It's Not Them, It's Us: When You Shop, You Vote

After working on a show that features numerous food factories, and after watching more than 65 interviews I have learned that more than anything, companies create, modify and continue to process food with the consumer in mind. Using social media as an effective marketing tool, as well as receiving direct customer feedback, companies that produce mass quantities of food will do all they can to sell all they can. 

We first saw the eagerness of food companies to please with the boom of organic foods, then companies toting the ambiguous ‘green’ on their label and most recently, locally sourced. We are the growers of change and as Local Food Plus has repeatedly reminded us, to do this we vote by buying what we support and believe in - not what is cheapest. When companies check their stats, and see a growing consumption in  products that are fair trade, ‘green’ or local then they will ensure they have a lace in the market by creating new products, or beefing up the labeling of their current products to match trends.  In turn, these large companies will eventually be up against each other and that means prices will go down.

We’re not quite there with GMO-free products yet. There are still tons of studies to be conducted and analyzed but to me the important thing is that GMO is labelled so that the customer can make his or her own choice. In England, the GMO-free market is booming. In Canada, the FDA has said that because no studies have found averse results, there is no need to distinguish what is what. I too am unsure of the dangers of GMO but I would definately like to know! The problem with GMO, to me, is not that the food has been cross bred but that the companies who do this slap patents on everything, and design extremely unsustainable plants which don’t produce seeds so that farmers must continue to buy them from Monsanto and the like. Why do companies like Monsanto exist? Well, it’s sad to say that as evil as any believe them to be, the stemmed from our desires. They made sure every tomato is ripe when it hits shelves, they make sure they can grow field upon field of rapeseed so we can indulge in fried food, they send not one bruised apple to the grocery stores, and every cucumber is perfectly cylindrical. Somehow in North America we have grown so accustomed to uniform food that we forget that fruits and vegetables are unique as humans and no two are alike - unless of course they are genetically modified. They way to avert the support of GMO without knowing what is and isn’t, is to buy from farmers to whom you can speek. That means going to a farmer’s market, or a co-op like the new West End Food Co-Op in Parkdale.

In order to change the way food is produced, we need shoppers’ persistent dedication. One cannot flip flop; in the summer buying local, but in the winter forgetting it all and buying tomatoes and bananas. We’ve seen an increase in chefs and home cooks who preserve the summer bounty and there is a plethora of books on the subject. It does take work, but good food should! Why do we spend more time working under florescent lights than we do at home sitting around a table with friends and family sharing a good meal? We’ve becoming too entrapped in the Western way of thinking about ‘the economy’ and instead drown ourselves in coffee so that we can keep on marching. I would be so happy if we turned back the clock and lived like how I saw Italians living in Chianti. You grow your own food and at lunch everything stops and stores close so that every person can go home and enjoy food and time with their loved ones. But now I’m drifting from the point. Basically, I think food needs to be appreciated for it’s beauty, it’s vitality and it’s nourishment. Not for it’s ability to supply protein or for it’s low fat qualities. It should be appreciated as a whole and not for it’s parts. Whole foods are always better than processed for a number of reasons; Our body can absorb their nutrients easily, they are easier to digest, they can be bought locally and they have less packaging. 

That being said, most of us do buy packaged food in one form or another and so in that case the best thing to do is to buy from a company you support. That’s it. Every time you shop, you vote. 

How I Grocery Shop: LOFT

First, I try to shop LOCAL:

Toronto has some fabulous markets and, if you are willing to travel so that your food doesn't have to, there are markets almost every day of the week. For information about what markets are near you, visit: Farmer's Markets Ontario. Making the trip to your farmer's market each week ensures your food is local and seasonal -- the most sustainable way to eat. Although local doesn't necessarily mean certified organic, that doesn't mean the products are not.  Organic certification is costly and so many farmers farm organically but cannot advertise they do so. The wonderful thing about a farmer's market is that most of the time the farmers are there. If you have questions, just ask! Remember that you are the customer and the farmers want you to enjoy their product. If you tell them you are interested in organic, I can guarantee they will go the length to make you happy. It is so satisfying to be connected to your food. You can serve a meal and say, "This red-wine braised osso bucco was from an Ontario calf raised by Gerald from Twin Creeks". It's ok to be a bit smug when you are proud of your food.

If I need groceries, and no Ontario products are available - and I absolutely need the ingredient - then I will make sure it is ORGANIC ( and GMO free, which now must be labeled by law in the UK. Hopefully Canada follows suit soon):

Pesticides are for mass production, and a cheap alternative to a bit of labor. It may mean your arugula has a few more holes in it, but it will be a healthier plant, that has grown naturally defend itself against bugs ( not "pests" ! ). We have to become more aware that food isn't perfect: Not every carrot is the same size,  apples get bruised and there is no such thing as a grapple.   Organic produce is a bit more expensive than a mass produced food, but you must realize that our notion of food costs have been severly altered. When you can buy a whole McMeal for $5, a bag of organic carrots at $3 seems expensive. But think about it from the farmer's perspective. Someone has sowed those seeds, tended to the plants, cared for them, pulled them from the ground and packaged them. The farmer won't even see the whole $3 -- much of that cost will go to the supermarket ( which can be avoided if you buy local). Also think of it from a food perspective. When oua re eating a carrot, you are eating something wonderful, natural and full of vitamins and minerals. A fast food meal will be made for 20 or more food products so deconstructed and reconstituted that they cannot even be called food anymore ( i.e. McThis and McThat)

Finally, if there isn't anything local and there isn't an organic option available, I choose FAIR TRADE:

Fair trade is absolutely necessary for products like coffee ( you must watch Black Gold!) and bananas. When you buy Fair Trade, you are supporting:

1. Environmental standards which focus on reducing the risk associated with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers as well as decreasing environmental degradation
2. Fair, consistent wages and safe working conditions for the workers in developing countries
3. Social premiums for communities in developing countries to provide infrastructure such as education and health care on their own, reducing their dependence on foreign assistance.


I hope next time you do your grocery shopping, you have LOFT in mind.