Today, The Reluctant Eater is honored to talk with Meredith Niles (who just returned from a conference regarding green farming in Mozambique!). She is the Coordinator of the Cool Foods Campaign, a non-profit organization which challenges harmful food production technologies and promotes organic and other sustainable alternatives. Meredith writes extensively about agriculture, food, and climate change in a weekly guest column for Grist Environmental News and has contributed to National Public Radio, Environmental News Network and Political Affairs, among other outlets. Previously she worked for the U.S. State Department in International HIV/AIDS assistance and taught outdoor and environmental education.
TRE: Hi Meredith, what is your current relationship with food?
MN: I’d say my current relationship with food can be equated to that of a slightly overachieving mother. Nurturing and comforting overall, but perhaps a bit critical and always pushing for improvement, in hopes to achieve the best result.
TRE: What makes you “always pushing for improvement”?
MN: Because our food system has many opportunities for improvement and all people have the right to fair and real food. Our current food system is rife with externalities that are imbedded within our environment, our health and nutrition and social inequalities. I am hoping to educate people about some of these issues and decrease or eliminate many of the problems.
TRE: What are some of the biggest problems right now?
MN: Our food system is failing in many respects often driven by subsidies and corporate control. But overwhelmingly, as our food has been de-localized it has resulted in fewer people knowing or understanding where their food comes from, increased environmental pollution, and a real challenge for food safety regulation.
In the United States one of our greatest failures has been our agricultural subsidy program, initially designed to help small farmers. Today, we subsidize the production of major conventional crops, many genetically modified, including corn and soy that are among the most damaging for both the environment and our health. They are the biggest consumers of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and the crops most often fed to livestock or turned into by-products for heavily processed packaged foods. So rather than giving support to small scale family farmers producing real whole fruits, vegetables, and pastured animal products, we are giving money for the vast production of corporate industrial agriculture. It is this very type of production that contributes approximately 20-25% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
TRE: Let’s say that the movement against corporate industrial agriculture explodes, and all of the sudden millions of people won’t buy their products. Where will all these people get their food from? Do we have enough small farms to be able to support an increasing demand?
One of the biggest myths in our food system is that we don’t have enough food to go around, and thus have to produce more. In fact, in the United States there are more than 3,500 calories available for each person. Globally, the figure is above 2,700 calories- more than the average person needs each day. So first, I think we need to understand that we are already producing a lot of food. In fact, it’s estimated that almost 15% of our waste is from food- so we have a lot of resources that we aren’t even using.
In reality, I don’t think that millions of people are going to wake up one day and vow off corporate food, but rather, I think that we will see a continuation of what is already happening- millions of people throughout the United States and the world who are choosing a new way of eating. Farm to school programs, urban gardens, CSAs and farmers markets are all a testament to the rise of a movement that is taking over a huge part of America. At the same time, we are seeing a growth in small farms again in the United States as well as a very strong interest from young people to get into farming. Women farmers are increasing significantly as are young farmers. And I also think its important to not forget the ability of small home gardens to provide a large portion of our food.
One of the greatest examples of this success can be found in Cuba. After the embargoes, Cuba was not able to purchase fertilizers and import a lot of food. As a result, and quite quickly, they transformed their agricultural system into a highly efficient, organic system. Cuba became food sovereign and was able to utilize urban centers and people’s own backyards to increase its food supply.
TRE: Actually, when I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, a part of me wanted to become a farmer - something I had never considered before. What are some of the biggest challenges in getting people to pay attention to what they eat?
MN: Well I think the reality of many people’s lifestyles often prevents them from thinking much about where their food comes from, or what some of the issues may be associated with their food. A lot of our foods are designed for convenience now, and in this processing step, are less recognizable as food. All of the packaging and processing and additives that we are adding to “fast food” or “convenience food” are not only questionable for our health but also for the health of the earth. But, I certainly understand that people feel challenged to try to prepare meals or eat healthy when they are very busy. I struggle with this myself sometimes.
Sometimes it is also hard to encourage people to change their eating habits based on environmental issues. Many people struggle just to put food on the table and in our increasing economic woes, this will only become more true. But, in reality, many of the things that are better for the environment are actually better for people’s wallets as well- like buying in bulk or buying unpackaged foods.
One of the places that people always seem to pay attention to their food though is when it comes to the health and safety of the foods they are eating. No one wants to eat anything that has been tainted with harmful chemicals or pathogens. The salmonella scare of the summer was certainly a testament to the way that people will change their purchasing habits if they believe that something is unhealthy. But, perhaps people do not realize that the types of foods which are healthiest for us- animals raised in humane conditions, organic produce and local foods are also those which are best for the environment.
TRE: It’s always inspiring to see people turn their passion for food into a career. Tell us about what you do for work.
MN: I work at the Center for Food Safety, a non profit organization that works to protect the environment and our health by promoting sustainable agriculture and working to change industrial agriculture. We work on many different issues including GMOs, the organic standards, irradiation, aquaculture, climate change, and chemicals/hormones in food. A lot of our work is focused on policy, legislation and education and the organization has more than 67,000 supporters.
