“We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
–- Aldo Leopold
I remember when, in mainstream public discourse, referring to people as consumers replaced their popular designation as citizens. At about the same time, government policy began to change towards more heavily favoring the wealthiest individuals and the most powerful corporate entities over the welfare of the vast majority of human beings, a trend that has only escalated over time.
During these decades of movement in the wrong direction, the health of human beings and of the sentient lives forming our biosphere have also dramatically declined.
Tom Lawson’s Positive.News article, “A food revolution: ditching the consumer mindset for the health of people and planet”, suggests a sane way forward, a positive direction we could chose to take.
An excerpt for your consideration:
>> “We look to support farmers and growers who want to care for their farms, their land, their animals and the food they produce,” says Simon Crichton [food, farming and trade team manager at Triodos Bank]. “Organics allows them to do this, and the result is a healthier product and food economy.”
But even with better support for organic producers, people need to increase their consumption of organic food in order to boost the sector’s success. And here is where it’s particularly useful to look beyond price. A new report – True Cost Accounting in Farming and Finance, co-sponsored by Triodos Bank – reminds us that cost is just one aspect of what we eat, but the social and environmental implications of production make the ‘true cost’ of food much higher than we may think. Zooming out still further, those at the New Citizenship Project believe that psychology – the narrow framing in which we see ourselves within the food system – plays a key role.
Co-founder of the New Citizenship Project, Jon Alexander, says: “Consumers, by definition, consume. That’s it. But people have far more to offer than just the act of consumption. As parents and friends, we can advise and even teach; as shareholders, we can invest and shape the policies of the companies in which our money is invested; as citizens, we can vote for policies and representatives that shape the operating environment.” <<
For the full article, see: https://www.positive.news/2017/environment/29545/a-food-revolution-ditching-the-consumer-mindset-for-the-health-of-people-and-planet/
It is up to each of us what kind of a future we create for ourselves and for the up and coming generations. Let as many of us as possible chose to help to transform our food system. And in so doing heal — rather than continue to harm — ourselves, other human beings, and the many lives in our environment.
JMC