Delicious Revolution

A column in the New York Times of today, April 19, 2009, reminded me of the importance of real unadulterated quality organic foods. And we quote Alice Waters:

"There is a profound disconnection between the kind of human experience that our society values, and the way we actually live our lives. Most people submit unthinkingly to dehumanizing experiences of food-in workplace cafeterias, food courts, and fast food chains. How can one marvel at the world and then feed oneself in a completely unmarvelous way? I think it's because we don't learn the vital relationship of food to agriculture and of food to culture, and how food affects the quality of our everyday lives.

To me, food is the one central thing about human experience which can open up both our senses and our consciences to our place in the world. Consider this: Eating is something we all have in common. It's something we all have to do every day and it's something we can all share. Food and nourishment are right at the point where human rights and the environment intersect. Everyone should have the right to wholesome, affordable food.

What could be a more delicious revolution than to start committing our best resources to teaching this to children?-by feeding them and giving them pleasure; by teaching them how to grow food responsibly; and by teaching them how to cook it and eat it, together, around the table? When you start to open up a child's senses-when you invite children to engage, physically, with gardening and food-there is a set of values that is instilled effortlessly, that just washes over them, as part of the process of offering good food to other people. Children become so rapt-so enraptured, even-by being engaged in learning in a sensual, kinesthetic way. And food seduces you by its very nature-the smell of baking, for example: It makes you hungry! Who could resist the aroma of fresh bread?

There is nothing else as universal. When you understand where your food comes from, you look at the world in an entirely different way. I think that if you really start caring about the world in this way, you see opportunities everywhere.

In order for there to be a future to the environmental movement, we must teach the children that taking care of the land and learning to feed yourself is just as important as reading, writing, and arithmetic. For the most part, our families and institutions are not doing this. Therefore, I believe that it's up to the public education system to teach our kids these important values. There should be gardens in every school, and school lunch programs that serve the things the children grow themselves, supplemented by local, organically grown products. This Delicious Revolution could transform education and agriculture.

http://www.chezpanisse.com/pgdrevolution.html