You have seen the articles about the tie-ins with Occupy Wall Street and the food industry. If you haven't, then you aren't on my Twitter feed (a subtle reminder to follow me on Twitter.)
The critics, MSM and elsewhere, of Occupy Wall Street point to a myriad of concerns on the part of those who are protesting with Occupy Wall Street. To be fair, this is a group that has been neglected politically for some time, a lot of pent-up frustration involved.
For our part, we concentrate on the food industry so we don't have a horizontal list of concerns, just a long vertical list of issues.
Unfortunately in the food world, you can't occupy one spot. Wall Street has its share of blame, but occupying Wall Street is a drop in the pond of problems with the food supply. Would be nice if protesting outside Archer Daniels Midland would do the trick. Or the USDA. Or the FDA. Or Monsanto. Or tons of food companies. Or Cargill. Or meat processing plants. … .
The other argument you hear is that you don't need to occupy anything to make a difference: vote with your pocketbook. I barely know what a pocketbook is, but you get the point. Where you spend your money makes a difference.
As good as it might make you feel to be off the processed food grid, this kind of change comes way too slow. Subtle losses will barely be felt by these groups.
No matter what, a significant portion of the U.S. food supply will be processed. That jeannie isn't going back in the bottle. The process to the processed food should be done a lot better.
Even if we get rid of high-fructose corn syrup, our processed food will still be too sweet. The front labels reflect reality as much as the cast of "Friends" reflected the demographics of New York City. No matter who is president, the USDA will still be in the business of promoting and regulating the U.S. food supply. Our school lunches will still be too starchy.
Here is the good news: progress is being made. Those who are ready for the change and knowledgeable are making a difference in their own eating habits. Others are learning through observation. Some who can't duplicate that all the time are doing what they can when they can.
Those who play the drums or hold the signs are trying to make things better, to make a difference. And those with signs reflecting food supply issues speak a message that needs to be seen and heard.
They represent so many more people who are frustrated at the quality of our food supply and the incestuous corporation-government relationship that marks our food, people who don't know how to make their voices heard.
Think of it as Occupy Main Street. Make it simple. Invite someone who may not get it to have a home-grown, home-cooked meal. Stand with a local farmer. Be your own farmer: grow your own food. Volunteer in a food pantry. Encourage more options in your community to get better quality food. Start a farmers market. Expand a farmers market. Ask your local library if you can present a talk on the idea of eating better.
We are made up of tiny communities in a huge country. Spread the word like you would spread butter made from grass-fed milk. Show the world that eating quality food is worth it, financially and otherwise.
We need the loud response of Occupy Wall Street and Occupy in other cities. We need the direct questioning of corporations and government. But we also need quiet, subtle, game-changing actions within our own communities. Every little bit helps, because a lot of little bits do add up. This will take time and lots of effort, and it still won't produce the kind of world we want. Making a difference will make a difference.
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