“It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat.” ~Robert Fuoss
We showed Food, Inc., our HHP Movie of the Month, the other night. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it is an in depth look at where our food comes from and the social and political ramifications of the industry’s growth over the last 60 years. It is both heartbreaking and infuriating and will have you reading labels and shopping local before its end.
For me, beyond the labels and the farmers’ markets, there were some important ah-has….
The money we spend has power beyond the goods that it may purchase. Every dollar spent is a vote in favor of a company similar to Tyson or Monsanto, a process like corn or grass fed cattle, or a quality such as organic or whole food. Just like our vote for President, our food choices should reflect our values, and the only way to know what a company stands for or the consequences of a way of farming is to do our research. Then, not only do we guarantee that we are in alignment with our highest ideals, we send the strongest signal possible – the one that’s felt in the wallet – that we will not tolerate less from the manufacturers.
Sometimes we forget that we are not at the mercy of industry, but are, instead, the creators of the demand that the suppliers clamor to fill.
Each of us has a finite amount of time and energy; we must make choices about how we spend it. We have our personal causes, the movements we champion and focus our resources on… but there are other principles which hit home. While we may not be able to devote our time, we can financially support those who can… you can pay with time or you can pay with money. Ultimately, many small donors can be as effective as one person giving a large amount.
We, as a holistic community, can be a significant voting block. OUR voices can be heard… and in combination with OUR dollars, we can shape a world that is a reflection of our values and our needs…
We can put our money where our mouths are…
“It is the food which you furnish to your mind that determines the whole character of your life” ~ Emmet Fox
I finally put my finger on a troubling aspect of the movie. It seemed to me that the guy who was all in favor of Wal-Mart purchasing organic labels naively trusted that Wal-Mart would not corrupt the organic label. I have every expectation that they will weasel their way around and call products organic that no longer are.
A formerly organic dairy did that recently. Laura Bruzas, editor and founder of Healthy Dining Chicago, tipped off her readers to the scam.