Food 2030

The UK government recently unveiled Food 2030 – a food strategy designed to ensure that Britons have access to high quality, sustainably farmed/grown, food that benefits both the farmer/grower and the consumer. At the same time Food 2030 should ensure that people have good jobs, a reduction in greenhouse emissions and food waste.

Not bad for something that only went out for public consultation in August 2009! That’s right – the British government invited citizens and other stakeholders to comments from August till October 2009. It seems Defra took the results of the consultation away, compiled the strategy and released it last week to the masses. The 24 page strategy summary (PDF) goes over what the UK wants by 2030 (informed consumers making good choices, less impact on the environment, a secure food chain, etc), along with how the government proposes they get there. The BBC covered the announcement here.

Tomatoes by Ben

Overall, there isn’t much to gripe about. I’m sure that some folks won’t like the mention of research and science helping to produce crops that require less water, fertilizer and chemicals but the reality is that high yield crops are a must if we are to food a growing population. Earth will hit 7 billion before we know it and we all have a responsibility to make sure those folks get the nutrition they need.

It would be great to see the Canadian government be so forward thinking. Just one year after massive drought caused food prices to skyrocket (more so than they did here) and caused riots, the UK has taken the initiative to put together a plan that will encourage citizens to take more responsibility for themselves. It’s especially encouraging that 3 major grocery stores only sell free-range eggs now – a move by Loblaws/Real Canadian Superstore or Metro like that would further sustainable food cycle efforts immensely!

Web Communities

Farmers and consumers alike are increasingly turning towards the Internet in order to identify where the nearest source of sustainably grown food can be found. Change.org identified 5 popular websites where people are connecting and I particularly like Local Harvest because it includes Canadian sources. If you’re a Canadian farmer producing organic, sustainable or low impact produce please add yourself to Local Harvest to make it easier for the rest of us to find you! Better yet, if you know of a good Canadian directory please leave me the link in a comment.

Vertical Gardens

There are many examples of people growing vertical/urban gardens. Again, Change.org has linked to several different ways you can setup your own urban/vertical garden, from thrifty to eco-chic. One of the greatest benefits I see from the vertical garden boom happening is a greater amount of plants taking carbon dioxide out of the air, a much cheaper way to grab fresh produce when you need it and also something nice to look at in your home. This is also a good way to use typically unused space in a home or apartment.

I hope that provides you with some food for thought – both literally and figuratively! While it’s becoming easier everyday to get your hands on food that was produced in a sustainable manner, it will still be some time before all the pieces of the puzzle come together. We can all chip in and help out though.

I will also mention that I’m going to be speaking to the folks over at Local Food Plus soon about their organization – how it works, how we can get it to expand beyond its current Toronto-centric focus, where they get their funding, etc. I hope it proves to be a mutually beneficial conversation!

What prompted me to write this is the allegations that the Afghan government has signed a new law that allows Shi’ite Muslims the ability to rape their wives. Or rather, the wife is not allowed to refuse sex nor would she be allowed to leave the house without their husband’s permission. According to a female parliamentarian quoted in the Reuters article, it would also legalize marriage for girls as young as 9 years old, and also require a woman to wear make-up if her husband demanded it.

Now if the allegations aren’t true, though I suspect they are, then some of what I’m about to say is moot. However most of it is not and speaks to the issue of special laws for “special” people and the damage they have on society as a whole.

Speaking particularly to this latest issue, it’s a travesty if it’s true. Especially when you consider the countries, Canada included, that have committed thousands of troops and billions of dollars to help Afghanistan in so many ways – this new law is a slap in our collective faces. To put in place a law that provides a minority civic law that lines up with their religious law is ridiculous and screams of a theocracy that isn’t truly interested in becoming a democratic nation unlike when it was under Taliban rule.

If this law truly has been passed and is published in the official gazette, then Canada and the US should pull their troops out immediately. There is no possible reason for us to support a nation that dupes us into helping them only to revert to practices that required us to assist in the first place. Pass a law, and enforce it, that doesn’t allow a woman to refuse sex?! Sorry, no more help for you. It’s that simple.

And in reality, this speaks to a much larger issue that has been getting a lot more coverage from us secularists over the past few years. Special laws for “special” people. You are allowed to attack my personality, my politics, my views on how the world should work, my interests… but heaven forbid you should knock my faith! Oh no! Once you start expressing your opinion on how stupid is, people think they have the right to become violent towards you! And worse yet, very few people say that that shouldn’t be the case!

Why shouldn’t that be allowed to happen? Why shouldn’t I be allowed to engage in public discourse over the merits of Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism et al? I’m allowed to put down your political views, your likes/dislikes, your choice of significant other; why are your religious views any different? We sacrifice the ability to engage in a critical, public discourse over the merits of something that the majority of the world has (that is, a religion/faith) meanwhile far more people have political views that are just as destructive. We allow religion to dictate the way we behave with others, to dictate how we behave at home, to dictate how we raise our children instead of thinking for ourselves how such things should be done.

And for what? The promise that I’ll get to spend eternity in some invisible paradise that you have no proof actually exists? Sorry, I’ll pass. The day I allow any book to teach me how to live, without thinking critically of the suggestions/recommendations/rules and the effect they will have on my life is the day I die. The ability to think critically for ourselves and to choose what we feel is right purely for us is part of what makes us human. So is the ablity to argue and disagree about something without resorting to violence. It’s not instinct, it’s critical and analytical thought.

There’s also a problem with the infighting in almost every religion out there. If you can’t get your beliefs straight with one another and what other people should be doing when following your religion, then stop bothering the rest of us with it! We shouldn’t have to deal with Catholics, Protestants, Anglicans, Christian Reform, Calvinists, Baptists, etc. You all need to get together, settle on one stream of belief and then you may feel more free to attempt to preach it. If you can’t, please don’t bother because the various messages are simply disillusioning.

Forgive me for going on a tangent, but I could talk about religion and it’s negative effects on society all day… probably for 2 or 3 days straight.

The point is, when you allow special protection for groups of people that do not have the greater good of society (let alone the people who are a part of the group) in mind, you degrade the rest of the society around it. Allowing Shi’ite Mulism men in Afghanistan to rape their wives, to force their wives to wear make-up and marry 9 year old girls is bad for all of Afghanistan and, indeed, all Shi’ite Muslims. The reputation of that entire division of Islam is affected negatively, plain and simple. If you think people have a bad impression of Afghanistan now, this will only make it worse.