I have the privilege of running a campaign that we just started this year called the Cool Foods Campaign. It’s a public advocacy education campaign designed to teach people about the impact that their food and our food system has on global warming and to help people make and find foods that are better for the earth. We are advocating for organic, local, whole and unprocessed foods as well as decreased consumption of conventional meat and dairy products. The campaign comes at a very crucial moment, since it is estimated that about 25% of our greenhouse gas emissions are from the food system. Considering that everyone eats, we have the opportunity to help fight global warming every single day just by changing a few things in our diet. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to work on such an exciting campaign and to be able to work on something I am so passionate about- I think its quite rare.
TRE: How did you end up working at the Center for Food Safety?
MN: Actually I think that my job here has been more than a dozen years in the making. My interest in food issues and the environment began when I was a teenager and decided to give up meat for environmental reasons. I was always into outdoor activities and the environment as well as cooking and food. But, it wasn’t until I was in my last year of college and took a course called “Food Politics” that I realized that my environmental and food passions could come together. I worked as an outdoor and environmental education teach for awhile and also traveled and lived abroad, spending some time on farms in New Zealand. When I was ready to move back to Washington, CFS just seemed like the perfect place for me.
TRE: Okay, this is probably an impossible question, but I must ask it. How do you measure the success of the Cool Foods Campaign? And a problem I deal with myself is that it’s so much easier to reach the people who are already educated about food. How do you go about reaching those who aren’t?
MN: This is, of course, a crucial question and a very important one. We struggled with this question as we were developing the program which is why we came up with the Cool Foods Pledge- a non binding pledge that gives people, businesses, schools and other organizations the opportunity to commit to changing the way they eat. The pledge has 6 statements and it has been helpful for us to sign on a variety of people and organizations. This is one tangible way to see how we are reaching people, but we also utilize mass media to try to reach broader audiences.
It is always challenging trying not to “preach to the converted”. One of the ways that we have been most successful with this has been some of the media that we have been able to work with. While it may seem common place to discuss food and environment issues in say, Environment Magazine, we have aimed to go further. The Campaign has been featured in much more mainstream publications including Oprah Magazine, Food and Wine, Martha Stewart Radio and Today’s Dietician. I think that it goes to show that the average person really does care about these issues and they are eager to read about what they can do.
TRE: Thank you so much for your time Meredith. Any last words of wisdom or advice?
MN: Yes- I just want to say that we should never underestimate the power of just one person and their food choices. You know, I tell people now that eating is a political act, which may sound strange but truly it is. When we purchase our food we are participating in a system and voting to show the type of food system that we want. So as we think about our upcoming election certainly it’s important to vote, but I hope people also remember that we make many political decisions everyday, including with our food choices.
I’d also encourage everyone to check out the Center for Food Safety at www.centerforfoodsafety.org and also the Cool Foods Campaign at www.coolfoodscampaign.org and to sign our Cool Foods pledge!
Thanks for having me Ryan- it was a pleasure to contribute to The Reluctant Eater.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This was a great article! I think a lot of people, including myself, want to make the right choices when it comes to buying food whether it be at the grocery store, at place to eat, etc. but when it comes time to choose we find ourselves at a loss of information. In other words, we have not done our homework and by the time you are at the checkstand it is too late.
I am curious how Ms. Miles feels about farmers markets. These are markets where consumers can by naturally grown, sometimes organic, produce and other food products. Yet, and this is one of my issues, we don’t see a tremendous surge in sales especially from the younger generation.
Many markets fail because the produce vendors refuse to sell at their markets because they can’t make the number of sales required to pay the bills.
My question would be to Ms. Niles and you is ‘how can we advertise the farmers markets so as to bring in more young people’? And don’t forget, many of the other vendors also provide natural foods at the markets such as nuts, honeys, breads, etc.
Hi Daniel- thanks for your comments! What a great point you make and I am actually surprised I didnt talk about farmers markets- I am usually pitching them all the time! Farmers markets are a wonderful opportunity for all people, not just young people, to establish relationships with local farmers, purchase fresh local produce and other products and perhaps even keep a little more money in their pocket. There is research that shows that produce, especially organic produce, is cheapest at local farmers markets as compared to co-ops and conventional grocery stores. This can be a great way for people to purchase organic and fresh produce at a discount in our current economic situation.
But, more importantly, I think you really highlight why we should all try to purchase from farmers markets as much as possible- to support small farmers without giving our money to the middle men. When you purchase directly from farmers at a market you are cutting out the packaging, the advertising and all of the other costs associated with a middle man. Farmers can earn far more money directly by selling at markets rather than selling to a large store and in turn, this makes prices often cheaper for the public. I also think there is nothing better than being able to talk to farmers about the food you are buying from them.
So yes- I love farmers markets and they are certainly a significant part of our Cool Foods Campaign. If you are interested in finding a farmers market in your area you can check out the Cool Foods Campaign website for some information which is http://www.coolfoodscampaign.org or you can check out localharvest.org or the Eat Well Guide.
A word of caution though- not all farmers markets are producer only markets- some allow people to sell fruits and vegetables that could have been shipped in from anywhere- so ask questions and be wary if you are not sure how there could be oranges at your winter farmer’s market.