Article: How did ethics become a staple of contemporary food writing?

Thought this essay by Christopher Shea in the Columbia Journalism Review was interesting. Did anyone else see it?

The opening paragraph:

Time was, a war of words between a food writer and an organic-foods retailer would have attracted the interest of maybe seven people in your local food co-op– a bit of chatter over the brown-rice bin and everyone would move on. Those of us in a Safeway with our Perdue roasters and our broccoli avec a hint of pesticide would not have known that an argument took place. But the recent exchanges between Michael Pollan, author of the 2006 bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, and John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, are, if not squarely in the mainstream, awfully close to it.

Thanks for the link, interesting reading. This is one of those arguments that I'd be happy to see both sides lose. I hope, after it was done, that the audience walked a few blocks to Monterey Market and Berkeley Bowl.

Thanks for posting a link to this article, Cynthia. I missed it, and it's a very good summary of some of the current debates over foods and their sources.

I like some of the principles of the slow food movement, as well as others, but the practicality of feeding 6 billion humans using those principles is frankly beyond my comprehension.

I'm going to sip a little more of a lovely little 1999 Bordeaux, re-read the article, and seek enlightenment.

Thanks again for posting the article. Regards, Bob

Thought this essay by Christopher Shea in the Columbia Journalism Review was interesting. Did anyone else see it?

The opening paragraph:

Time was, a war of words between a food writer and an organic-foods retailer would have attracted the interest of maybe seven people in your local food co-op– a bit of chatter over the brown-rice bin and everyone would move on. Those of us in a Safeway with our Perdue roasters and our broccoli avec a hint of pesticide would not have known that an argument took place. But the recent exchanges between Michael Pollan, author of the 2006 bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, and John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, are, if not squarely in the mainstream, awfully close to it.

Thanks, Cynthia. Fascinating article.

Fifty gallons of oil to grow an acre of corn!!! Where does that leave the ethanol folks?

The Omnivore’s Dilemma is great reading. I am reading it for the second time. Very educating.

Finally read the article. Pretty interesting and Shea does a good job of poking necessary holes in some of the arguments for and against the "local food" movement. I think it's pretty obvious that we'll never achieve the kind of society that Pollan would like to see (and I think he'd be the first to tell you that). But this is a good conversation to be having. IMO, anything that gets people to spend at least a little bit of time thinking about what they're eating and where it comes from is a good thing.

[Robin Garr]

anything that gets people to spend at least a little bit of time thinking about what they're eating and where it comes from is a good thing.

Coincidentally, I wrote a little piece for the local alternative weekly last week on food miles and farmers' markets. Can't say it goes into Pollanesque depth or detail, but just to stir the pot a little:

Miles to go before we eat. Food miles, that is

You managed to mention Alice Waters's publicity stunt without a snicker, though with a perfect little sideswipe. You're a far better man than me.

Interesting story Robin. Are you stirring the pot - or do you really believe your closing statement
"And when we can cut down on “food miles” and the exhaust-belching trucks, trains and planes that are needed to transport food across the country and around the world, everybody wins. "

So if you want strawberries in December, then do you go somewhere where strawberries in December are available (e.g. NZ) but if you are seriously against food miles, you will have to stand by your convictions by not traveling out of your own county / country and worse still, you will be confined to drinking your own region's tipples (bourbon, is it?) because the food mile people will probably become very vocal in wine miles too. Life will become very boring.

When I want strawberries in December, I sit down and count to one hundred until the feeling passes. Then I go buy truffles.

[Robin Garr]

Interesting story Robin. Are you stirring the pot - or do you really believe your closing statement
"And when we can cut down on “food miles” and the exhaust-belching trucks, trains and planes that are needed to transport food across the country and around the world, everybody wins. "

So if you want strawberries in December, then do you go somewhere where strawberries in December are available (e.g. NZ) but if you are seriously against food miles, you will have to stand by your convictions by not traveling out of your own county / country and worse still, you will be confined to drinking your own region's tipples (bourbon, is it?) because the food mile people will probably become very vocal in wine miles too. Life will become very boring.

Sue, I don't think we disagree entirely. I wasn't trying to present this as a Manichean choice between good and evil, but as a variable to be considered. I'm inclined to agree with Stuart in general, but I'll go beyond his terse statement to add that avoiding strawberries (or peaches, or may other fruits) in December is an easy choice for me, not because of food miles but because industrial fruit shipped from California is hardly worth eating at any time of year.

Bottom line, I like eating locally in small part because of food miles but in large part because there are perceptible flavor and quality benefits to be had from eating fresh local produce in season.

... there are perceptible flavor and quality benefits to be had from eating fresh local produce in season.

I don't think anyone would ever disagree with that (so long as the produce hasn't gone rotten, say, because it rained during the peach harvest on the most humid day of late summer). I love the fresh produce I grow on my own property.

But often the 'season'' is very short. So for protagonist of the food miles concept, what is one meant to do the rest of the time? And don't forget the drink and the human travel parts of the bigger argument. To me to get to a decent farmers market I - and many people who live in cities - have to get into a car and drive there. Would it be better to pile it onto one truck and bring it to the people, rather than 100 cars driving the 100 kms (round trip) to the farmers market. I love the guy who comes to our local market to bring his heriloom potatoes, and the lady who has these exotic fruits and vegetables.

Food miles are a pretty idealistic concept, a wonderful theory but not always practical.

[Robin Garr]

But often the 'season'' is very short. So for protagonist of the food miles concept, what is one meant to do the rest of the time?

I may not have expressed myself strongly enough. For me, certain out-of-season fruit isn't a matter of food miles, it's a matter of quality. If all that's available is an out-of-season peach or apricot or strawberry or strawberry, it's not the food miles at issue. It's that the quality isn't there for me, mostly because they're horrifying industrial fruit bred for shelf life and travel durability, not for flavor.

On the other hand, I will eat Peruvian asparagus or Florida grapefruit, among many others, because in those cases I consider the quality satisfactory. I might think about food miles, but they don't rule my life.

In general, though, as more and more high-quality local produce becomes available to me, I'll be quick to embrace it - both because it's good AND because it's local. Extra credit if I can buy it at a saving, but - particularly for meat and poultry - I'll do it even if I have to pay a premium.

And don't forget the drink and the human travel parts of the bigger argument. To me to get to a decent farmers market I - and many people who live in cities - have to get into a car and drive there. Would it be better to pile it onto one truck and bring it to the people, rather than 100 cars driving the 100 kms (round trip) to the farmers market. I love the guy who comes to our local market to bring his heirloom potatoes, and the lady who has these exotic fruits and vegetables.

This option is available to many people through "community supported agriculture," in which people in a city purchase shares of a farmer's summer produce, and he brings the food to them. I don't honestly worry too much about this, though. Our car is one of the least thirsty models available other than hybrids, and we live in the urban area of our city, only a couple of miles from the biggest and best farmers' market. Walking to the market makes a nice environmental statement, but I'm not that far gone, yet.

Food miles are a pretty idealistic concept, a wonderful theory but not always practical.

I agree, and I hope that attitude came across in the short article I wrote. It's a developing trend worth being aware of, but not the ultimate solution as yet. Most economists agree that the autarky (a fully self-sufficient local community) isn't a workable economic model.

This was a good read and touches on something I continually come up against in my own thinking: there are still so many starving in the world, even here in the US. Who am I to say they cannot get the corn from the huge farm subsidies? If we can feed more people is it always a bad thing to be a big farmer?

For my own part, in my own home, I won't buy "regular" meat or milk any more...but I also consider that a luxury I can afford. I couldn't afford it 15 years ago.

B