Before it all runs out of my brain, I figure I should blog about the Mark Winne lecture I attended way back on September 15th. First, a few of the “good-BUT-bad” statistics gleaned from the lecture:
∙ The local food market is a $5-7 billion industry BUT the fast food industry is $170 billion.
∙ The organics market is a $25 billion industry and continues to grow even in the economic downturn, BUT only 4% of retail food in the U.S. is organic.
∙ There are now 150 local/state food councils in the U.S. with the goal to bring just, sustainable food policies to our communities, BUT there are also 206 food banks and 60,000 emergency food sites (a sign that people are still struggling).
∙ Farm-to-school programs, urban gardening and farmers markets are on the rise BUT 65% of Americans are still overweight/obese (and 1 out of 3 children).
∙ Out of 33 industrialized countries, America is ranked 3rd for highest level of income disparity and 1st in food insecurity. Sorry folks, no good news there.
What I liked about his lecture: he’s a go-getter, optimistic, and feisty. He started an organic garden with “throw-away” kids in the 70s, and succeeded in growing edible food (which is more than I can say some summers). If that isn’t enough for you (it was for me), check out his bio and you'll see that Mr. Winne has had his hand in a lot of important projects. I wish he had spoken more about some of those, but I guess he had a book to promote. Can't blame him for that.
What I didn’t like so much: he was a bit one-sided/very anti-establishment, read straight from his book, and didn’t really offer any concrete ideas. For instance, when I asked what financial alternatives exist for food banks instead of taking donations from mega-industries like Snickers and McDonald’s he basically offered the Nancy Reagan “Just Say No” solution. That’s all well and good until you have to decide between feeding hungry, poor people or paying the energy bill.
Speaking of balancing a budget, can I just say that if I don’t learn anything else in my group project I’ve learned this: there are a lot of people in the public sector making tough decisions about how to run their organizations/departments in a financially-responsible manner among competing interests, political pressures, ethical dilemmas, piles of paperwork, and bureaucratic BS. Whew! Sorry, had to be said.
Yes, the juxtaposition of exponential growth in local food to mushrooming food banks was troubling in these numbers. Are we attacking the most pressing issues? Are we losing ground?
ReplyDeleteYes, making do with less is a common theme these days. Look for that trend to continue.