Slow vs Fast Food – an Easy Choice

Toward a Sustainable Food System

I received an email from Slow Food USA today, asking to sign the Slow Food Pledge.  The pledge lays out the issue succinctly – climate change is real and we can make a difference by our food choices.  Our mission and vision align with Slow Food USA’s in preserving the connections among food, community, and environment.  I signed the pledge to show my support.  One reason we started our farm is to fight the trend of industrialized agriculture and work toward preservation, conservation, and community.

Convenience versus Conservation

Today we also received an advertisement for a home food/menu delivery service.  Yes, we are all busy, but is it worth the cost?  Is the convenience of having all of your ingredients sent to you ready to go, worth the environmental cost of getting that food to your door?  Tractors working insecticide and pesticide-laden fields, animals fed GMO feed in large CAFOs before sent to factory slaughter.  Trucks delivering to wholesalers who then ship to retailers who finally ship to the end user.  Think of all of the fuel burned and exhaust pumped into the air to make your meal easy to prepare.  Eventually these costs will show up – in our environment and in our bodies.

Slow Food as Solution

Often we hear that organic food is too expensive compared to conventionally grown food.  But when you take into account the costs listed above, the choice is clear.  Yes there might be a difference in price per pound but conventionally grown food pushes costs out to the environment where eventually we all pay.  For me the choice is an easy one.  Shop local, eat seasonally, and support small farming.