Slow food is sustainable food | Column
Founded in Italy during the late 1980s, the organization Slow Food believes that people should eat food that is “good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet.” This sentiment now drives a global movement that is inspired by Slow Food and closely aligned with the concept of sustainability.
Given its emphasis on sourcing food locally, the slow food movement supports a sustainable lifestyle. First, local farms are more likely to employ “greener” methods than the vast operations of industrial agriculture. Although not invariably eco-friendly, local farmers working at a small scale generally favor crop rotation and plant many different crops, including heirloom varieties, to regenerate the soil, break pest cycles and preserve agricultural diversity.
Next, local farming operations are often sustainable because they tend to restrict the use of the synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that pollute groundwater and waterways, threaten pollinators and wildlife, and harm human health.
Finally, food produced close to home rather than far away fosters sustainability because it requires less refrigeration, is transported only for short distances and may need less packaging. Thus, buying locally uses fewer natural resources, particularly fossil fuels, and reduces emissions of the greenhouse gases driving climate change.
Emphasizing local foodstuffs leads to consuming fresher (healthier), in-season fruit and vegetables. Start by adjusting your shopping habits. At the supermarket, avoid heavily packaged items and look for produce identified as locally grown. If possible, patronize farm stands in your area as well as farmers markets, many of which accept food assistance benefits like SNAP and WIC. Or join a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in return for regular deliveries of fresh produce.
If you are willing and able — and have the time — try gardening in containers on your balcony, beds in your yard or a community garden. And spread the word by supporting school gardens and farm-to-school programs. When eating out, try farm-to-table restaurants found online.
Eating only food produced locally would be expensive and likely impossible in Maine. However, one can incorporate the slow food approach to whatever degree is feasible practically and financially. A welcome result ought to be not only a more sustainable diet but also healthier eating!
David Conwell belongs to the nationwide advocacy organization Citizens’ Climate Lobby and is a former member of Brunswick’s Sustainability Committee.
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