The environmental movement, struggling to stay relevant in today's hostile political climate, may find itself saved by another movement: the food movement. At least that's what one writer for TIME thinks. In a recent article for the magazine, Byran Walsh wrote that if the food movement continues to grow, then "it may be able to create just the sort of political and social transformation that environmentalists have failed to achieve in recent years..."
The food movement is unique, Walsh says, because it's not one movement at all; rather, it's a series of smaller, organized movements—"farming and eating and health and policy and business"— all working together for a common purpose. And the movement is making a difference. A few stats from the article state:
There are now thousands of community-supported agriculture programs around the country, up from just two in 1986. There are more than 6,000 farmers' markets, up 16% from just a year ago. Sales of organic food and beverages hit nearly $25 billion in 2009, up from $1 billion in 1990, and no less a corporate behemoth than Walmart has muscled into the organic industry, seeking out sustainable suppliers. Green chefs like Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., have become national superstars, and local sourcing has become a must for hip restaurants in Brooklyn, Berkeley and in between. First Lady Michelle Obama -- she of the organic White House garden -- has decided to make childhood obesity her signature issue, and she's done so by pushing the food industry to provide healthier fruits and vegetables over cheap processed options. Even the Department of Agriculture -- usually a staunch ally of mainstream farming and the distributor each year of billions in often wasteful agricultural subsidies -- has gotten into the sustainability game with its "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" program, which connects consumers with local producers.
So why does the food movement have traction while traditional environmentalism loses steam? Because it's all about pleasure. Yes, there are grave concerns about industrial farming and obesity, but at its core the food movement is founded on a very simple principle: food should taste better. And lest you think the food movement is competing with the environmental movement, it's more likely the two will end up working in tandem.
As the food movement matures and grows, it could end up being the best vehicle available for achieving environmental goals. The industrialized way we farm today damages our land, our water and our climate. Reforming agriculture and promoting sustainability won't just help us get better and healthier food; it will also fight greenhouse-gas emissions and water pollution. The food movement has been criticized as elitist, but that reputation belies recent efforts to get low-cost fruits and vegetables to urban poor who suffer disproportionately from obesity and diabetes.
Read More: Foodies Can Eclipse (and Save) the Green Movement at Time
Related: In the News: Alice Waters on 60 Minutes
(Image: Gregory Han)
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Did you all know that most of the 'organic' food sold at Whole Foods is from CHINA? and there are no inspections of these so called 'organic' farms???? Know your local farmer and you know your food.
Wonderful post. One gripe, "organic and local" does nothing to address the severe deforestation that comes with monoculture. If you want baby steps, go local and organic. If you want to see the environnent ACTUALLY benefit with measureable results. we must change to canopy growing, permaculture and multi-crop species. I wish AT would go into this stuff as you have a large, captive audience and it could kickstart the revolution. You're right, food is a great place to start because everyday people can take part in this and it would contribute to social justice as well with urban (or home) gardens. PLEASE educate people about canopy / multicrop growing.
(That's not to say that pesticides don't do harm, but rather that stopping wide-scale disaster requires more than just a reduction in pesticides).
The reason the food movement has so much momentum is because its ultimately a movement that appeals strongly to benefits for the *individual*. Organic food discussions tend to revolve around the health benefits. When I lived in vegan co-op for a couple of years, we would have long, drawn-out discussions over every single food purchase our household made. The rationale for every food decision that resulted in the purchase of an organic food item boiled down to this: "Well, I would never put those harmful chemicals in my body." The implication being that their body was too valuable to endure the pesticides found in "regular" food. The implication also being that if you didn't value your body (or have the money to do so), that you were somehow bad, gross, or wrong (which brings up issues of class/privilege). The local food movement gets individuals by appealing to their need to have something unique and special, that is rare or has some kind of story behind it. In both instances, the immediate benefits to "me & mine" are readily seen and understood.
Whereas with the general environmental movement, it's harder to see these benefits so directly. Sure, spending a lot of money up-front to invest in "green" power infrastructures *might* help future generations in 20 or 50 years. But without seeing some immediate, personally gratifying benefit, it's hard for people to get into.
I grow a garden, can and freeze as much as I can. I participate in food swaps, shop at farmers markets and food co-ops as much as possible. I think that this is a grass roots movement that has immediate and personal foodback as opposed to a movement were we're trying to save something we can't see like the rainforest. While trying to change the world is really important, if more people take small, managable steps we can actually have a positive effect world wide.