The Foodie's Solution: A Post-Panel Wrap-Up

Hey Slow Foodies!

Last Thursday's panel "The Foodie's Dilemma" was a smashing success! Thanks to everyone who came, and a special thanks to our panelists, AND an especially special thanks to Jamey Lionette, owner of Lionette's Market, who provided us with a delicious spread of hummus and cheese!  

For those of you who were not able to attend, here are some photos:

Also, if you missed the discussion and would like to know was said, there is an audio recording of the event available for listening.  

And with that, let's end this post with some thoughts shared by Dr. Starr on "local food as a social movement":

"The most important thing to understand about this movement is that as a local food activist my top concern is not MY health or MY moral purity in not eating certain foods.  Although I might have those concerns, my top priority needs to be working in this movement in a way that is about "food security" and the "right to pleasure" for all people.  SInce its earliest moments, the local food movement has been about ending the rape of third world economies, which results in Americans having tomatoes in the winter and people in Central America going hungry because too much of their land is used for export crops.  And since the early 1990s, the most pathbreaking work that has happened around these issues has been done in the name of "community food security" which is about establishing secure sources of healthy and culturally appropriate food in urban communities of color, through gardens, farmers markets, special CSAs, and other innovations.  As we build this movement we need to make sure that we are doing it in a way that expands the movements' commitments to Global South people and marginalized people here.  One of the most crucial steps is figuring out how we can support the rights and dignity of farmworkers here in the US.  I actually prefer the term "community food movement" rather than "local food movement" because it says why we want local food.  We want it because eating is a community act, and we want to make sure everyone involved-all the eaters, all the producers, feel that we are looking out for each other and that we want the best for each other."

If you are looking for something to read over spring break and want to learn more about social movements and local food, check out these titles:

• Food Fight by Michael Pollan
• Colonialism and Culture by Carlos Polanyi
• The New Protectionism: Protecting the Future Against Free Trade by Tim Lang and Colin Hines

Everyone have a tasty spring break!