Regarding the seed and meat industry and our contemplative practice for module 9. I thought a lot about how I feel about the choices I make when I eat and why I chose to make them. Do I even care, or do I choose what to eat because I like it? Thinking about this module and then doing the contemplative… Read more »
My big takeaway from the class is that I will be more conscious about what I am eating. We covered a lot of information in this class. I thought week after week that I would get to a place that made everything feel full circle. I was often frustrated to feel that the world food system isn’t operating in a… Read more »
The far reaching impacts of climate change on our food security, economic stability, and social inequality is nothing less than overwhelming. Food industries across the globe will have to grapple with the multifaceted impacts of climate change. From the decreased yields seen in commercial fishing due to ocean acidification, to the increasing widespread draughts, there is a shift towards scarcity…. Read more »
Our relationship with our food has changed, as has the perception of our impact. These two elements of our introspective analysis have come together in our search for a better way address hunger, be less wasteful, be more healthy, and become more sustainable. In my own exploration of food and the relationships it has to politics, economics, health, social justice,… Read more »
The rise of sugar as a regular staple in households worldwide is a fascinating example of how the world’s food has changed significantly. Sugar, once a highly coveted luxury item, is now the opposite – available in high volumes in every packaged good sold on the shelves of corner markets globally. The history of sugar demonstrates the “social, political, and… Read more »
The Ayme family of Tingo, Ecuador and the Melanson family of Iqualit, Canada appear to be polar opposites. The Aymes spend $3.50 per person per week for their food, while the Melansons spend $69 – a staggering 1,970% increase in cost. The Aymes are subsistence farmers and eat produce and grain nearly exclusively, while the Melansons consume far more meat,… Read more »
The wide range of families and diets portrayed by Menzel and D’Alusio’s illustrate both the diversity in cultural foods, while also highlighting the wide spread disparities. When looking at the dietary contents of the various cultures, a striking number of cultures were consuming a lot of processed and pre-packaged foods, this was more prevalent in areas that would typically be… Read more »
Americans have a bad reputation for their eating habits, for good reason. The Revis’ of North Carolina spend $341.98 a week on food – but very little of it is actually “food”. It is particularly challenging to find even one piece of fresh produce among the packaged goods. In contrast, the Egyptian family from Cairo, the Ahmeds, spend the equivalent… Read more »
Michael Pollan examines the rise of the concept of “nutritionism” and how it’s shaped our habits, attitudes, and relationship with food. He implies that this modern concept of eating stresses a reductionist perspective; that nutrition is not about a whole food, but it’s individual parts. Some of those parts are unhealthy, yes, but Americans do not need to shop only… Read more »
Despite receiving some criticism on his book “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto”, Michael Pollan is quite passionate about the stance he has taken about food, nutrition, and the Western diet. Pollan points directly to unhealthy behaviors that many of us, to include myself, are guilty of, yet provides a straightforward solution. He says to, “Eat food. Not too… Read more »