When it was announced we will be trying cacao nibs, I remembered the bag I bought of amazon still taking up space in my over-crowded pantry. In my quest to be more health conscious and reading up about plant based sources of nutrition, I have definitely not been very conscious of my ecological footprint. Though I was trying to move towards a eating habit often associated with being environmentally friendly, capitalism had made it easier, cheaper, and more efficient for a college student like me to have amazon deliver these “health foods” right to my door. However as I soon came to realise, cacao nibs are very bitter, and I didn’t want to spend too much time trying to incorporate them into food and then not eating it. It was very easy to make that decision to buy them, and then valued my own time over figuring out how to use them, since services like amazon have given me so many “health food” suppliers, all slashing their prices in competition over sales.
The cacao video showed in lecture was set in the Ivory coast, and bares witness to the remnants of exploitation and the continuations of the European scramble for Africa. It was not too long ago that the Congo was under the control of Belgian King Leopold II, who’s legacy echoes the era of brutalization, mutilation, and economic subjection, of the Congolese people in return for bringing the Belgian chocolate industry into fruition. Belgian chocolate is still notoriously popular around the world, while the labor of producing and preparing cacao beans continues to be delegated to farmers in the global south. I hastily ate the single particle of cacao that I had picked out, I wanted to get it over with. More importantly, I realize I should be more conscious making links between history of colonialism and current economies of production.
Shahd, that is so interesting to think of how cacao nibs have become a popular part of very health conscious eating. I know that they are a big part of a lot of whole food alternatives, and I also know they are expensive. I think it’s interesting how the contemplative practice connected the aspects of those cacao nibs that are often excluded from the health food stores and co-ops. I think that it is assumed that because it is good for you, it is also better for the planet, and other populations of people. This obviously isn’t always the case because of the power dynamics that we have been learning about all quarter, and how the Global South usually bears the brunt of the harmful consequences. I like how you connect the colonial history of chocolate production, because that still informs a lot of systems and processes. Like you said, it wasn’t too long ago that countries like the Congo were under European control, and our food interacts with this, especially as we become more globalized.
Shahd, I share your feelings about using services like Amazon to make my consumption practices more convenient, but certainly not more sustainable or conscious. I haven’t bought many food products from Amazon, but your experience with the cacao nibs is similar to how I felt after buying various goods from Amazon when I could’ve gone to a smaller, locally owned store to buy the same items. I’ve ordered things like a trowel and watering can—which helps me tend to plants that could potentially provide food—but I could’ve just walked to the local Hardwick’s hardware store down the street and bought these items for a similar (if not cheaper) price. I’m even wary to patronize Amazon since hearing about their horrid warehouse working conditions and their gargantuan tax break, but their services making being a consumer so quick and seamless. Something about the convenience of Amazon seems to make us, as consumers, neglect to realize our place within the greater context of the global system. Perhaps we’re only seeing the services that are directly provided to us, such as free shipping, instead of the people who made such services and products possible. Especially under capitalism, I think it’s easy for us to turn a blind eye to how our products come into existence. I agree that as a first step to remediating this, we should take it upon ourselves to consume more wisely and always consider our role in current global economies as well as historical ties to colonialism and imperialsm.
Shahd thank you for sharing your story. I think it is a relatable story specifically in regards to the ease upon which many people including myself can take for granted the bounty of food and resources we have available to us at the click of a mouse.
I found it particularly thought-provoking when you mentioned that you bought cacao nibs initially to try and improve your diet and add something more nutritious to it. Do you think your past experience with cacao gave you a different perspective or way of thinking when watching the video? I ask because during that contemplative practice I found myself slightly shocked by the difference between the cacao and the chocolate we were given. Not knowing how cacao tasted like the difference in flavors while slightly expected was definitely a jolt to my system and really kick started my thinking about other common experiences I have that are in reality quite privileged experiences in the context of the world food system.
Moreover, you discussed making more mental connections between exploitation of workers in poorer countries and some of the more privileged foods we get to taste. However, I wonder how you think that may be manifested into action? Seeing as a big part of this class was to generate action from what we learn. Do you think there is action we, college students, can take to deal with the exploitation of those that create so many products we consume?