With each week, I have been trying to get closer to the origins of my food and be connected to the practices that drive its production. This has required a greater and greater degree of transparency. In Week 1, it was easy to know whether or not my food required the slaughter of animals. In Week 2, it was a bit harder to know how much human intervention had been required in my food production, but "certified organic" labels helped guide my choices of selection. Unfortunately, there is no standardized and trusted label guaranteeing that a product is locally grown. The solution? Get away from labels altogether.
In order to eat locally, I decided to buy my groceries at a local farmers market. Luckily, there are 25 to choose from in DC. I picked Eastern Market because of its size and its proximity to my neighborhood. The majority of the produce sold in Eastern Market's open-air food stalls is grown in rural counties in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The indoor merchants at the South Hall also carry local seafood, meat, and baked goods.
I decided to buy fruits and vegetables from Maryland and Virginia outside (specifically green beans, new potatoes, corn, fuji apples, mixed greens, and pears). I spent about the same amount of money as I would had I bought these products at the grocery store although I was not able to purchase some items that I normally would (such as bananas and avocados). Inside I bought chicken breast and locally-harvested bread from the bakery.
Besides impacting where I purchase my food, eating locally has caused me to cook at home more than I normally would. I have had to use some non-local ingredients (like spices and olive oil), but I have been able to stick to a mostly local diet. However, I think this would be really hard (and expensive) to keep up for an extended period of time.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Week 3: The Local Food Movement
The Local Food (or Slow Food) Movement is one of the fastest growing ethical diets today. It's no wonder that "locavore" was named the word of the year in 2007. The term, coined in 2005 by a group of women in San Francisco, describes a person who eats only food that is produced within a 100-mile radius of where he or she lives. However, according to the Eat Local Challenge website, people can choose what local means to them - be it a 100-mile radius or simply their state's borders. For my diet this week, I am going to try to limit myself to eating food that was grown and produced within a 200-mile radius of where I live.
Like organic foods, local food is believed to be more environmentally-friendly. With fewer "food miles" to travel and less handling needed, locally-grown food presents a more simplified food network where consumers are more connected (or less disconnected?) from the food they are eating. Eating locally also generates money for the local economy. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.
Local food is fresher and seasonally-organized. It also allows farmers to grow smaller, more diverse crops instead of focusing all their resources to producing one crop that is shipped across the nation to be stocked in large supermarkets. I plan to rely heavily on food from farmers markets during this week in order to stay local.
Like organic foods, local food is believed to be more environmentally-friendly. With fewer "food miles" to travel and less handling needed, locally-grown food presents a more simplified food network where consumers are more connected (or less disconnected?) from the food they are eating. Eating locally also generates money for the local economy. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.
Local food is fresher and seasonally-organized. It also allows farmers to grow smaller, more diverse crops instead of focusing all their resources to producing one crop that is shipped across the nation to be stocked in large supermarkets. I plan to rely heavily on food from farmers markets during this week in order to stay local.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Privilege of Eating Organic
So I am nearing the end of the second week of my ethical eating experimentation, and things have gone fairly smoothly. I managed to avoid eating any meat products during my first week, and I went almost a whole week eating organically....almost.
Saturday was my 22nd birthday, and while going out was a lot of fun, it posed significant problems to my organic agenda. First, one of my dear friends (and aspiring pastry chef) made me a delicious tangerine mojito-flavored birthday cake. It was covered in brightly-colored, handmade fondant. It was - not surprisingly - not made entirely of organic ingredients. This, however, did not prevent me from eating it. Then, we went out to celebrate on H Street. When we were at my favorite bar, the owner brought us over a complimentary bucket of tater tots (yes, a bucket). Once again I participated in the consumption of non-organic food (and drink).
While these slip-ups might seem to indicate that I simply had less ethical conviction on my birthday, they really demonstrate the fact that eating organically limits your food options. As much as we demonize megafarms that grow hundreds of acres of a single crop for profit, we should also acknowledge the sterilizing effects of eating strictly organic. Sure, you can find organic alternatives to most conventional food products, but your access to these alternatives is limited by your financial capacity and your geographic location. This week's challenge would probably not even be possible if I were living in a rural town in my home state of Texas. Eating organic is a privilege, and it's not an option for everyone.
In addition to economic and geographic constraints, an organic diet also poses threats to food traditions. I chose to eat the non-organic birthday cake my friend made for me because acknowledging her work and participating in the community event that her food production created was important to me in the celebration of my birthday. Since coming to college, I stopped mammals in order to reduce my meat consumption. Yet every year when I go home for the holidays, I eat tamales on Christmas Eve because it is a family tradition. People should absolutely make an effort to be conscious about what they are eating and how they are connected to it. While we don't want to become disengaged from the food that is put on our plate everyday, we also don't want to become disconnected from the food traditions that shape our identities. We should work to create new traditions around healthful, ethical ingredients and recognize that thinking about what you eat demands more than checking for the USDA Organic label on products from the grocery store.
