After experiencing a variety of contemplative practices, I have realized that food is strongly tied to the inherent privilege that individuals possess, or rather, do not possess. For Americans, whether we can afford healthy food options or not, there is always a readily available supply for purchase. We retain the privilege to a seemingly endless supply of food. We also possess the ability to be ignorant towards the origins of a variety of commonly consumed foods. Many of the individuals who acquire such a privilege to food place themselves, and their personal benefit, at the center of food. They fail to realize that there is much more involved within the larger picture than themselves. For instance, when eating a chocolate bar, we take for granted each of the complex processes involved before we, the consumers, procured the especially familiar food. However, the average cacao farmer of areas alike the Ivory Coast, have rarely encountered a chocolate bar, nor tasted the results of the cacao bean which is essential to their livelihood. Thus, a chocolate bar is simply magical to them. It is mind boggling that such a thing can be crafted. When the cacao farmers were given the opportunity to taste the chocolate bar for the first time, they could not believe that something so sweet and decadent was produced from a bean which was once bitter and bland. For the cacao farmers, tasting chocolate for the first time was a remarkable experience. Yet, those who are privileged lack such marvelous experiences with food in general. Eating is done without taking into account the food’s wonders and origins. There is a lack of attachment and respect for food. We simply take the wonders of food for granted. With such privilege, we have come to shame the beauty of food and eating. It is a rather selfish relationship we have with food. Individuals who possess such privilege to food need to take their heads out of the sand and truly experience what they are eating. Whether this be educating themselves on the origins of their foods, taking the time to experience its flavors, or sitting and eating with others to enjoy its nourishment, we need to change the way we experience food.
Angelina, I really like the point you make about people not truly appreciating and contemplating the “wonder and origins” of food. Food is at the core of human existence, and yet as we continue to develop we lose this invaluable relationship. It seems that we need to reconcile with the process behind our food, rather than just taking food as a singular object without systematic connections to people, politics, and the planet. The Slow Food Movement is an interesting movement that urges people to slow down and take the time to enjoy food as a means of creation and connection, not just nutrition. That being said, The Slow Food movement is also one riddled with privilege, as many people do not have the means or opportunity to “slow down” their relationship with food. Thus, it is not enough to just slow down our relationship with food. We must create a more equitable relationship with food and the processes and people that are behind it, ensuring that respect and appreciation for food can be shared by all people.
I completely agree that food is tied to the consumer’s privilege, especially as people in the United States can often rely on finding a grocery store or another food source in their neighborhood. Especially if you consider the omnipresence of fast food restaurants, we have food options on every corner in this country. I agree that many consumers, including myself, are often oblivious to the production process behind the foods they purchase so conveniently. We don’t often think about where our fresh produce is grown, not to mention the people who cultivated it. As much as we need to change the way we experience food, we also need to change the way we, or the companies we patronize, treat the workers who produce our food. The tomato pickers from south Florida, for example, were underpaid and treated disrespectfully despite their hard work and services, demonstrating how labor is often undervalued by larger food providing corporations (Gray). It’s true that most people in western society benefit from the privilege of food security, but as consumers we should use this privilege to have a say in how our food is produced. If there are worker accounts of racial profiling or harassment as described in Labor and the Locavore, we should use the power of our dollar to boycott the larger company and demand justice for the people who are actually producing the product. On a more international scale, like the cacao farmers in Ivory Coast, there are greater political obstacles that are perpetuating this global inequity and disparity of wealth. As citizens and consumers we should, to the best of our ability, maintain a strong voice as to how our food is produced and how it finds its way to our local markets. On an individual level we can demonstrate a new way of eating that respects the food and those who provide it.
I really enjoy that you framed this within the world of ‘privilege’ because that is totally what many American’s are experiencing with their food. It is something that we tend to use for conversations centered in racism or sexism and the plethora of others, but I appreciate that you brought food into it. Those farmers have lost their limbs to harvest cacao beans, and that is something that the average consumer would never think of. This severe injustice within out food system, is seen all around the world, at all levels of food production and I can’t wait to spread this usage of ‘privilege’ when discussing those other examples.
Response #1