(Steps to becoming a Locivore--A video by Chelsea Hernandez, who is not affiliated with GastroNomalies.com)
Guestblogged by Ali Savino
I know many of us here consider ourselves to be part of the progressive movement. And for those of us who have been around for a while, we remember how lonely and uncertain it was. There was nothing but uphill battles to be fought against political Goliaths who had industry and riches behind them. And there was no way a rag tag bunch of outsiders armed with nothing but a little online savvy and a lot of righteous outrage was going to take on the system. But we proved everyone wrong, and while the fight is not over (Universal Healthcare) and there is still work to be done (public financing), no one can say that the progressive movement isn't a force to be reckoned with.
Now there are some new kids in town. Like the progressive movement, they have huge, fearsome opponents with an endless supply of funds. Like the early years of the progressive movement, no one is taking these new comers seriously yet. Like the progressive movement they are up against unbelievable odds. Yet their cause is true and right and they cannot fail.
They are the food movement.
The food movement encompasses an extensive battlefield covering everything from energy independence to salmonella outbreaks to equitable trade policies to caring for the neediest among us here and abroad. Their opponent is Big Food, with more resources than Big Oil and lessons learned from Big Tobacco. They are masters of manipulation and keepers of Congress, and for decades they have run amok unchallenged. But the status quo is changing. Organics are no longer the realm of the DFHs. Americans are asking why there is recall after recall. Food prices sky rocketed last year. Obesity exploded in the last decade. There is something very, very wrong about what we eat and how we eat it.
As for me, I became interested in food policy after learning about soil depletion and how it is leaving our produce with fewer and fewer nutrients. That's right - even if you're eating your carrots and apples, you STILL may not be getting your daily allowance of vitamins. And the kick in the shins? Those dietary requirements are written by food lobbyists who are motivated only by their bottom line. So who really knows anymore? That's what the food movement is all about - giving people the access and information to start making food choices for themselves instead of Madison Avenue telling us all what to eat.
The food movement has some good starts. Books by people like Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, and Mark Bittman are national best sellers. Movies like Supersize Me, Fast Food Nation, Food Inc and the upcoming Fresh are bringing the issues to the masses. Me? Along with several other fab food policy bloggers (check out my blogroll for some great suggestions) I’m doing my part to bring food policy into the realm of food consumers with GastroNomalies.com.
GastroNomalies isn’t for the wonks – it’s for the rest of us who are just trying to figure this food stuff out and have a lot of fun doing it. Because food is FUN and if it stops being fun, then what are we all doing this for?
The food movement shares many common values and several common goals with the progressive movement. The two are natural allies. So stop on by.
Ali Savino is the founder of www.GastroNomalies.com
