shopping

This link arrived in my e-mail a few days ago:

http://commongroundmag.com/2007/02/food0702.html

While there's a bit of hyperbole in the article, "Voting Beyond Our Forks," the main point, that "We can't simply shop our way out of this mess" is right on. Consumer solutions to problems rooted in consumerism may appear to help, help a little, help for a time - but they aren't sustainable solutions. It will take concerted political effort to heal and rebuild our nation's food system. That means becoming informed about the 2007 Farm Bill, among other things.

It troubles me when I see individuals and congregations focusing on food aid to the hungry in our communities, and not looking at the big picture. Going beyond this article and our own plight here in the U.S., the same applies when we consider the plight of the hungry around the world. How much do our farm policies affect our food aid policies, which affect the ability of other countries to become food secure? The paper "Food Aid or Food Sovereignty" from the Oakland Institute really opened my eyes on this, as did hearing Anuradha Mittal, co-author, at the Food Connections conference at Sonoma State last summer. The paper's not a quick read, or necessarily a comfortable one, but I think it is worth the effort.