the root of what's eating America; the fact that our food system is based not on Nutrition, Equality, or Sustainability, but rather on Profit, Greed, and Convenience. Every year we produce, consume, and waste an astounding amount of food, and very little of the food we buy today is untouched by corporate hands through marketing and processing: a phenomenon that is directly related to the rise of food-related illnesses such as diabetes and obesity. The western diet has become the epitome of unsustainability, directing vast natural resources to support animal agriculture that is unnecessary and increasingly detrimental to our health. Moreover, our modern food system depends on chemical fertilizers and pesticides that rip harvest after harvest from our earth's tired soils without any regard for the delicate balance of our ecosystem. And, thanks to powerful corporate lobbyists, our government subsidizes this food to keep it unnaturally cheap, driving small farmers both here and around the globe out of business and often straight into poverty. And too many people - about 1 in 8 Americans - do not even have access to affordable and nutritious food for their families.
And looking at what goes into our food gets right to the root of what's eating America; the fact that our food system is based not on Nutrition, Equality, or Sustainability, but rather on Profit, Greed, and Convenience. Every year we produce, consume, and waste an astounding amount of food, and very little of the food we buy today is untouched by corporate hands through marketing and processing: a phenomenon that is directly related to the rise of food-related illnesses such as diabetes and obesity. The western diet has become the epitome of unsustainability, directing vast natural resources to support animal agriculture that is unnecessary and increasingly detrimental to our health. Moreover, our modern food system depends on chemical fertilizers and pesticides that rip harvest after harvest from our earth's tired soils without any regard for the delicate balance of our ecosystem. And, thanks to powerful corporate lobbyists, our government subsidizes this food to keep it unnaturally cheap, driving small farmers both here and around the globe out of business and often straight into poverty. And too many people - about 1 in 8 Americans - do not even have access to affordable and nutritious food for their families.
But what does Food have to do with Sustainability?
Absolutely everything. Food is tied to so many things; from how we produce, transport, and consume our food to who in our society has access to food and the role of our government in creating and managing our food system... the list goes on and on.
Although it would be great if everyone had the means to produce their own food, we didn't go through an agrarian revolution for nothing. Food in our modern age has been largely shaped by convenience; everything in agriculture over the last century has been done to make our lives easier. And easier they are... but at what cost? Although it is difficult to critique a system we take for granted - and one we depend on to survive - if we don't change it soon, we will continue to harm ourselves, our communities, and our environment with exponentially catastrophic consequences.
The hardest and most astonishing truth of all is that it doesn't have to be like this. As consumers, we have the power to turn this system around and demand real food that will truly nourish our bodies, feed our neighbors, and heal our planet.
Check out the links below to explore food issues and learn how you can make a difference:
Although it would be great if everyone had the means to produce their own food, we didn't go through an agrarian revolution for nothing. Food in our modern age has been largely shaped by convenience; everything in agriculture over the last century has been done to make our lives easier. And easier they are... but at what cost? Although it is difficult to critique a system we take for granted - and one we depend on to survive - if we don't change it soon, we will continue to harm ourselves, our communities, and our environment with exponentially catastrophic consequences.
The hardest and most astonishing truth of all is that it doesn't have to be like this. As consumers, we have the power to turn this system around and demand real food that will truly nourish our bodies, feed our neighbors, and heal our planet.
Check out the links below to explore food issues and learn how you can make a difference: