May 14, 2009

Summary of „where was your food last night“


A short summary (key points) of the last “green bug lecture” should be provided here. It will neither be complete nor give details. I will try to represent the view expressed during the presentation and only share my opinion in comments afterwards.

Main purpose of presenting a summary is to offer a possibility to pick up some arguments again and to comment. So please: comment!


Presentation by Pavlos Georgiadis (F.R.E.S.H):


- characteristics that food should have brought into the discourse by the slow food movement: good, clean fair

- characteristics that might as well be important: honesty, knowledge diversity, responsibility

- responsible eating is a contribution to save our planet (it can diminish our ecological footprint)

- it is important to see the whole production chain behind the food procession: e.g. although flour might be processed in Germany, the wheat might be imported from India; or soya might be imported to feed German pigs

- Thus, the ingredients for a pizza might all together have travelled over 80.000 km


Consequences related to “unsustainable foodproduction”:


- conditions of animal production

- working conditions/ human right violation (immigration worker on farms/ in green houses)

- loss of biodiversity

- market control of companies

- depletion of water resources

- use of agrochemicals

- use of additives


What to do:


- Merge the consumption of organic AND regional produced food

- Honesty: be informed and claim your right to be informed

- Change academic culture (so far Hohenheim as one of Europe's leading agricultural universities is not setting a good example)

- Reform land use based on scientific knowledge and local wisdom

- Rediscover eating as pleasure for all senses

- See what F.R.E.S.H is doing


“Clusters” of discussion.


- Dumping of food into 3rd world countries, food sovereignty, fair trade

- Market power of companies, market power of consumers, non-cooperation

- Social implications: can people afford to buy slow/organic food? Valuation of food

- Political implications: isn’t a complete change in the economical/ political system a prerequisite for fair food production and consumption?

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