Culinary Conscience is an assessment piece I am doing for a Food Politics subject this semester at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. We have been asked to collect articles/news stories/pieces of media regarding subjects discussed in class, and then reflect on what we have found. Doing it all online makes it easier for me to include various forms of media, and easily link in news articles, youtube clips, images and so forth. Hopefully it means I can also share some of what I learn this semester with others who have any interest in the subject. I think food politics is something that's relevant to all of us. We all eat, after all, and we make choices everyday regarding exactly what we put in our tummies and who we buy it from. So far I've only been to a couple of lectures but it's already changing the way I think about my diet. I have to say its refreshing to do a subject that really captures my attention.
Anyways, Bon Appetit!
Thursday, 5 August 2010
An experiment in ethical eating
I have decided that while I build this blog and explore the world of Food Politics, I will also aim to make my diet more ethical. At the moment, I am afraid to say, I really eat like a typical consumer, thinking of my wallet, my time, and my stomach more than what impacts my diet has on the world around me.
Today was my first day thinking about what I was eating. Unfortunately, I wasn't off to a great start, as I was sick in bed for most of it, had an empty cupboard, and a craving for kabana and diet coke. Like I said, not an ideal start. Still, I walked into the supermarket and realised I should take note of how I naturally behave here. On picking up my basket, the first thing I noticed was the specials at the entrance. I excitely chucked a packet of pasta (only 70 cents!) and pasta sauce (just $1.29 a jar!) into my basket, momentarily forgetting I was trying to think about what I was doing. I even considered stocking up it was all so cheap, but decided I didn't want to spend up too big today. Then I walked past the box of Mars Bars - only 78 cents a pop? I grabbed one and decided it would be a nice snack. Then, I looked down into my little red riding hood plastic basket. Words from class came back to me 'We go into the Supermarket for two items and come out with ten'. I realised I didn't need the pasta, or the pasta sauce, or, as much as I would like to tell myself it would help me to work, rest and play, the Mars Bar. I begrudgingly returned them to their spots in the store.
Then I walked over to what I was there for. A frozen meal. Just one. I couldn't be bothered cooking, after all. I felt rotten as month old bread. How my heart rejoiced in the freezer section! My favourite brand, Lean Cuisine, was on special! Two for $8! At first I thought that was pretty good value. It was a saving of about $2 a packet after all. Then I realised it's about three times as much as it would cost to make it yourself from real, healthy ingredients. So no go on the freezer food, as tempting it was. I visited the local deli outside the supermarket, but alas, no kabana, so back into Woolies it was. Unfortunately, there were on special too, so I bought a couple of the sticks of fatty pork, as well as a loaf of Burgen Rye. I consolidated myself by the fact I checked it was made in Australia, at least. I then walked over to the vegie section but before putting anything in my basket remembered there was a small independent grocer outside, so bought my bread and kabana and then headed there.
And. My. Oh. My. The strawberries. The big juicy Australian strawberries. They weren't on my list but I couldn't resist. And they were cheap. Me and a stranger ohhed and ahhed at them together. That's something that doesn't happen in the supermarket - random conversations with fellow shoppers about the beautiful fruit. I walked around and found a big bag of tomatoes for $2, so much cheaper than in Woolworths and right next door! I also bought a perfectly round avocado which I assume is a different variety to anything Woolies or Coles offer, and chucked in some rocket too. Yum. A basket full of fresh food. It was a tiny step in the right direction I know, but at least I broke my habit of buying everything in Woolworths. When I feel a little better, I hope I can really get into this.
For the moment, I just need to buy some cream...
Today was my first day thinking about what I was eating. Unfortunately, I wasn't off to a great start, as I was sick in bed for most of it, had an empty cupboard, and a craving for kabana and diet coke. Like I said, not an ideal start. Still, I walked into the supermarket and realised I should take note of how I naturally behave here. On picking up my basket, the first thing I noticed was the specials at the entrance. I excitely chucked a packet of pasta (only 70 cents!) and pasta sauce (just $1.29 a jar!) into my basket, momentarily forgetting I was trying to think about what I was doing. I even considered stocking up it was all so cheap, but decided I didn't want to spend up too big today. Then I walked past the box of Mars Bars - only 78 cents a pop? I grabbed one and decided it would be a nice snack. Then, I looked down into my little red riding hood plastic basket. Words from class came back to me 'We go into the Supermarket for two items and come out with ten'. I realised I didn't need the pasta, or the pasta sauce, or, as much as I would like to tell myself it would help me to work, rest and play, the Mars Bar. I begrudgingly returned them to their spots in the store.
