Food for Thought

Have you ever wondered where the food you eat comes from? NC State prides itself on its sustainability initiatives and as a land-grant university, it has close ties to the state’s agricultural industry, but how is this reflected in the school’s dining options? Is the array of fruit at Fountain really sourced from local vendors? How long has this turkey burger been sitting in a freezer and how far did it have to travel to get there? At least we know the ice cream is safe.

These questions aren’t ones I had given much thought to until I was tasked with reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for another class. In this book, Barbara Kingsolver discusses the environmental impact and effects on human health of the food industry. At the center of these issues, lies technology. While the development of new pesticides and genetically modified seeds allow farmers to produce a greater output, the effects they can have on the water supply and soil linger for many subsequent growing seasons. Additionally, a large portion of the energy used in food production can be attributed to transportation and refrigeration as crops grown in one state travel huge distances to be sold in stores across the country. In order to reduce their carbon footprint and follow a more wholesome diet, Kingsolver and her family move from Arizona to rural Virginia where they commit to only consuming food grown by themselves or acquired locally.

The whole book struck me as being akin to Wendell Berry’s philosophy. Frustrated by the food system in which they were living, Kingsolver and her family chose to remove themselves from it and to only rely on the work of themselves and their neighbors. However, is it reasonable to ask others to do the same? The majority of the country live in urban areas where it can be difficult or impossible to grow your own food. Furthermore, even buying locally can be a hassle if you lack the transportation to get to a farmer’s market or the time to cook fresh produce. Despite these barriers, communities are making it a priority to do their part. Upon further research, I found that NC State Dining actually works with the NC 10% Campaign which encourages consumers to spend 10% of their food money on local producers. The suppliers that NCSU partners with can even be seen on the graphic below:

Reading this book has pushed me to give a little more thought to the food that I eat and to consider the lifestyle changes I can make to support my local economy and the environment.