Oh yeah, like I’m going to be able to address that in a single blog post….

When you get down to it, what we eat and how it is produced is the Meta-issue of this blog. Our questions about food safety, technology, health, environment, food prices and availability, environmental impact, etc. all end up being answered by the choices we make as consumers (what we buy), and as producers (how we grow it).

So much of what I read is narrowly focused on a single problem or single solution. In a larger context there is an entire web of cause and effect around each of these single issues. We have a food system that cannot be separated from our economic, environmental, political and ethical/religious systems.

If we were to design a food system from scratch, what would it look like? Let’s start by creating a wish list. Please give us your opinions about what should be on our list, and in what order of importance.

• Safe: By most accounts we have the safest food supply in the world, in terms of food-borne illnesses. How do changes in how our food is produced affect safety (i.e. locally produced without USDA oversight, non-pastuerized milk, intensive/monoculture vs. extensive/mixed systems).
• Affordable: Americans spend less of their disposable income on food than almost any other country. Can we/should we be willing to pay higher prices in order to achieve some of our other food goals? What about the impact on those with lower incomes?
• Nutritious: The basic purpose of food is to nourish us. In reality, flavor, convenience and price probably play a larger role in our choices.
• Sustainable: We need to produce our food in a way that doesn’t rob Peter to pay Paul. Can we be truly sustainable without decreasing our food supply and having devastating effects on some of the other issues here?
• Environmentally responsible: Notice the avoidance of the term “friendly” here. If we really were going to be environmentally friendly, we’d choose not to perpetuate our species. Given that we choose to exists, how can we care for the earth and still meet our food needs?
• Practical: It’s common knowledge that fresh is best, but let’s face it, most of us ‘give’ on other issues for convenience. I bet most people wouldn’t put “easy” high on the list of food priorities, but voting with their dollars shows otherwise.
• Ethical: Food issues are tied at a gut level to our belief system. Don’t try to talk an ethically-motivated vegan out of their position through scientific arguments. What is “ethical” in food production? Do we hold our food production system to a higher ethical standard than we do our other consumer goods (sweat shops in India for textiles, environmental impact of steel/plastic/transportation)?
• Feasible: I”m a big local food supporter, but realize that a totally local food system is not currently feasible in many areas of the country. Many of the production methods I use myself on my own ranch are difficult (impossible?) to implement on a national scale.

What did I miss? How do these rank in importance relative to each other?

1. Vickie Hernan-Faivre Says:
   May 28th, 2008 at 7:38am

   Sara:

   Great points all around. Since I am a grain farmer, it is also important to us to not only be able to provide consumers with safe, nutritious foods but also have a safe work environment (safe chemicals to work around?). Since some of the grain produced in this country is exported, this is a global food safety problem. Many areas world wide are not able to grow and enjoy locally produced products due to the very nature of the environment they live in. How does one solve the problem of trying to feed the world while trying to stay safe, provide a safe product for everyone who consumes it and still be efficient about it?

   These are very important issues with long range ramifications.



2. Mike Says:
   May 28th, 2008 at 8:39am

   While I’d love to see all those factors built into the new food regime, some will come later than others. Right now, some level of sustainability needs to be incorporated into our national food system. We have to remove some of the petroleum based inputs from the food chain by exploring more sustainable methods of fertilization and shortening the road from farm to table. Any solution that addresses those issues will probably incorporate some of your other essential factors.

   By the way, love your blog!



3. jublke Says:
   May 28th, 2008 at 6:13pm

   I would add cultural responsibility to your very thorough list. A while back, I blogged on the topic of edible insects. One of the more interesting aspects of this topic was the concern of some scientists that, as we foist our western sensibilities on the rest of the planet, we turn people away from food sources (like bugs) that we find distasteful but that are part of local culture and are environmentally sustainable.



4. lucas Says:
   May 30th, 2008 at 11:50am

   on vicki’s point about places that can’t grow food, i’m reminded of a friend currently living in phoenix which basically drains the colorado river to make it possible for people to live there. i wonder what we should do about places that should really not be inhabited because they are a net drain.

   i agree with mike that your list is excellent, but prioritizing that list seems the most crucial next step.

   and as a christian hoping to work on sustainable food in the “third” world jublke’s point about cultural responsibility is huge and one that the majority of missionaries have really missed for centuries unfortunately.

   on the ethical front i would add that we need to learn how to dialogue between people of different faiths, ethical and cultural belief systems. For example, we in the west are exporting a diet heavy on meat consumption to the rest of the world. There should be cultural, religious and ethical dialogue about the implications of this.



5. Sara Says:
   May 31st, 2008 at 7:31am

   What excellent points you all have made. Vicki and Lucas–worker and farmer welfare are definitely important.

   I am also pleased to see comments about cultural awareness, diversity and tolerance. Food is so integrated into religion and culture.

   Mike, I agree that sustainability is probably a good first step, not least of all because it is the one consumers AND producers can both impact immediately and incrementally.

   The next question that comes to mind is: How much can we effect change in our food system through our choices as growers or eaters, and how requires ag policy or other political action?



6. A Pretty Mess » Blog Archive » Food Crisis a major issue for incoming president Says:
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