Well said Andrew. There’s something about how consumerism and individualism worms their way into our minds that results in the idea that our individual consumer choices are the best agents of change. To burden consumers with making the world more ethical merely through what they buy removes the burden from much more powerful forces, namely corporations and the government. Individual choices matter, but it leaves the powerful off the hook when too much burden is placed on them. To be clear, I think you thread the needle in this post.
I still want to do my part, so I purchase King Arthur flour, as well as Bob’s Red Mill. Living in Philly, I plan to use Castle Valley Mill, which is available at a local grocer. I use Swan’s Down bleached cake flour (because the bleach, as you you know, is important). Do you know of an ethical source for bleached cake flour, though?
Thanks for this thoughtful conversation. We use (and spend more) for Bob's Red Mill because of their selection of gluten-free flours for my daughter as well as their philosophy. I have historically bought King Arthur flour because of their philosophy as well. But I also plan to explore the local flours, and continue to give back to the community to support those who are hungry.
I've been in and around the local/regional/ethical food movement for a long, long time. I was in management at our local food co-op for eleven years. I was an organic farmer for eight years. But I've also more recently been a single parent on a limited income, which has forced me to be more pragmatic in my pursuit of integrity around my food choices for my family. What I've come to believe is that we each have to approach our integrity as a process that necessarily morphs and develops over time and involves the sum total of our lives, not simply one narrow aspect of it, rather than a destination we reach and never leave again. Within the context of American capitalism and the Big Ag food world it has birthed most of us can't make entirely ethical food choices. So we do what we can when we can. Maybe it's choosing ethical flours. Maybe it's only ever buying fair trade, organic coffee and chocolate. Maybe it's joining a vegetable CSA or buying only organic meat. Maybe it's none of those things right now because money is tight, but because we're home more we're making dinner from scratch every night and sitting down at the table instead of eating processed food in front of the tv. Maybe this week it's one thing and next week it's another as we try to balance resources and ethical concerns. All of it matters from the perspective of personal integrity. All of it counts.
It won't, as you say, fix the systemic issues of poverty or hunger. Those are questions of community integrity. But if that's where we focus our attention primarily for a time, and we leave our own food choices by the wayside for now, that also matters and helps. If we can do both that's great, but that doesn't say anything about the integrity of our relationships, our work life, our parenting. There is so much work to do, so many decisions to be weighed. We do what we can when we can.
I appreciate you providing information and resources to stimulate thought and action around food choices. I hope folks take it in and add "choices around food" to the list of ethical considerations that they feel are part of the whole of their integrity, but don't take it personally if they can't, or don't, make the same choices you do. Even being open to the idea that there are ethical considerations to be made around food is a step in the process.
Been contributing to my local food pantry this last year also. It’s heart-warming to see it received more love from the local community. In our Good Karma FB groups, people post about what they’ve added, if it’s low in stock or needs a bit of TLC. Completely ad hoc but definitely helped fostering a greater sense of ownership in those who live nearby.
Well said Andrew. There’s something about how consumerism and individualism worms their way into our minds that results in the idea that our individual consumer choices are the best agents of change. To burden consumers with making the world more ethical merely through what they buy removes the burden from much more powerful forces, namely corporations and the government. Individual choices matter, but it leaves the powerful off the hook when too much burden is placed on them. To be clear, I think you thread the needle in this post.
I still want to do my part, so I purchase King Arthur flour, as well as Bob’s Red Mill. Living in Philly, I plan to use Castle Valley Mill, which is available at a local grocer. I use Swan’s Down bleached cake flour (because the bleach, as you you know, is important). Do you know of an ethical source for bleached cake flour, though?
Thanks for this thoughtful conversation. We use (and spend more) for Bob's Red Mill because of their selection of gluten-free flours for my daughter as well as their philosophy. I have historically bought King Arthur flour because of their philosophy as well. But I also plan to explore the local flours, and continue to give back to the community to support those who are hungry.
I've been in and around the local/regional/ethical food movement for a long, long time. I was in management at our local food co-op for eleven years. I was an organic farmer for eight years. But I've also more recently been a single parent on a limited income, which has forced me to be more pragmatic in my pursuit of integrity around my food choices for my family. What I've come to believe is that we each have to approach our integrity as a process that necessarily morphs and develops over time and involves the sum total of our lives, not simply one narrow aspect of it, rather than a destination we reach and never leave again. Within the context of American capitalism and the Big Ag food world it has birthed most of us can't make entirely ethical food choices. So we do what we can when we can. Maybe it's choosing ethical flours. Maybe it's only ever buying fair trade, organic coffee and chocolate. Maybe it's joining a vegetable CSA or buying only organic meat. Maybe it's none of those things right now because money is tight, but because we're home more we're making dinner from scratch every night and sitting down at the table instead of eating processed food in front of the tv. Maybe this week it's one thing and next week it's another as we try to balance resources and ethical concerns. All of it matters from the perspective of personal integrity. All of it counts.
It won't, as you say, fix the systemic issues of poverty or hunger. Those are questions of community integrity. But if that's where we focus our attention primarily for a time, and we leave our own food choices by the wayside for now, that also matters and helps. If we can do both that's great, but that doesn't say anything about the integrity of our relationships, our work life, our parenting. There is so much work to do, so many decisions to be weighed. We do what we can when we can.
I appreciate you providing information and resources to stimulate thought and action around food choices. I hope folks take it in and add "choices around food" to the list of ethical considerations that they feel are part of the whole of their integrity, but don't take it personally if they can't, or don't, make the same choices you do. Even being open to the idea that there are ethical considerations to be made around food is a step in the process.
Thanks for following up on this key topic, Andrew. I'm such a fan of this discussion, and loving reading everyone's comments.
I so appreciate your thinking out loud about this subject. and I'm also appreciating the thoughtful responses that folks are making.
Been contributing to my local food pantry this last year also. It’s heart-warming to see it received more love from the local community. In our Good Karma FB groups, people post about what they’ve added, if it’s low in stock or needs a bit of TLC. Completely ad hoc but definitely helped fostering a greater sense of ownership in those who live nearby.