This was one of the TED talks I watched just before starting this blog. Although it's about seafood specifically, it has a ton of great points about food sustainability in general. I've written a bit about the "protein problem" he discusses. I also love the way he talkes about "restorative food" and how food can be not just a commodity, but an opportunity to develop relationships - with people, with the earth, etc (if you've read my food & identity paper, these ideas may sound familiar).
I want to take a moment to highlight a couple of lines that he says in this video that perfectly reflect the reasons I'm writing this blog.
"Forget nuclear holocaust, it's the fork that we have to worry about." (4:08) Firstly, I'm writing because the food issues our world faces are serious. The systems we are participating in have disturbing consequences on human beings. These problems are not just going to go away. On the contrary, if we don't do something about them, they will continue to become more dire.
"Sustainability is complicated, but dinner is a reality that we all very much understand." (4:28) We all know our world is pretty messed up in a lot of ways. Sometimes those problems can seem too big for us to even dare approach. The food we eat, however, is something we can all relate to and control. It is a feasible way to begin to tackle enormous world problems.
"I expect a lot from food. I expect health, joy, family and community. I expect that producing ingredients, preparing dishes, and eating meals is all part of the communion of human interests." (7:16) It's not all about the doom and gloom. Sure, there are huge world problems associated with food, but it's also a joyous occasion! There is so much good that can come from understanding and dealing with food in a positive way. And the positive is really what I'm all about.
Therefore, I write the blog. Why? Because "there is no escaping that everything we eat has a global impact, so try and learn as best you can what that impact is, and then take the first step to minimize it." (8:37)
http://www.ted.com/talks/barton_seaver_sustainable_seafood_let_s_get_smart.html
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