Saturday was my 22nd birthday, and while going out was a lot of fun, it posed significant problems to my organic agenda. First, one of my dear friends (and aspiring pastry chef) made me a delicious tangerine mojito-flavored birthday cake. It was covered in brightly-colored, handmade fondant. It was - not surprisingly - not made entirely of organic ingredients. This, however, did not prevent me from eating it. Then, we went out to celebrate on H Street. When we were at my favorite bar, the owner brought us over a complimentary bucket of tater tots (yes, a bucket). Once again I participated in the consumption of non-organic food (and drink).
While these slip-ups might seem to indicate that I simply had less ethical conviction on my birthday, they really demonstrate the fact that eating organically limits your food options. As much as we demonize megafarms that grow hundreds of acres of a single crop for profit, we should also acknowledge the sterilizing effects of eating strictly organic. Sure, you can find organic alternatives to most conventional food products, but your access to these alternatives is limited by your financial capacity and your geographic location. This week's challenge would probably not even be possible if I were living in a rural town in my home state of Texas. Eating organic is a privilege, and it's not an option for everyone.
In addition to economic and geographic constraints, an organic diet also poses threats to food traditions. I chose to eat the non-organic birthday cake my friend made for me because acknowledging her work and participating in the community event that her food production created was important to me in the celebration of my birthday. Since coming to college, I stopped mammals in order to reduce my meat consumption. Yet every year when I go home for the holidays, I eat tamales on Christmas Eve because it is a family tradition. People should absolutely make an effort to be conscious about what they are eating and how they are connected to it. While we don't want to become disengaged from the food that is put on our plate everyday, we also don't want to become disconnected from the food traditions that shape our identities. We should work to create new traditions around healthful, ethical ingredients and recognize that thinking about what you eat demands more than checking for the USDA Organic label on products from the grocery store.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Is Whole Foods Ethical?
Trying to eat a strictly organic diet while working in Tenleytown has caused me to rely heavily on Whole Foods for almost all of my meals. I find myself leaving work each afternoon to get lunch at the grocery store instead of having to research organic-friendly restaurants or wake up early to pack my own lunch. Yet I am starting to question if relying on this corporation to make all my tough food decisions is simply falling back into old habits.
An article published in Slate in March 2006, "Is Whole Foods Wholesome?" poses similar questions. In this piece, Field Maloney attempts to find out if Whole Foods really is as virtuous as it presents itself to be. First, the good news:
1. Whole Foods pays its workers a solid living wage. Its lowest earners average $13.15 an hour with excellent benefits and health care. Furthermore, no executive makes more than 14 times the employee average.
2. Whole Foods was one of the first grocery stores to "bag the bag" doing away with plastic bags at their checkout counters - an initiative that has particular meaning to D.C. residents, who are now taxed for each plastic bag they use.
3. Whole Foods supports local non-profits, and many of the stores offer their own composting or utilize wind or solar energy.
Now for the not-so-good news:
1. Whole Foods may promote saving energy and being eco-friendly, but sometimes organic isn't the greenest option. Organic apples from Washington state have a much greater carbon footprint than apples conventionally-farmed in nearby West Virginia.
2. Supporting organic farming does not necessarily mean supporting small farmers. Almost all of the organic food produced in America comes out of California, and only a handful of corporations dominate the industry.
3. Whole Foods, oft referred to as Whole Paycheck because of its prices, is not a viable option for every consumer. In the closing paragraph of Maloney's article, he offers an nuanced (and somewhat depressing) argument:"It's likely that neither Wal-Mart nor Whole Foods will do much to encourage local agriculture or small farming, but in an odd twist, Wal-Mart, with its simple 'More for Less' credo, might do far more to democratize the nation's food supply than Whole Foods. The organic-food movement is in danger of exacerbating the growing gap between rich and poor in this country by contributing to a two-tiered national food supply, with healthy food for the rich. Could Wal-Mart's populist strategy prove to be more 'sustainable' than Whole Foods?" Just some food for thought.
What I ate yesterday: bowl of organic cereal with organic soy milk, Nantucket Nectar juice and organic salad from Whole Foods, Amy's organic Burrito Bowl
What I ate today: another bowl of cereal and soy milk, organic granola and fruit salad, oven-roasted vegetables (red potatoes, carrots, onions, shallots) and cheese
An article published in Slate in March 2006, "Is Whole Foods Wholesome?" poses similar questions. In this piece, Field Maloney attempts to find out if Whole Foods really is as virtuous as it presents itself to be. First, the good news:
1. Whole Foods pays its workers a solid living wage. Its lowest earners average $13.15 an hour with excellent benefits and health care. Furthermore, no executive makes more than 14 times the employee average.
