Food system is at Wounded Knee...

...says Joel Salatin, a writer on Grist.

He pertinently states that Isn’t it curious that at this juncture in our culture’s evolution, we collectively believe Twinkies, Lucky Charms, and Coca-Cola are safe foods, but compost-grown tomatoes and raw milk are not?

The food legislation system is just about as bad in Norway as it is in the US. (my opinion). As opposed to the US, people here take it to be normal. Through my master course in Agroecology, Farming and Food Systems, I have come to talk to quite a few people involved with food somewhere in the food chain. What I notice is that people accept Norway's very strict regulations, or, not just accept, because it annoys some, but they have resigned, kind of. I say kind of, because I haven't been able to elaborate on this topic with these people, but you can say it is my impression.

It is not allowed to sell stuff without producing it in a certified kitchen, you cannot import an animal to a farm without having it controlled and stamped "OK" by the Food Authorities (Mattilsynet). Farmers just state this as a matter-of-fact, but as an outsider, I deem as an obstacle for the farmer, to develop his farm, to stabilise his/her economy and to diversify the farm in order to make it more sustainable (e.g. "my" sheep farmer on the west coast of Norway sends all the sheep to the mountains for the whole summer (Norw. tradition), because if they didn't do that, they wouldn't have enough to eat the rest of the year, and then they come back in the fall. My farmer has a very steep property, and is not able to cut the grass in some of the hillsides. So, it is destroyed - when the grass gets too long, it is burnt by the sun eventually, and useless/no nutritions for the sheep to eat.

My farmer could opt to acquire a calf, for example, to eat the grass during the summer, and then when the sheep come back from the mountain, they are too, able to eat the grass, because if it is eaten, it keeps on growing. (...). However, it seems to be a complicated process of applying, controlling etc., to get just one small calf from one farm to another. Without having done any calculations, I am questioning whether it is worthwhile the time and energy and money. It's a tradeoff, anyway.

It will be interesting to find out what "my" farmer chooses to do!

I am, of course procrastinating. This blog should be called El ProcrastinateM... But you should read Salatins very interesting and thought-provoking article. What food do YOU eat?