By: Kimberly Belle

Kimberly Belle — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:48:10 +0000

Ciao Carmen, I couldn’t agree more. The cycle you’ve identified is critical, complicated and confusing. While we certainly can’t force any Mom’s hand into buying the $4 carton of eggs, I believe that anyone who can buy the $4 carton should. In an effort to make a real impact on the slow food market “consumers have a choice, and those of us who are in a position to choose have an equal obligation to choose ethically—between real food that makes a substantial impact on global health or fast food that’s causing the slow death of so many among us.” Thanks for reading!

By: Carmen

Carmen — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:20:26 +0000

Hi Kimberly,
I just read your posts on industrialized food, and as a person who greatly appreciates good, quality food and the credo behind the “slow food” movement, I share your concerns and think about these issues a lot. And the question I always come back to is this: How to provide high-quality, minimally-processed food at an affordable price? Is it even possible? With an ever-growing world population, is it feasible to provide grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, free-range meat and produce at prices that everyday working-people can afford? The amount of time, land, and energy necessary to cultivate such food, by necessity, raises its price. The role of government agencies is to make sure the food is safe and won’t poison the public, as far as I can tell. Outside of that, the market and its consumers create the demand and the dynamics. In many food cultures outside the US, this is an organic process, where the public’s relationship with food is embedded in its culture, so people grow up with a deeper appreciation of the amount of work and time that goes into the preparation of a meal and its components. However, this may also be changing as more and more people are looking for convenience and a quick fix. I’m not sure that transforming the American public’s relationship with food starts with government intervention, but I do believe it starts at home. It starts with the choices people make at the register, because much of it comes down to that for a lot of people, how many dollars they have folded up in their wallet or available on their credit card. How is the mom of three going to decide on buying the four dollar carton of eggs as opposed to the carton for $1.99 that will feed just as many (and with that extra two bucks she can buy another bottle of sugary fruit juice)? The price on that $4 carton needs to come down. How? More people need to buy the $4 carton, which will increase production, which will increase supply and thereby lower cost. I feel that it is a matter of market and economics. Perhaps through education, we can help people realize the importance of choosing that $4 carton, but for some people, that $2 difference is a big leap of faith based on the supposed benefits of free-range, organic eggs. It is such a complicated cycle, and I appreciate you discussing it here on your site.

Comments on: An(other) Inconvenient Truth (Part II)

By: Kimberly Belle

By: Carmen