Sustainability and Health

Health and nutrition are inextricably linked.  What we eat impacts how we feel and how we function.  So we do our best to eat "clean" and navigate carbs, calories, sugar and gluten intake, protein sources and resources judiciously.  Some of us take an occasional sideways glance at the concept of the local food and sustainable agriculture movement.

Unbelievably, food (I would think, an unalienable right) is politics.  A larger percentage of Americans are hungry in 2012 than they were back in the 1960's.*  There are families and communities that are considered "food insecure", that can't afford enough food, and remain uneducated to the impact of poor food choices on their health.*  Twenty percent of children in this country live in such homes. The widespread use of non-organic, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in our industrial agriculture system makes our food sources unsafe, less nutritious and compromises the farming industry (farm bankruptcy is currently at an alarming rate).*  Political Public Policy needs to evolve to address these issues as well as the rampant obesity rate and the disease care approach to health.

How do we change public policy? Public figures do what they do. Michelle Obama maintains an organic kitchen garden at the White House and has addressed childhood obesity as her major First Lady "project". She has written a book on food gardening toward this end.  Is she any closer to changing public policy?  Michael Bloomberg, the multi-millionaire business man-mayor of NYC has eradicated trans fats from fast food restaurants in the city (Denmark has done the same) and now wants to controversially obliterate the ability to purchase large sugary drinks from food stands and restaurants.  Is this strong-arming helpful, a step in the right direction? Little by little there is a bigger, more public presence around these issues.  The increments of change however, are excruciatingly slow, almost like throwing a few crumbs to a beggar.

For non-public people like the rest of us, our efforts have been to frequent local farmstands, food co-ops, Community Sustainable Agriculture vendors (CSAs) and grow our own food. Local food has grown from $4 billion to $11 billion in 10 years and organic food is now a $30 billion "industry". John Ikerd* On Defining Sustainable Agriculture by John Ikerd says together, this is about 7-10% of all food sold in this country today.  Not a high percentage; about the same stats as those who contribute and support public radio (out of those who listen to it).  Ikerd says it's not an option for our ecosystem or public health not to move toward sustainable agriculture as our primary food source.

The sideways glance to sustainable agriculture is usually possible because of its relationship to health.  If the environment and the way food is grown did not impact our health, would we care about the stress our planet is suffering with unsustainable ecological practices? Why is our sense of Oneness in relation to the environment not present?

The question around public policy in relation to sustainable food sources is a parallel question I've had around traditional, complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) interfacing with conventional medicine.  With all the statistics, information and common knowledge about the benefits and need to fully employ CAM in mainstream healthcare, and in the case of sustainable agriculture, food sources, why hasn't public norms and policies changed (significantly) to reflect the evidence?  Is it the grip of Big-Pharm, the insurance industry, and AMA in the case of healthcare?  Is it the power strangle-hold of mega pesticide/food corporations like Monsanto, or industrial farm subsidies (especially in corn crops)?  Why does big money always seem to prevail?  Especially, when it is pretty clear that when there are large inequities in a culture (be they health-related or financial ), all sides of the aisle suffer.

When is what each of us has enough (money, power, time,"stuff", food, well being, health)? Where is the satisfaction and gratitude for that which is simple, present, graceful?  When do we get tired of the inequities, entitlement-itis and polarization (within and without)? How do we re-find our own and collective layered state of sustainability and wellness?  Does the "house-of-cards" have to fall down first before there is a public policy recognizing, implementing and affirming the value of sustainable agricultural practices and CAM?

...for my CJ: donkeys and burros we be