The Togetherness Project
Today’s Topic – Food Part 1
Today we’re going to talk about food. Particularly we’re going to be talking about what we eat and where it comes from. I’m going to start with a little story where yesterday I was walking through Melbourne University and. There I saw queues of students around fast food places. Eating what I would describe as poor quality food that is probably cheap and probably not too much of a problem for young people who need lots of energy – fast.
The Issue
Where does this food come from and how is this different to the kind of diet that our species evolved with? Are our eating habits able to be sustained?1
There is an epidemic of metabolic diseases and other forms of illness that have been linked to ultra processed foods. It should be no surprise that this is scientifically linked to loss of important symbiotic gut flora. It should be no surprise that studies reported in New Scientist (How to think about Ageing) find that traditional diets featuring whole foods and connectedness with community are important factors in living a long and healthy life. So why do we choose differently? Who wants us to eat this way?2
It comes down to psychology and the way we evolved in an environment of scarcity. Added to this we are bombarded with prompts to buy and consume low nutrition foods. More about this in Part 2.
The default for most people is to buy food at supermarkets or fast food outlets. These are “affordable”. The whole of life costs may not be so affordable when we consider years of good health compared to years of ill health and restricted lifestyle.
Supermarket food distribution results in 30% and more wasted food. Households throw out between 20 and 40% of the food bought. All this can feed those in need.
The Response
How do we get out of this mess?
Firstly, people need to be aware that the issue exists and that there is something that can be done about it. Then there needs to be a clear path of action to take. The most important component of the response is to find was to work together to a common cause. *We will revisit this many times in each program.
- Buy local not high food miles. Better food and potentially cheaper
- Buy fresh and whole foods
- Cooperatives (Wholefood Collective) – NY city run stores
- Hidden Orchard
- Markets/Stalls
- Buy what you need, not what is packaged up (more in Part 2)
- Lobby for change – political and to businesses
- Buy from local farms
- Seasonal produce
- Have a toolbox of recipes not the same all year
- Urban farms
- Grow your own
The final takeaway is that we know what we can do to make it better and we need a concerted effort to bring about change