The Story of Food – Reflecting on Food Politics

 USC Canada has released a new video short describing “the story of food”. The video largely outlines the decline of biodiversity in mainstream/industrial agro-food production systems. It touches on the downside of genetically modified crops, the plight of the family farm, climate change and hunger/obesity. The short video ends by encouraging consumers to ‘buy local, organic and fair trade’ wherever they can, to support small scale organics and to think about where  your food comes from and how it is produced. This succinct video outlines some important issues with an attractive delivery complete with slick visuals and animations. However, perhaps most conspicuously absent from the video’s list of ‘how you can help’, is political action and community organizing to affect change outside of the arena of consumption. Voting with your dollar is only one way that citizens can contribute towards a more just and sustainable food system. Arguably, politics-by-consumption is a strategy that is compatible, if not a central component of the very system that is objectified in this, and other, critiques of the “world food system”.

So, yes. Eat local, align your own consumption with your values. But we are all much more than mere consumers and have the capacity to do so much more by engaging in the political process, joining and contributing to social movements and being a part of dialogue and action beyond the marketplace.

We too readily accept that social change is meaningfully achieved by individuals as consumers rather than citizens. Indeed, many localized and other alternative food networks (organics, fair trade, etc.) that are thought to opt out of the dominant food paradigm are easily accommodated as filling a “niche market”.

Undervaluing the roles of governments and of political resistance in providing for basic human needs, green consumerism and other soft responses has become an important part of maintaining oppressive power relations. Further, because these alternative food choices reflect the internalization of costs that are externalized in the conventional food system, they are often expensive and inaccessible to individuals with low income.

Thus, the challenge is step outside of our comfort zone and push the boundaries – personal and societal – to develop creative solutions to create more just food relationships. This, I’m quite sure, will require a move beyond simply buying tastier, healthier, humane-er, fairer food – although its not a bad place to start critically thinking about food/agriculture and to support the stewards of our land and food. So, some idea around how else to get involved:

Engage the formal political process: vote, write letters or meet with politicians, run for office

Engage in community organizing, education and networking: Attend public events and engage in public dialogue, organize these events, participate in an non-government-organization (volunteer, join a committee, join the board of directors) that is aligned with your values. If there isn’t one out there – look into starting one yourself. Write letters to the editor. Start a website or other social networking (great resources here). Find creative ways to get your issues into the media. Check out MAFRA’s list of partners for a list of groups doing important work in Manitoba – contact them and see how you can help. Click here for other ideas and here for a document that describes affecting policy around food security in Canada

Public protest: organize or join public protest to make your opinions heard

Become an active consumer: Click here: Here, sustainable table offers suggestions about how to become, what I call, an active consumer. Rather than passively consuming products in hopes that supply will magically meet aggregate changes in demand, sustainable table provides some tools and ideas to engage in dialogue with store owners and restaraunteurs

Of course, there are lots of ways to engage in creating social change. I am young and relatively inexperienced but think about this a lot. I struggle to find my place. To discover how to be effective. There is a need to be creative. I need to push myself. To find a way to make a difference. Please feel free to comment or share your own ideas/stories below.