 In a world where many people just want to eat, some of us can have the luxury of eating sustainably. This is something that most of us have not given any thought to. We go to the supermarket and pick what we want off the shelf. We don't even read the ingredients.
But where does that food come from? How much energy was spent in carting it around the globe? How was it grown? How many chemicals were added in the growing and the processing - and does it matter? How much soil was depleted of elements that human nutrition requires? Does it matter that it can take 20 kg of grain to produce 1 kg of beef? And what about eating the antibiotics and the growth hormones in pigs and chickens? To say nothing of the distress of animals that are kept almost unable to move throughout their lives (have you seen the pigs held between iron bars or the chickens in tiny cages with just room enough to peck?). Well, we are slowly experiencing the long-term effects of all that and becoming aware that it does not fit well with the concept of sustainability.
It's heartening to hear that there is a growing world movement towards real sustainability in food: organic farming, chemical-free, fresh food, local sourcing of produce, soil protection and enhancement, and free-range farming.
Organic and BioDynamic food has been shown to be critical in reducing stress on people with cancer, and helping their bodies to heal. See the Gawler Foundation and its many success stories for details of this. By the way, it's a lovely website to look at when you need a little peace. For those of us who are healthy, let's keep it that way! And let's reduce our footprint on the Planet. How can you have a Vision that doesn't include a healthy future? So here is Robin van Creveld going around and teaching school kids about food - many children who live mainly on take-away and who have never even considered cooking for themselves, wouldn't know where to start, or why they should. It's amazing the range of things he gets into, including local food, small independent retailers, organic agriculture, community food cooperatives and community self-sufficiency. He educates people on food, nutrition and environmental issues, which include courses, workshops and cookery demonstrations for larger groups. Robin also offers Cookery Leader Training, where community members/volunteers and community and statutory sector workers are trained and supported in setting up and running a variety of cookery based, healthy lifestyle initiatives. He even offers an advice and consultancy service for community, education and health organizations. I must declare a personal (not pecuniary!) interest in this, since the very new and under-construction website that I refer to is that of the Community Chef in southern England - who just happens to be a relative of mine, my son-in-law. When we're in the same country, he even cooks for me! Yum!
Good health to everyone! Labels: Mega Planning, Sustainability, Vision |
