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Edible Patriotism Explained...

Book review:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
By Barbara Kingsolver

Reviewed by Wendy Risk

The statistics are grim. Overfed and
undernourished, Americans are the
fattest people who have ever lived.
Obesity is our most serious health
problem. We are succumbing to diet-
related diseases as farms produce

3,900 calories per American per day—double our need.
The food industry successfully markets these calories, about 1/3 of which come from junk food. Pushing junk food to children is a $10 billion a year industry.
Equally bleak are transportation statistics. Producing and delivering food for the average American takes 400 gallons of fuel a year. Agriculture alone consumes 17% of the nation’s energy.
Author Barbara Kingsolver wants to start a revolution in the way Americans think about, grow, and consume food. It’s called the Local Food Movement. How we eat determines how the world is used, and she has faith that we can make better choices.
For a year, Kingsolver and her family attempted to eat organic, unprocessed food grown locally. She recorded their efforts in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, part memoir, part essay. Like The Poisonwood Bible and her other writing, it is a delight.
Kingsolver writes of the joys of rare heirloom vegetables. She disdains genetically modified crops, bred for appearance, packaging, and transportation, to the sacrifice of flavor and nutrition.
At one time, Peru grew 4,000 potato varieties, including purple, red, orange, yellow, and white. Only about a dozen varieties remain. Wheat, corn, rice and other grains have also lost diversity. Today 76% of human food comes from only eight species. 70% of Midwest farms now produce only two crops: corn and soy. Six companies control 98% of global seed sales. Food is becoming endangered.
Did you ever wonder why California avocados cost less here than Florida avocados do? It’s because current global agriculture benefits Big Agra: the processors, brokers, shippers, supermarkets and oil companies. Thanks to tax deductions, Big Agra writes off transportation costs, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. We pay to transport those California avocados, and small Florida farmers and the Florida economy suffer.
In contrast to Big Agra, small farms are environmentally responsible, sustainable, diverse, connected to the community, and more profitable. This greatly benefits our communities and nation. Unfortunately, we have lost 300 small farms a week in the past decade.
Pests consumed 7% of the crop in 1948 and, despite increased pesticide use, 13% in 2000. Pesticides are ineffective and are detrimental to soil, produce, and people. Organic farming, which Kingsolver supports, uses only natural pest control that enhances the soil, produce, and people. Additionally, organic produce contains 50-60% more antioxidants than conventional produce.
Eating then becomes a civil liberties issue. It makes good civic sense for farmers to feed locally. The French call local food “edible patriotism.”
To summarize, the elements of responsible eating include:
1) eat food grown responsibly
2) use minimal limited resources such as oil
3) don’t exploit farmers, including Third World farmers.          (right)

For more information, contact

Tampa Bay Post Carbon Council
6814 Charlotte Harbor Way,
Tampa, Florida 33625-3765
Or, E-mail us Here.