2. Whole Foods was one of the first grocery stores to "bag the bag" doing away with plastic bags at their checkout counters - an initiative that has particular meaning to D.C. residents, who are now taxed for each plastic bag they use.
3. Whole Foods supports local non-profits, and many of the stores offer their own composting or utilize wind or solar energy.
Now for the not-so-good news:
1. Whole Foods may promote saving energy and being eco-friendly, but sometimes organic isn't the greenest option. Organic apples from Washington state have a much greater carbon footprint than apples conventionally-farmed in nearby West Virginia.
2. Supporting organic farming does not necessarily mean supporting small farmers. Almost all of the organic food produced in America comes out of California, and only a handful of corporations dominate the industry.
3. Whole Foods, oft referred to as Whole Paycheck because of its prices, is not a viable option for every consumer. In the closing paragraph of Maloney's article, he offers an nuanced (and somewhat depressing) argument:"It's likely that neither Wal-Mart nor Whole Foods will do much to encourage local agriculture or small farming, but in an odd twist, Wal-Mart, with its simple 'More for Less' credo, might do far more to democratize the nation's food supply than Whole Foods. The organic-food movement is in danger of exacerbating the growing gap between rich and poor in this country by contributing to a two-tiered national food supply, with healthy food for the rich. Could Wal-Mart's populist strategy prove to be more 'sustainable' than Whole Foods?" Just some food for thought.
What I ate yesterday: bowl of organic cereal with organic soy milk, Nantucket Nectar juice and organic salad from Whole Foods, Amy's organic Burrito Bowl
What I ate today: another bowl of cereal and soy milk, organic granola and fruit salad, oven-roasted vegetables (red potatoes, carrots, onions, shallots) and cheese
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
GMOs and the Eugenics Movement of Food
Advancements in technology and science have enabled us to accomplish seemingly impossible things. Video chats, 3D sonograms, and digital cameras never cease to amaze me. So when the genetic manipulation of crops paved the way for an inexhaustible food source, it was hard not to think that we had created a real solution to the world's hunger problem. But have we just created a new problem in the form of Frankenfood?
Scientists now have the ability to genetically manipulate common crops such as corn, cotton and soybeans, inserting traits that, in one case, let farmers spray weed killer without hurting the crop and, in other instances, fight off insects. While this enables farmers to produce more food for less money, it also causes consumers to ingest pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals. These genetically modified foods are found on every aisle of any major (non-organic) grocery store in America, yet this is not the case all over the world. For instance, Europeans have largely rejected GMOs on the basis that they pose potential ecological and health nightmares.
According to a study conducted by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications and the USDA, 85% of the corn produced in America is genetically modified compared to 26% worldwide. Furthermore, the United States is the biggest adopter of biotech crops, growing 158 million acres. The second largest producer of GM crops, Brazil, grows a third of this amount. Globally, biologically engineered crops continue to be embraced in both developed and developing nations. However, Europe still remains largely resistant. According to a USA Today article published last week, "of 26 European Union countries, only six plant the one genetically modified, or GM, crop accepted there: insect-resistant corn. Germany discontinued GM planting in 2008." In February, India decided to reject a newly approved eggplant variety genetically engineered to produce its own insecticide. The debate over the use of GM crops still wages in Asia and Africa. In November of last year, China approved biotech rice and corn varieties. This decision has the power to greatly influence the future of agriculture. As Eric Hoffman, a genetic engineering policy campaigner argues, "[China] grow[s] an incredible amount of food and fiber, and the more they embrace this technology, the more it's going to be used. There's potential for China shifting the balance away from the movement that Europe is creating to stop these technologies."
What I ate today: organic banana, cabbage crunch salad, pesto pasta, vegetable spring roll, homemade chicken salad (all of these things were bought at Whole Foods)
Scientists now have the ability to genetically manipulate common crops such as corn, cotton and soybeans, inserting traits that, in one case, let farmers spray weed killer without hurting the crop and, in other instances, fight off insects. While this enables farmers to produce more food for less money, it also causes consumers to ingest pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals. These genetically modified foods are found on every aisle of any major (non-organic) grocery store in America, yet this is not the case all over the world. For instance, Europeans have largely rejected GMOs on the basis that they pose potential ecological and health nightmares.
According to a study conducted by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications and the USDA, 85% of the corn produced in America is genetically modified compared to 26% worldwide. Furthermore, the United States is the biggest adopter of biotech crops, growing 158 million acres. The second largest producer of GM crops, Brazil, grows a third of this amount. Globally, biologically engineered crops continue to be embraced in both developed and developing nations. However, Europe still remains largely resistant. According to a USA Today article published last week, "of 26 European Union countries, only six plant the one genetically modified, or GM, crop accepted there: insect-resistant corn. Germany discontinued GM planting in 2008." In February, India decided to reject a newly approved eggplant variety genetically engineered to produce its own insecticide. The debate over the use of GM crops still wages in Asia and Africa. In November of last year, China approved biotech rice and corn varieties. This decision has the power to greatly influence the future of agriculture. As Eric Hoffman, a genetic engineering policy campaigner argues, "[China] grow[s] an incredible amount of food and fiber, and the more they embrace this technology, the more it's going to be used. There's potential for China shifting the balance away from the movement that Europe is creating to stop these technologies."
