Wondering what one action you could take that will yield maximum beneficial results to both your own life and the environment? Make the commitment to buy and eat only sustainably grown food.
Your body, family and the planet will all say "thank you." (And don't forget your psyche: healing our relationship with the food we eat each day is great ecotherapy).
If you're not sure why this is a good idea, check out the new movie Food, Inc. Supermarket and fast food fare will never look as appetizing again.
Every purchase of genuinely organic, local and/or sustainably grown food is a contribution to a grower who's doing the right thing -- and a vote against factory farming, Frankenfoods, animal torture and the pesticide companies.
Yes, you might spend a little more in some stores. But if you go to the Farmers Market and local farm stands or grow some of your own veggies (home grown tomatoes taste SOOOO much better!), you could also cut your food budget. As you're weighing the pros and cons of voting with your fork, don't forget that eating healthy may help you save a lot on medical bills and therapy costs. Also, as a taxpayer, you're saving yourself and your kids a bundle in public health and toxic cleanup expenses.
If more of us followed food expert Michael Pollan's advice to eat less but eat real food, a lot of the world's problems would be solved.
See you in the garden or at the Farmer's Market!
Instead of distributing in a case, place the DVD in a cheap sleave. Each DVD would cost around 50 cents to make. Imagine if you distributed 10 million DVD's. That's 40 million americans or more watching Food Inc.
If only 10% of the viewers change their food buying habits and switch to farmers markets and local organic produce, that's still 4 million people.
I could just imagine the uproar from the Food Giants. The media would eat this up and it would be all over the local news everywhere in the U.S. Imagine millions of people having this DVD and watching from their home and sharing with their families.
Place the movie, Food Inc in the hands of ordinary americans for them to view in the privacy of their homes and watch for a real food revolution. In my opinion this is the best way to change the food system in this country. People need information. Give it to them free and a percentage will listen and act; Not all, but at least hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions.
Wake Up People!
Do Something!
You're absolutely right that we all need to wake up and act. Voting with your fork is a good place to start. That way you support the people who grow the kind of food you want to eat and the kind of food that will heal our land and waterways rather than contaminate them further.
If you haven't yet seen it, I highly recommend the Academy Award nominated film "The Garden," which explores the challenges of creating community gardens.
I'd love to get something started in Goleta!