I have a dream that we will completely change the way we source our food. The steps we take to get our food is arbitrary now, based on years of history and politics and trade.
Never have we approached one of the most critical challenges in humanity with foresight. We have never based our food systems on our health and what our system should look like. I am talking about the supermarket. It was designed to cut costs and increase shelf life. And that was necessary post WWII. Governments needed people to increase spending and their sense of security; that’s where shelf life and cheap consistent produce came in.
Supermarkets needed women back in the work force, which was going to be hard if the greater public still held expectations of an all day stew and a hair nary out of place at the end of the day. Long shelf life with near instant results was a miracle they needed. And shelf life isn’t going anywhere.
Yet, people are crying out for vitality and freshness in their food. We don’t have time to try more half baked solutions. A farmer commits suicide every 10 days in Australia; over 40 per day in India, and in the US the rate of suicide among farmers is 3 and a half times higher than among the general population. Yet I see farmers who do incredible work, grow incredible food – where’s the gap? What’s missing? The number of activist groups grows each year around the world, and they serve as an incredible platform for voices in the industry. But the truth is, we need more than that.
The power is ultimately in the hands of the consumer. Our needs have changed drastically since the creation of the supermarket and it’s time our food buying habits reflected our lifestyle and health requirements. It’s time for change.
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