I recently read this blog:
and I got to thinkin'...
The fact that consumers feel
guilt-ridden and overwhelmed when shopping for food may speak more to their
desire to make the “best” choices they can within the framework of a broken
food system and yet feeling limited by said broken food system. For consumers to feel burdened in making
healthy choices that are also affordable (amongst so many other pertinent
considerations) is unfortunate, considering that there are systems in place
that could do a better job of serving their needs, rather than focusing on monetary
gain—something that actually happens in other countries. For instance, according
to the Organic Consumers Association , different
European countries have banned the cultivation of GMO crops, citing a safeguard
clause from the EU treaty allowing individual countries to make decisions for
the purpose of health and environmental protection.
At this point, lack of reform to the food system can’t solely be attributed
to a lack of consumer awareness—and thus, demand for reform. The more that awareness is expanding, the
more it seems that corporations with vested interest employ their funding to stifle
cries for reform. It was clear, for
example, that when California’s Proposition 37 was defeated, it was an issue of
corporate-funded mis-information. Proponents of the pro-GMO-labeling bill
simply didn’t have the financial resources to rival the likes of Monsanto and
its allies.
It’s frustrating to know that desired
alternatives are possible, and yet are being actively repressed instead of
supported. Just last month, as
Valentine’s Day was approaching, I learned through Food Democracy Now! that the Hershey company, a producer of the
chocolate-y staples that fuel this “Hallmark Holiday” contributed $519,000 to defeat the aforementioned Prop. 37;
this very company, however, produces the same products--GMO-free—in Europe.
At what point will consumer voices speak louder than
corporate dollars?
A dissonance
necessarily occurs in the midst of increasing awareness and yet a lack of
democratic representation. That a
concerned citizenry unduly bears the burden of these ramifications speaks
(perhaps not surprisingly) to the need for reform, including a re-thinking of
national priorities.
If dollars are the method through which
consumer voices are heard, then at least one option, for now, is to vote with your dollar until companies
have no choice but to adapt.
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