Are You Eating the World into Poverty?
You may have seen the link circulating around Facebook this week as I did: Can Vegans Stomach the Unpalatable Truth about Quinoa? If you haven’t yet, go ahead and give it a read. I’ll wait.
**Cue some music here. Maybe Quechua music would be appropriate.
I don’t think it’s just vegans who might be a little startled to find they’re causing poverty in other countries. I mean, this site says there were about 1 million vegans, worldwide, in 2008. That hardly seems enough to topple a country’s economy, does it? Unless they’re eating quinoa three times a day.
A few days ago I unpacked 6 Reasons to be Vegetarian and why I think they’re invalid for the most part. I find it interesting that major reasons include preventing hunger in the world and caring for the environment. Yet in this article, we see first hand how these reasons are not true. Not only is the health foodist’s fixation with quinoa targeted, but asparagus and soy are also major players. Doubtless there are many others.
What’s the lesson? I think the lesson is clear. Monoculture and global food distribution of any food, whether beef or quinoa (or anything else) is a problem. It is a huge problem for the developing world, as the article clearly shows. When we eat an unbalanced diet, we unbalance the whole world’s ecosystem.
What is balance? Buy locally. I know not everyone can grow their own food–though more could than do. But by consciously choosing local food grown in season wherever possible–by making that the gold standard that every other food-buying decision is subservient to–you will be doing a very real part in helping people in foreign countries.
It goes against what we’ve been brainwashed to believe, doesn’t it? We keep being told we should help them, that we should buy their produce so that they have an income (preferably a good one). No, people. What they need is food. Food should not be a commodity. It should be grown to eat. They should be allowed to eat theirs, and we should grow our own.
Yes, my garden will be bigger this summer. No, I will not be growing quinoa.
What can you do? What do you think? Is it your problem, or someone else’s?
Interesting article. I know you’re looking at eating food that’s grown closer to home, and I have no problem with that. It seems strange that quinoa couldn’t be grown in other countries… like Canada. If it needs higher elevations, Canada has those, too.
However, I think that the article overlooks the fact that exporting foods like quinoa and asparagus does benefit the local economy of a poor country and therefore raises the standard of living there. Even the Quechua farmer, although his profit is much less than that of others down the line, he does still benefit by having a crop that has a sure market and a good price. In our area the people did not sell everything… they also ate the wheat, potatoes, corn, etc, that they grew. With the profits they bought the fruit and other foods that they need for a better rounded diet, and they had money for medical help. Of course, they also had money for alcohol and junk food if they chose to spend it that way. That’s human nature.
That’s my 2 cents.
Thanks, Millie. For those who don’t know, Millie is my sister who has spent many years as a missionary among the Quechua people of Bolivia. I’m so glad she weighed in!
This article only shows one side of the issue. It’s way more complicated than “if everyone eats locally produced food and grows what they can, we’ll all have enough to eat.”
I actually agree with you, Linda, but getting the big corporations off peoples’ backs would be a good start, don’t you think?
Yes’m! Well said. When I lived in Papua New Guinea, the people grew “kumu”…..a leafy, green, nutritiously dense crop that they ate daily with kaukau (sweet potatoes of all shapes, colours and sizes), ground nuts, taro etc. When white people came, they often started growing crops (broccoli etc.) to sell. But, they didn’t eat it, had cash (they weren’t previously a cash economy) and reduced nutrition! Cheers to local eating and less focus on what the latest food trend, interest and taste. Cheers to supporting the neighbour (even when and moreso they live far away).
This is similar, but kind of reverse to the linked article. “Your” people added a new crop for the market, whereas the quinoa farmers sold the crop they were already growing. Either way (and I totally see Millie’s point about adding income to indigenous farmers has benefits) the balance has shifted to farming for cash instead of for food. I wish there were easy answers, but humanity would doubtless ignore them, too.
And, we did try to grow quinoa here in the Creston Valley. It is a sister to lamb’s quarters and almost impossible to weed out. We have the elevation, but not the heat units. The cleaning/sorting/washing was a challenge. I’m not sure where in Canada there would be the right climate. I’m thinking perhaps higher elevation, closer to the equator?
So it grew well but didn’t head out? What were the specific results?
Thanks, Valerie – very interesting!
Thanks–and thanks for the link out to widgetwords!
Hi Valerie,
What a interesting post! I agree that the food should stay where it’s needed.
Morgan