It was 2005. I was visiting my home country Georgia with my daughter. We were at my sister’s apartment. My little girl opened a refrigerator, turned to me and asked – “Mom, why is their refrigerator empty?” My heart sunk. My sister had only a one-day meal prepared and maybe a few more items, but in comparison with our stuffed fridge back in Florida, there was a huge difference.
It was then and there that I realized – my daughter doesn’t have a clue where food comes from and she doesn’t have any appreciation for it. So many times I complained at home when I had to throw away rotten vegetables, fruit, and leftovers of perfectly healthy food that she didn’t want to eat. I, as a parent, failed to teach her to appreciate one of the biggest gifts that our planet grants to us – food. She was taking everything for granted.
In Georgia we have a saying - a full person can never understand hunger. In Georgia food is highly valued. I remember how my grandma picked-up a piece of bread that somebody dropped on the road, kissed it, and put it on a public bench. She turned to me and said “A lot of people put their time and effort to make this bread. It’s holy!” It seems to me that the more we have the less we appreciate, and the less we appreciate the more disconnected we are from each other and from nature.
Can we say that the ignorance of where food comes from, what it takes to grow, produce and prepare it leads to the devaluation of food, as well as the enormous amount of food waste we allow ourselves to create? Not only do we throw away the final product of the food chain without guilt or hesitation, but we also produce waste from the start to the end of this chain. “In nature there is no such thing as a waste problem, since one creature’s waste becomes another creature’s lunch” (Pollen, 214). But I assume we are not part of nature anymore; we fall well outside of a healthy ecosystem. What’s wrong with this picture?!
According to Waste Age, “Americans throw away 1.3 pounds of food every day, or 474.5 pounds per year.” Food waste includes uneaten portions of meals as well as trimmings from food preparation activities in kitchens, restaurants and cafeterias. WasteCap Wisconsin states that over one fourth of all food produced for human consumption goes to waste. The annual value of this excess food is estimated at around $31 billion – all of this money thrown into the dumpsters. Waste companies report “food waste is the third-larges component of generated waste by weight. However, because of its low composting rate, food waste is the largest component of discarded waste by weight” (WasteAge).
In the seventh principle of the Earth Charter we read, “Reduce, reuse, and recycle the materials used in production and consumption systems, and ensure that residual waste can be assimilated by ecological systems.” It doesn’t matter how great the document is, if we will not put it into practice, if we personally will not incorporate it into our daily lives, it will stay just what it is – a document!
So, I am moving from thoughts to action. In my household, to decrease our footprints on planet and move forward to sustainable living we are going to:
· Develop an appreciation for food through educating ourselves on this subject, to become conscious consumers (where food comes from, what it takes to produce it, what is the cost, who is benefiting?)· Find ways to support local farmers and make our diets healthier
· Eliminate food waste (through proper recycling and composting)
· Build a backyard vegetable garden and connect to nature.
I understand that my plan may sound ambitious, but a wise man said, “A long journey starts by taking the first step” and “If you want to change world, start from yourself!”
Waste Age – www.wasteage.com
WasteCap Wisconsin, Inc – www.wastecapwi.org
The Earth Charter - http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/
Pollan, M. (2006). Omnivore’s Dilemma. Penguin Books Ltd.
Pictures on this blog are courtesy of : The Goldenspiral.org; and A Man Looking Inside an Empty Refrigerator - Royalty Free Clipart Picture.
Kety, not only was that a touching story, but it really made me think about the way I value food. It is so true that many people in this country take food for granted, and it breaks my heart too. "It seems to me that the more we have the less we appreciate, and the less we appreciate the more disconnected we are from each other and from nature." That was my favorite statement from your post because with all of our new genetically enhanced and modified meals, we are moving farther and farther away from a natural lifestyle. You're right, most of the population has no idea where their food comes from, so how can they appreciate it? I really enjoyed how you related your thoughts to the Earth Charter, as well as tied in some solutions for yourself and others to follow in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I wonder what would happen if Americans had similar perceptions about food as Georgians did...how would that change our way of life and our patterns of consumption? Overall, really great post with lots of critical ideas!
ReplyDeleteKety, I really liked how you included different ways to use leftovers or food that is not used. I also enjoyed the youtube video about how resturants put their food waste in certain containers to be used for fertilizer. I remember when I was younger my grandfather had a garden in the back yard and with whatever food that was not eaten he would put it in the fridge and at the end of the week he would collect all the food and take it to his garden. I remember thinking that he was strange and I did not understand why he did that. Now today I completely agree and want to start doing it when I start my own garden. I see how it can help the environment but not wasting space for things that can be reused and how we are eating the food and then giving back showing the circle if life.
ReplyDeleteKety, your post poses some very important information when you quote Pollen (2006), “In nature there is no such thing as a waste problem, since one creature’s waste becomes another creature’s lunch” (214). The problem is that we create too much waste; and the worst part about it is our waste goes to a landfill and is covered by dirt and piled high. As we talked about in class, restaurants and food stores are not allowed to give away the left overs, they are forced to toss them into the dumpster, while starving families go without another meal. As I go out to eat, or even cook at home, I can’t help but feel guilty when I don’t finish everything on my plate, or if the food I buy gets spoiled.
ReplyDeleteYou also mention starting a backyard garden, which I think is a great idea. Another environmental friendly thing to put next to the backyard garden is a personal compost pile for all rotten fruits and veggies and other natural waste. I think your ambitious goals are very attainable, and it encourages others, including myself, to do more to decrease my footprint on this earth. Overall, great post! You make some critical points and it really shows your voice! Keep up the great work!
The waste numbers I found to be surprising. After reading this Kety I went in to my refridgerator to find a variety of food that I'll end throwing in the trash. I thought to myself why do I have all this food? I constantly purchase too many groceries that I eventually throw out so I am a part of that huge waste number. I for one am going to try and reduce my food waste by buying less items and eating more left overs. It has never really occured to me and I think you made a really good point.
ReplyDeleteKety, your perspective is one that is always powerfully thought provoking. Immediately my i was brought back to this summer when i was moving out of my old apartment, and i my roomates and i were cleaning out the fridge. We must have filled up two garbage bags full of food items. I did my best to take a large prtion of the items and some i used for my self in my new house and some i donated. Despite those efforts however, we must have thrown out twenty to thrity pounds of food or more. I think that it is easy to forget in the "fast food naton" we live in the food is not a commodity, it is one of the most basic necessities of life. With water, and oxygen it is what sustains us. What i really like about your blog Kety, is when your grandmother talked of the loaf of bread on the street as something holy. It is the truth. It is time we think of food as precious, not gold, not diamonds. What you are starting in your household is exactly what is necessary, our energy should be spent on something that replenishes that energy, like planting a garden etc. Too much we spend our energy on things such as "gold" or things that gold can buy. Yet this is wasted endergy in its simplest form. Thanks again Kety for another great blog. I can't wait for the next one.
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