Rethinking Food Sources – Lessons from Swine Flu Outbreak

No, I’m not renaming it to “Lessons from H1N1 flu, Mexican Virus, North American influenza or novel flu virus”.  Changing the name removes us from responding to the issue properly.  It is clear that the flu outbreak was caused by conditions in hog CAFO (confined animal [...]]]> Rethinking Food Sources – Lessons from Swine Flu Outbreak

No, I’m not renaming it to “Lessons from H1N1 flu, Mexican Virus, North American influenza or novel flu virus”.  Changing the name removes us from responding to the issue properly.  It is clear that the flu outbreak was caused by conditions in hog CAFO (confined animal feeding operation).  CAFO is another nice acronym removing us from the reality of the operation.

Back to the topic of the blog.  I was living in Northern Westchester, NY in the early 90′s and was in desperate need of organic foods.  I had become convinced that organic foods would help maintain and improve my health. Unfortunately at the time it was very difficult to find organic foods outside of the “city” or in “enlightened” places.  Some of the health food stores carried organics but they were extremely expensive and the selection of fresh foods were almost non-existent.  This was before places like Wild Oats and Whole Foods were popular.

Photo by Daniel Morrison

I joined a group that would go around and petition grocery stores to carry organic foods.  Occasionally people would sign a petition but mostly we got friends and family to speak to the managers of the stores.  We said to them, we like shopping in your store but you are not serving our needs.  We would like organics here and we promise to continue shopping and telling our friends.  At first the managers thought we were nuts but eventually one or two of them listened and started buying a few organic products.  They realized that they could get a premium price for the food and the food would fly off the shelves.  We voted with our wallets and loyalty.

The smaller health food stores started to clean up their stores to attract more customers as well.   They could service their clientele with excellent customer service and health expertise.  Today almost every large grocery store chain has an organic section and so do the big box stores.  You, as a consumer knows that there is some sort of standard when you find a label that has an official seal saying its organic.  You have control over what you eat, if you buy organics and if you read your labels.

Unfortunately labels have become inadequate.  Certain industries  and companies (Monsanto) have used their money and connections to excuse Bovine Growth Hormones (RgBh) and genetically modified foods (GMO’s). Many people have gluten allergies which are which exempt from labeling.  Glutens are just as dangerous to people with Celiac disease as are sugars to a diabetic.

A recent food hazard of melanin in our food system came from China killing off our pets & sickening our children.  Now we are seeing deaths from unhealthy raising of animals and unhealthy/unclean processing of foods.

You have choices.

1. You can raise your own food.
2. Go organic and buy from only trusted local sources.  These solutions are not comprehensive, as we are learning from this swine flu epidemic that you can be as organic as you want and still catch the flu because your friend went to Mexico on spring break. The concept of “All is One” is becoming very real and you can no longer isolate yourself.

Become Pro-Active

1. You can go to your grocery store and ask for labeling of the produce and meat for country or state of origin.
2. Put your money to work buy choosing foods that you know exactly where they came from and what’s inside them, not just based on fats calories and cost.

This is only part of the solution, our world is so intertwined that our companies go to other countries to raise and process foods in countries that don’t have the same standards of regulations that we have.  Some processed food ingredients come from so many different countries you could get frequent flier miles off them.

Go Global

1. Use your network.  Do you have family in Mexico, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe? Talk to them.  Have your family vote with their wallets in other countries, demand proper labeling, so they can make choices about what they put into your body.  If you are reading this you are a member of the largest consumer group ever with more buying power than the largest corporation.  It may take time but the supermarkets will listen.

Rethink your food choices, right now it takes effort but in the future it will be effortless.