Monday, August 21, 2006

Scary Food

This whole train of thought that I have been possessed with regarding the food industry in general has suddenly become a lot more sinister. I'm really not sure how I can incorporate all these threads into a 25 minute film, it would make a cool feature perhaps? Any suggestions?

While I am intrigued at the efforts of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to put real food in front of British kids, it is an article in the New Zealand Listener that really has me salivating. Taking convenience food to a whole new level, scientists are perfecting ways to give vegetables an indefinite shelf life and in a move destined to detach food even further from its origins, scientists have developed a way to match the chemical composition of food with an individual's genetic make-up? As if giant food corporations didn't already exercise a massive amount of control over our lives! Enjoyment and pleasure in consuming food seem to be taken as a thing of the past. Thankfully, pockets of consumers are resisting the drive towards 'dinner in a pill' embracing the wonderful slow food movement.

Surely the best decisions for food corporations are hastening the onset of diet-related illnesses. In a clever article written in the new scientist, Anna Lappe argues that "we are the first species to turn our food supply into one of the biggest threats to our health." As if this depressing information was not enough, I was fortunate enough to catch an insightful program on the radio at the weekend detailing the toxic threat that seems to be omnipresent. We can't escape. Please download the podcast on environmental pollution and listen for yourselves.

On a slightly more positive note, American writer Michael Pollan has an extremely insightful six rules for eating that summarise a lot of my thinking concerning food:

1. Don't eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn't recognise as food.
2. Avoid foods containing high-fructose corn syrup.
3. Spend more, eat less
4. Ignore nutritional science and health claims on packaging.
5. Shop at the farmers market.
6. Eat moderate portions, don't have seconds or snack between meals, enjoy your food.


3 comments:

Kat Baulu said...

Hey Mark,
Food Security is such a hot topic in Canada (and around the world!) these days. I think you'd enjoy checking out this documentary project online: http://citizen.nfb.ca/onf/info?did=1261 and especially check out Rana Ghose's stuff and the Related Films section. Let me know what you think.

Alastair Jamieson said...

Hi Mark,

Growing it safely's one thing, making it edible's entirely a different matter - http://www.geekzone.co.nz/juha/1080

Perhaps nature's bounty is best - http://publicaddress.net/default,3439.sm (if there's any left....)

Unknown said...

Mark thanks for the insightful six rules for eating! It makes sense.

If interested Organically Speaking a Seattle base website has released a conversation with Michael Pollan podcast (audio conversation). Interesting tidbits on farmers markets, CSAs, and more!

Some Podcast Show Note Questions:

Q) Why the price difference between conventional food and organic and how do we go about bringing down organic food prices?

Q) How can small local organic farmers remain local in a capitalistic system?

Q) What is the "Food Web" you briefly touch on in your book, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals.

http://OrganicallySpeaking.org

All the best,
-Ricardo

Holistic Conversations for a Sustainable World