On Friday, I was at the Real Food Festival in London which is put on to acknowledge great food producers and products in the United Kingdom and neighboring countries. Famous chefs like Giorgio Locatelli and Raymond Blanc were giving cooking demos and growers were showing people how to plant potatoes in their gardens at home.
The food at the festival was fabulous and all producers stressed provenance, health, and sustainability. The festival also hosted a debate on The Future of Food. Debaters included Patrick Holden - Director of the Soil Association, Raymond Blanc - Chef of Michelin starred Le Manior aux Quat'Saisons, and Paul Kelly - Director of Corporate Affairs for Asda. Asda was gobbled up by Walmart not too long ago and is one the UK's largest retailers.
I enjoyed the debate, but it was largely centered on what we've done wrong, who to blame, and sharing facts and figures about the terrible state our food system is in. I think we need to identify the problem (which we have already done) and work in tandem for a solution.
So, what is the problem? We've got people starving in some countries (hunger is expected to reach 1 billion people this year) and others who are suffering from diabetes and heart disease because they've eaten too much. Lack of adequate nutrition is not just a problem in developing countries. There are towns in developed countries, or food deserts, were access to fresh fruit and vegetables is limited. Access to healthy food is just one part of the equation - we also have climate change, the constrained economy, land degradation and soil erosion, huge projected population growth, and water scarcity to deal with. Food, essential to life as air and water, has become a mere commodity where price is king.
What's the solution? It will have to me a multi-pronged approach. People must demand healthy and nutritious food for all and government must enact laws for healthy and nutritious food for all. We need to share, debate, and discuss how we are going to feed a planet that is quickly approaching 9 billion people without pillaging the Earth to do it. Industry will follow suit - they sell what's profitable.
It's easy to place blame on the industrial food system, fast food chains, and supermarkets - but, what can you do?
1. Stop wasting food! In the UK nearly 20 million tons of food is wasted throughout the food chain, and 7 million of those tons are wasted in the home. Buy only what you need and don't get tempted by "Buy One Get One Free"! If you buy too much try to freeze your food before it goes bad. Just because it's expired on the label doesn't mean its bad - use your judgment.
2. Limit meat and dairy! Livestock is hugely inefficient. All the cereals used to feed livestock could be feeding millions of people. Livestock is responsible for a large portion of agricultural green house gas emissions as well.
3. Sustainable fish only! We take more from the ocean than can be replenished and often using fishing methods that are harmful to the environment.
4. Support farmers that practice sustainable agriculture! Support permacultures, not monocultures. It may cost a little extra now, but an investment that you can not afford to make.
5. Food comes in all shapes and sizes! Just because its misshapen or has a blemish doesn't mean its not as tasty or healthy. We've become obsessed with how the perfect apple looks, the not so pretty varieties are often tastier, nutritious, and more resilient.
6. Get in touch with your food! Where is it coming from? Who grew it and how? Who reared the animal and how was it treated? Its easy to be disconnected about food. When you learn about your food you inevitably choose what's better for you and the environment.
7. Stop buying bottled water! Does it really make sense that water is shipped every which way all over the world? Water is heavy and uses enormous amounts of energy and oil to move across the globe. Not to mention all the trash created by water bottles. Use a reusable water bottle and fill with tap. Buy a filter if you don't like the taste or are suspicious of tap water.
This list could go on and on. Is food a right? Is good, healthy, nutritious, palatable, sustainable food a right? How will we feed 9 billion people? How secure is your food supply? Britain relies on huge amounts of imports to feed its nation a well-balanced diet - what does Britain do if food imports cease?
Lots of questions here...what's your opinion? How sure are you that 20 years from now you will have the same access to the foods you eat? Will the food system be better or worse?
On a lighter note...one of my favorite Italian chefs, Giorgio Locatelli, was at the festival. If your not in London to try out his restaurant Locanda Locatelli, his cookbook, Made in Italy is fabulous. As part of the Love Food, Hate Waste campaign, Locatelli shared with us his favorite food.
