As my tomatoes are fruiting and I am finally able to incorporate basil into my diet again, I want to talk a bit about the idea of Food Sovereignty and Decentralization. These ideas are rooted in establishing a sense of independence and power around our food systems. A lot of things have come up for me in recent years such as reading about pockets of food deserts in our country, the meat shortage during COVID, possible wheat shortages surrounding the war with Russia and Ukraine and finally climate change and how the cost of our food is rising substantially due to the amount of fertilizers and pesticides we now have to use because of natural disasters and drastic changes in weather and pest control, not to mention the severe soil degradation.
When our fore-fathers were discussing the principles on which our nation was founded on, it was Thomas Jefferson who “argued for the United States to be founded on an agrarian ideology… Jefferson called for an American economy built on agriculture and to “let the work-shops” remain in Europe” (Jefferson, 18).” He believed our nation needed to be in control of our own food in order to establish true independence. We have moved far away from this ideology and now rely on other countries as well as monopolized industry for our food supply. Our food therefore has declined in quality and is more expensive due to the layers of capitalism attached to food as well as the cost involved in shipping food long distances.
I remember visiting Europe in my 20s and being blown away at the localization of food systems in parts of France and Italy. Daily farmers’ markets in each village as well as Paris and Rome were how most foods were obtained by the locals in those areas. I had not experienced this before. I’m sure there was a time when the USA also operated much in the same way, rich community markets and trading that fed bodies and souls through the process of growing and obtaining our own foods.
I understand that not everyone has the capability to grow a garden or participate in their own food production. I also understand that the decentralization of food cannot happen overnight. However, here are a few things we can do in order to kick-start this change in our community.
Community Food Projects – Growing, distributing and consuming food locally means fresher, more nutritious foods, which sustains the local economy and put s control of food production and distribution back into the hands of community members.
Community Gardens – Community gardens provide an important gathering place for people, while experiencing health benefits and learning valuable skills in gardening and entrepreneurship.
Farmers Markets – Farmers markets can reduce transportation costs and allow farmers to earn more while consumers pay less for healthy, nutrient-rich organic foods.
Food Banks/Pantries – Stocking food pantries with local, culturally appropriate foods can be a steppingstone for families to access healthy food.
I want to leave you with this today, let’s let the seed represent freedom and independence.
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