Cooking
Last night I got a chance to hear John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma at UC Berkeley. It was a fascinating evening of discourse mainly about the future of food and less about the ongoing debate between the author and CEO (which has been well documented in a series of letters posted in the blogs of Whole Foods and Michael Pollan).
While I was encouraged to hear so much discussion of issues such as fair trade, sustainability, animal welfare, biodiversity, local and organic, I was dismayed at how none of the conversation was spent on dealing with the issue of hunger.
The charge of elitism is sadly given short shrift by many leaders in the debate about the future of food. It seems if you are middle class the question of how much you should spend on your eggs is more worthy than the question of how we can make sure the poor get any eggs at all.
I'm glad I have the resources to make enlightened decisions about the food I buy and eat, but it disturbs me to think of how many people do not share that same luxury, they struggle just to get any food on the table. For them the question is "what eggs?" not "which eggs?". Surely education can help all consumers, those with and without means, make better food choices. But any discussion of sustainability ought to include at least a mention of how we make life more sustainable by making good food affordable and attainable for all.
FOOD
- Burros On Whole Foods
Brett mentioned this in the comments to my recap of the Pollan-Mackey event, but I know not everyone skims the comments. Marian Burros wrote a piece in today's New York Times asking if Whole Foods is straying from its idealistic roots. Worth a read,...
- Vs.! Pollan And Mackey
"Pollan-Mackey Smackdown" was the entry on my calendar. Michael Pollan, the tall, thin journalism professor whose The Omnivore's Dilemma described Big Organic and the "supermarket pastorale" of stores such as Whole Foods, and John Mackey, the sandy-haired...
- Gng Recap 06/30/06
Here are some of the stories we've covered over at Growers & Grocers in the last week: Pérail gets a nod from the San Francisco Chronicle, even if you can't get the good stuff here. Whole Foods head John Mackey responds to...
- Gng Recap 06/25/06
It's been a bit crazy this week, but here's a look at some of the topics we discussed on Growers & Grocers over the last few days: Michael Pollan responds to John Mackey's letter to him. Keep an eye out for the new Thomcord grape variety. ...
- Gng Recap, 06/02
What's the what on Growers and Grocers? Here's a guide to some of the stories we've covered this week: You can tell the USDA what you think about "organic" milk from cows crammed into feedlots. A Quebec university will allow the first...
Cooking
John Mackey, Michael Pollan & Real Sustainablility
Last night I got a chance to hear John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma at UC Berkeley. It was a fascinating evening of discourse mainly about the future of food and less about the ongoing debate between the author and CEO (which has been well documented in a series of letters posted in the blogs of Whole Foods and Michael Pollan).
While I was encouraged to hear so much discussion of issues such as fair trade, sustainability, animal welfare, biodiversity, local and organic, I was dismayed at how none of the conversation was spent on dealing with the issue of hunger.
The charge of elitism is sadly given short shrift by many leaders in the debate about the future of food. It seems if you are middle class the question of how much you should spend on your eggs is more worthy than the question of how we can make sure the poor get any eggs at all.
I'm glad I have the resources to make enlightened decisions about the food I buy and eat, but it disturbs me to think of how many people do not share that same luxury, they struggle just to get any food on the table. For them the question is "what eggs?" not "which eggs?". Surely education can help all consumers, those with and without means, make better food choices. But any discussion of sustainability ought to include at least a mention of how we make life more sustainable by making good food affordable and attainable for all.
| READ MORE Over at Bay Area Bites is my recap of the Michael Pollan & John Mackey discussion at Zellerbach Auditorium. |
FOOD
- Burros On Whole Foods
Brett mentioned this in the comments to my recap of the Pollan-Mackey event, but I know not everyone skims the comments. Marian Burros wrote a piece in today's New York Times asking if Whole Foods is straying from its idealistic roots. Worth a read,...
- Vs.! Pollan And Mackey
"Pollan-Mackey Smackdown" was the entry on my calendar. Michael Pollan, the tall, thin journalism professor whose The Omnivore's Dilemma described Big Organic and the "supermarket pastorale" of stores such as Whole Foods, and John Mackey, the sandy-haired...
- Gng Recap 06/30/06
Here are some of the stories we've covered over at Growers & Grocers in the last week: Pérail gets a nod from the San Francisco Chronicle, even if you can't get the good stuff here. Whole Foods head John Mackey responds to...
- Gng Recap 06/25/06
It's been a bit crazy this week, but here's a look at some of the topics we discussed on Growers & Grocers over the last few days: Michael Pollan responds to John Mackey's letter to him. Keep an eye out for the new Thomcord grape variety. ...
- Gng Recap, 06/02
What's the what on Growers and Grocers? Here's a guide to some of the stories we've covered this week: You can tell the USDA what you think about "organic" milk from cows crammed into feedlots. A Quebec university will allow the first...