Food is highly political. It can be easy to cast this aside to feel justified in eating what we want to, whether it be fast food or the newest nutritional “it” food. It can be hard to seek out information and make informed decisions, but if we don’t make the extra effort, we are contributing to a food system that… Read more »
In this busy world it is easy to feel disconnected from food. Often food is an afterthought, a product we consume because we know it is essential. Rarely do we give thought to how this product came to be. This mindless eating is not unique to fast food, many people quickly grab some vegetables or a juice to fuel their… Read more »
What we choose to eat is a hotly contested topic. If animal welfare doesn’t influence your decision perhaps health experts do? If health doesn’t make a difference to you, what about your impact on the environment? Still doesn’t make a difference? Well, have you considered how your choices are impacting people around the world? Eating seems as though it would… Read more »
With an ever expanding world population and the impending threat of another world energy crisis, food production is in a precarious situation. Food production has been able to keep up with the population due to nitrogen based fertilizers and other technological innovations upping the yield of staple crops. Unfortunately, these innovations are incredibly dependent on fossil fuels and can cause… Read more »
To many it is common knowledge that there is a vast disparity of food security across the world. Peter Menzel’s photographic essay, “Hungry Planet”, brings this disparity to life by showing the differing food expenditures of families across the world. Of particular interest to me was the Aboubakar family of the Breidjing Camp in Chad and… Read more »
What do you do to relax or treat yourself after a long day? Perhaps you take a moment and revel in the luxury of chocolate. After all, studies have shown that chocolate has health benefits, among other things it is high in antioxidants and heart healthy. What is the harm in taking respite and mindlessly enjoying a piece of chocolate?… Read more »
The average American citizen is overworked. Many people work full time (sometimes with more than one job), have family obligations, go to school, and attempt to have hobbies. All of this activity leaves little time to wonder about the food we are eating and the system we are contributing to when we make food choices. Many people leading this busy… Read more »
While food is typically thought of in correlation to comfort or nourishment, what I have found to be most interesting is the politics of food. In Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, he discusses the perils of Nutrionism, the ideology “that the key to understanding food is indeed the nutrient” (28). Nutrionism didn’t begin with average people attempting to… Read more »