Gyrogami Blog - Precious Metals, Jewelry, Artwork

Food for Thought

Blog Index

Categories: Messages and statements; Human nature

Word count/read time: 495 words; 2 minutes

Did someone say food shortage? Well, if you ignore the 35%-50% of food we throw away in developed countries then we don't have a big food shortage, distribution, or societal problem. Rest assured; real food shortages will come soon enough for everyone when the planet ceases entertaining the scourge called homo sapiens.

A title from a news article grabbed my attention but it turned out to be high-society whining. Of all the major food problems - GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, shortages, waste, monopolies, stale DNA, monoculture, lack of small farmers, pests, disappearing pollinators (bees), fertilizers, wholesomeness, hoarding, price-gouging, distribution, soil erosion and degradation, drought, even outright food safety - the author chose this?!

She complained about or rehashed the story regarding someone who took credit for saying blueberries or maple syrup or XYZ improved a traditional ethnic dish. Which basically ignited a culture war.

Did anyone die? Did any real harm come of it? Did it cost anyone money, prestige, or loss of reputation that didn't deserve it? In the whole scheme of things does this annoy anyone aside from privileged first-worlders? What exactly goes through the mind of a starving person when they hear the debate regarding the appropriateness of a topping?

Were people insulted? Bingo! The trophy-for-everyone mentality has matured into something more insidious: It's become a contest of who's most insulted and how they show their outrage.

Thanks to the internet, these people congregate easily. As more trolls chimed in they seemed compelled to outdo the others. It doesn't really solve anything.

(Naturally, there have been countless arguments surrounding coffee and its various iterations. Coffee is big business, the kick from caffeine a vital part of adult life. Enjoy what you wish and let others do the same. Squabbling over flavor or ingredients is not one of humanity's milestones!)

Understand the actual food problems and do something purposeful. Try 0% food waste for a week, then stretch it out longer. Limit throwaway plastics and other refuse. Cook more meals. It seems more effort but so did recycling...until the net costs show themselves as they have begun to do.

In any case, I'm sure the author has better cooking than her journalism, at least in this instance. Regarding the real food problems, we continue talking and arguing instead of fixing them. The solution exists but big agri and select rich people would suffer too much so their fleet of lobbyists ensures it remains unchanged.

As for our food supply being safe? Well, that's patently misleading. Poultry can have up to 25% contaminated by salmonella and E-coli; no other food has any tolerable limit but lobbyists ensure otherwise. The standard American diet necessitates a bevy of medications, surgeries, and more to control cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health conditions, heart disease, obesity, infertility, and more. Industrialized food saves money, i.e. makes the companies richer, while your health and wellness are poisoned from the core. Safe is relative, at least when it comes to food.

Posted by M: February 23, 2023

Please email any thoughts or comments regarding this post.

Previous Entry . . . . Next Entry

Comment Section

NOTE: Your comments will be included in this section as long as they aren't illegal. This section is censor-free so show me your intelligence or ignorance and everything in between!

2024