Lubbock Left

A friend of mine is a graduate student (MFA), and his latest project involves making plastic out of milk (like this adorable kid here and these nice ladies here). Related to that, he’s come upon some exciting new developments in the world of food activism that I want to share with y’all tonight.

My friend sent this thorough and fascinating talk by Jeffrey M. Smith:

Expert Jeffrey M. Smith, author of the #1 GMO bestseller Seeds of Deception, and Genetic Roulette, entertains a wildly appreciative audience with shocking facts about how genetically modified organisms (GMOs) entered our lives. Smith links GMO to toxins, allergies, infertility, infant mortality, immune dysfunction, stunted growth, and death. Whistleblowers were fired, threatened, and gagged, and warnings by FDA scientists were ignored. Start today to protect yourself by joining the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America— a plan that gives the consumer the power to end the genetic engineering of our food supply.

We need better food labeling in many ways, including whether a food is genetically modified. We need more research on the effects of GM food — the correlations that are out there suggest all kinds of possible problems with it. We need public scrutiny and appropriate enforcement of food safety laws when it comes to big agra and our industrialized food delivery system.

Foodies (and there are plenty of foodies in Lubbock!) can make a difference too. Of course we need the systematic changes mentioned above, but food activism can be as simple as talking to your friends about healthy eating and making informed choices. As with consumer safety, informed and empowered food buying is an essential part of progress.

Check out this document from the Campaign for Healthy Eating In America for more information.

Why do poverty and obesity go hand-in-hand? This humorous video explains why:

Dallas Penn of DallasPenn.com and Rafi Kam of OhWord.com illustrate the finer points of the Bodega Food Pyramid. I believe that such a disgusting food life exists because we help it to exist. Our policies regarding food are heavily slanted toward big business, which is interested only in maximizing profit. Our farm bill has a lot to do with it too — we subsidize certain crops, and food manufacturers will find ways to mass-produce products based on those subsidized crops.

What if we subsidized locally grown fruits and vegetables, or offered a way for small farmers — or even middle class homeowners with “victory gardens” — to sell their crops to local schools? There have got to be any number of creative ways out of our mass-produced food crisis.