Then I walked over to what I was there for. A frozen meal. Just one. I couldn't be bothered cooking, after all. I felt rotten as month old bread. How my heart rejoiced in the freezer section! My favourite brand, Lean Cuisine, was on special! Two for $8! At first I thought that was pretty good value. It was a saving of about $2 a packet after all. Then I realised it's about three times as much as it would cost to make it yourself from real, healthy ingredients. So no go on the freezer food, as tempting it was. I visited the local deli outside the supermarket, but alas, no kabana, so back into Woolies it was. Unfortunately, there were on special too, so I bought a couple of the sticks of fatty pork, as well as a loaf of Burgen Rye. I consolidated myself by the fact I checked it was made in Australia, at least. I then walked over to the vegie section but before putting anything in my basket remembered there was a small independent grocer outside, so bought my bread and kabana and then headed there.
And. My. Oh. My. The strawberries. The big juicy Australian strawberries. They weren't on my list but I couldn't resist. And they were cheap. Me and a stranger ohhed and ahhed at them together. That's something that doesn't happen in the supermarket - random conversations with fellow shoppers about the beautiful fruit. I walked around and found a big bag of tomatoes for $2, so much cheaper than in Woolworths and right next door! I also bought a perfectly round avocado which I assume is a different variety to anything Woolies or Coles offer, and chucked in some rocket too. Yum. A basket full of fresh food. It was a tiny step in the right direction I know, but at least I broke my habit of buying everything in Woolworths. When I feel a little better, I hope I can really get into this.
For the moment, I just need to buy some cream...
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
This little piggy went to market
Coles says SA pig farmers back welfare change
This article on how pigs are treated in South Australian farms really caught my attention, and I believe it highlights the questions we have to ask when we consider how to eat ethically. We have to decide where our priorities lie. Do we think it's more important to support local industry, or those that can afford to keep their pigs in supposedly better conditions? Should we give up pork altogether, or should we look at how that will affect all those working in the industry in Australia? It would arguably be most ethical, in the long term, and thinking on a global scale, to give up pork completely. As my devout vegan friend always tells me, pigs are as smart, if not smarter than dogs. I am all too familiar with Peta's If Pig's Said Woof campaign (Warning - do not play the video on the web page if you are uncomfortable with seeing confronting footage of pigs in captivity). But in the meantime, what choices should those of us that do eat the three little pigs be making? The pig that lived in the house of bricks might have been the safest from a wolf's big bad breath, but the one curled up in the straw was probably a lot more comfy...
*This short clip by Eddie Izzard makes light of the modern shopping experience. Note how he refers to the supermarket as our high temple, similar to how other academics have described it. He also observes how the supermarket is the common ground of people from all walks of life and all socio economic backgrounds. I also thought I might include this original idea from Japan for improving customer service in supermarkets.
This article on how pigs are treated in South Australian farms really caught my attention, and I believe it highlights the questions we have to ask when we consider how to eat ethically. We have to decide where our priorities lie. Do we think it's more important to support local industry, or those that can afford to keep their pigs in supposedly better conditions? Should we give up pork altogether, or should we look at how that will affect all those working in the industry in Australia? It would arguably be most ethical, in the long term, and thinking on a global scale, to give up pork completely. As my devout vegan friend always tells me, pigs are as smart, if not smarter than dogs. I am all too familiar with Peta's If Pig's Said Woof campaign (Warning - do not play the video on the web page if you are uncomfortable with seeing confronting footage of pigs in captivity). But in the meantime, what choices should those of us that do eat the three little pigs be making? The pig that lived in the house of bricks might have been the safest from a wolf's big bad breath, but the one curled up in the straw was probably a lot more comfy...
*This short clip by Eddie Izzard makes light of the modern shopping experience. Note how he refers to the supermarket as our high temple, similar to how other academics have described it. He also observes how the supermarket is the common ground of people from all walks of life and all socio economic backgrounds. I also thought I might include this original idea from Japan for improving customer service in supermarkets.
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