The Food Declaration is a statement to the government of the United States that it is their moral obligation to provide a healthier food system. I think food is on the mind of everyone these days and healthier and more nutritious foods are becoming issues of public good. This is optimism at its finest. Getting governments and industry to come to consensus on the way food should be made, processed, delivered, and consumedwith homegrown organic-ers and slow fooders is a tough sell. With huge challenges of population, climate change, poverty, agriculture and health (both undernourished and obese), the enormity of the situation sounds dire, as Paul Roberts says “the end of food.” The declaration has twelve principles:
- Forms the foundation of secure and prosperous societies, healthy communities, and healthy people.
- Provides access to affordable, nutritious food to everyone.
- Prevents the exploitation of farmers, workers, and natural resources; the domination of genomes and markets; and the cruel treatment of animals, by any nation, corporation or individual.
- Upholds the dignity, safety, and quality of life for all who work to feed us.
- Commits resources to teach children the skills and knowledge essential to food production, preparation, nutrition, and enjoyment.
- Protects the finite resources of productive soils, fresh water, and biological diversity.
- Strives to remove fossil fuel from every link in the food chain and replace it with renewable resources and energy.
- Originates from a biological rather than an industrial framework.
- Fosters diversity in all its relevant forms: diversity of domestic and wild species; diversity of foods, flavors and traditions; diversity of ownership.
- Requires a national dialog concerning technologies used in production, and allows regions to adopt their own respective guidelines on such matters.
- Enforces transparency so that citizens know how their food is produced, where it comes from, and what it contains.
- Promotes economic structures and supports programs to nurture the development of just and sustainable regional farm and food networks.
Endorse it or dont. But I think everyone wants these principles to come to fruition. It is just a matter of how to do it.
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