Regular readers will know I am a fan of Michael Pollan, and he has just published a new article in the New York Times Magazine.
Pollan has really done a lot to educate all of us about the truth of where our food comes from, how it’s made and to promote locally sourced foods.
Honestly, in recent months I’ve had some issues with some of the things he’s said. On one hand he has advocated not eating any thing your great grand mother would not recognize as food, and on the other hand has offered advice on how to buy foods from the supermarket. In fact these two ideas seem very contradictory to me, because the vegetables and other supermarket foods are very different from what our ancestors ate.
With this recent article, my opinion of Pollan has dramatically improved again!
In this recent article he stresses the importance of living a lifestyle with a low carbon footprint, and argues having your own vegetable garden and growing at least some of your own food is an important part of that! He so rightly points out we have to go far beyond the low energy light bulbs Al Gore suggests, and make a complete break from the cheap energy, consumption oriented economy of today. Words cannot describe how happy I am to see him emphasize what we as consumers shouldn’t buy, rather than what we should buy.
Now I hope he goes back to what he said about not eating anything our great grandmothers wouldn’t recognize as food, connect this with home vegetable gardens, promote heirloom fruits and vegetables and preserving biodiversity through saving your own seeds!
Neither of my grandmothers were good cooks and definitely would not have recognized any of the Asian vegetables or things like kale, kohlrabi or warrigal greens that I grow! However, I know what you are saying and agree with you, Patrick. Sometimes it is hard to know how hard-core to be to influence people. Too much and they can’t be inpired, not enough and the enthusiasts drop you…must be difficult for people with a following, like Pollen, to keep everyone on the journey.
I have been a fan of MP for a long time, but I agree and disagree with his methods sometimes. I watched his spot on Martha Stewart about 1 month ago. What he said was OK,(what little he could say with MS talking over him) but they were cooking wild salmon from Alaska and talking of the health benefits of that particular food. I’m from the Pacific Northwest, where wild salmon is virtually extinct. It bothered me that while promoting eating local, they were also just fixing a decadent meal with the main protein source being shipped many miles. Not to mention his traveling to NY to promote his latest book on TV.
So, I guess in the world we live in some of us stay home and grow our own food, and others travel around and tell us we should grow our own food! Side note: I felt better that for a side dish, they used baked Kale, which probably came from a local source.
I red the article and one thing came to my mind, which is important. He gives Vaclav Havel and Adam Michnik as example of what just 2 guys started turned into massive change in the region. Example is good, but the change he is mentioning wouldn’t be possible without strong support of the process by Vatican (Polish Pope JPII) and USA. This means that whatever individuals start, can succeed with support of big powers and system solutions.
I am affraid that without governments and corporations getting involved in the subject, individuals may have dreams and scream it out, but what are the chances for real changes?
Hi Ewa,
I agree with what you say, at least partly. Certainly without governments and corporations getting involved, there’s very little chance for real change.
The thing is you have to start somewhere, or there is no chance of governments and corporations getting involved.
Both governments and corporations are very sensitive to changes in the way people spend money. If people buy 5% less food, because they are growing it themselves, then a lot of people will notice and there’s at least a chance of real change. At the same time, people who grow their own food will have nice and healthy things to eat!
Patrick,
You are right 🙂 without starting, there is nothing to support.
Greetings,