What I ate today: organic banana, cabbage crunch salad, pesto pasta, vegetable spring roll, homemade chicken salad (all of these things were bought at Whole Foods)
Monday, March 22, 2010
Week 2: Eating Organically
Today concludes my one week experiment of being a (lacto-ovo) vegetarian. I was able to go the entire week without eating meat, and hopefully, saved a few animals in the process. Now begins the second iteration of my ethical eating experiment: going organic.
The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), which was enacted under Title 21 of the 1990 Farm Bill, served to establish uniform national standards for the production and handling of foods labeled as “organic.” This legislation authorized a new USDA National Organic Program to set national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products. According to the 1995 National Organic Standards Board definition, “organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." The principal guidelines for organic production are "to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole." In this way, organic farming purports to be more environmentally sustainable than conventional agricultural methods.
Organic farming entails: the use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize the soil and control insect populations, the use of rotational grazing and mixed forage pastures for livestock operations and alternative health care for animal wellbeing, the reduction of external and off-farm inputs and elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and other materials, such as hormones and antibiotics, and a focus on renewable resources, soil and water conservation, and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological balance.
Organic products are often criticized as being unaffordable, and thus not a valid alternative for many individuals. However, advocates of the organic movement argue that paying a little more for non-genetically modified food products saves money in the long run by reducing environmental degradation and health costs. You'll have to stay tuned to find out how this new diet affects my food budget.
The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), which was enacted under Title 21 of the 1990 Farm Bill, served to establish uniform national standards for the production and handling of foods labeled as “organic.” This legislation authorized a new USDA National Organic Program to set national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products. According to the 1995 National Organic Standards Board definition, “organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." The principal guidelines for organic production are "to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole." In this way, organic farming purports to be more environmentally sustainable than conventional agricultural methods.
Organic farming entails: the use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize the soil and control insect populations, the use of rotational grazing and mixed forage pastures for livestock operations and alternative health care for animal wellbeing, the reduction of external and off-farm inputs and elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and other materials, such as hormones and antibiotics, and a focus on renewable resources, soil and water conservation, and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological balance.
Organic products are often criticized as being unaffordable, and thus not a valid alternative for many individuals. However, advocates of the organic movement argue that paying a little more for non-genetically modified food products saves money in the long run by reducing environmental degradation and health costs. You'll have to stay tuned to find out how this new diet affects my food budget.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Soy: Friend or Foe?
In the past couple of years, I have stopped eating red meat (except for the occasional Five Guys' cheeseburger), so I was familiar with meat substitutes before I began this experiment. (In fact, I think Gimme Lean breakfast sausage tastes better than the real deal and have sneaked it into my meat-loving brother's breakfast tacos without detection). I eat soy-based "chikin," drink soy milk, and I love TDR's barbeque seitan. I feel like I am making a more ethical and healthy decision when I consume these products over their animal-based alternatives. However, when I was reading New York Magazine's "Eat Good," a guide to ethical eating, I was a little caught offguard by their inclusion of soy on their list of suspect foods.
The guide's authors, Beth Shapouri & Christine Whitney, label soy as having a big carbon footprint, being overfarmed, creating corporate monopolies, and being genetically modified. While not all soy products are guilty of these infractions, I realized I wasn't sure how ethical my purchases had been. "You thought it was healthy. Soy is overgrown, generally highly sprayed, and the USDA reports that it has more acreage dedicated to genetically modified plants than any other crop." The fix Shapouri and Whitney suggest? Buy certified organic; this guarantees your soy is not genetically modified.
What I ate today: cereal, (leftover) half of veggie burger and onion rings, a calzone with pineapple, mozarella, onions, and olives
The guide's authors, Beth Shapouri & Christine Whitney, label soy as having a big carbon footprint, being overfarmed, creating corporate monopolies, and being genetically modified. While not all soy products are guilty of these infractions, I realized I wasn't sure how ethical my purchases had been. "You thought it was healthy. Soy is overgrown, generally highly sprayed, and the USDA reports that it has more acreage dedicated to genetically modified plants than any other crop." The fix Shapouri and Whitney suggest? Buy certified organic; this guarantees your soy is not genetically modified.
What I ate today: cereal, (leftover) half of veggie burger and onion rings, a calzone with pineapple, mozarella, onions, and olives
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