Curating the very best reads weekly from our daily recommendation engine, We Heart This.

Curating the very best reads weekly from our daily recommendation engine, We Heart This.

#doseofcute

Don’t Talk to the Baby Porcupine Before It Has Its Coffee

by Madeleine Davies at Jezebel

#stillprochoice

Obama on Roe vs. Wade

by Jessica Wakeman at The Frisky

#moresalsa

Tacos Are Good for Activism Too

by Cord Jefferson at GOOD

#thepaualdeenrevelation

What Chefs Are Really Eating

by Frank Bruni at the New York Times Sunday Review

#handdrawnlittleprince

It Is Only With the Heart One Can See Rightly

by Maria Popova at Brain Pickings

A rift in slow food reveals big growing pains.

The foodiverse was all atwitter over this article from Chow last week. A rift has been forming between two factions within Slow Food USA, a non-profit organization that promotes the pleasures of the table, artisanal food production methods, sustainable agriculture, and direct connections between producers and consumers.

On one side is what we’ll call the Alice Waters faction that thinks food is too cheap to keep farmers who are doing the right thing in business and that people should prioritize food over consumer goods – and pay more for it. On the other side is some of the newer leadership of Slow Food that seeks to counter the charges of elitism that have continued to dog the organization, and to broaden its appeal to a younger, broker, and less well-connected demographic.

Think $20 pasture-raised chickens compared to Slow Food’s Recent $5 meal challenge. In some ways, switching its focus to value, rather than preciousness has helped Slow Food. Membership is up. But, according to the Chow article, donations are down from well-heeled donors who are unhappy with the organization’s new direction.

Critics insist that Slow Food must reach more people or risk being irrelevant to most of the population. Anna Smith Clark, The San Francisco Bay Area Governor of Slow Food agrees, but also thinks the laser-like focus in the media on higher profile elements around Slow Food do the organization a disservice. She points out that ordinary members within the organization are continually finding ways to disseminate the ideals behind Slow Food to different groups.  “There’s nothing written about the people who volunteer hours of their time planting the seeds of change in their communities among their friends and family members, or working with like-minded organizations,” says Smith Clark.

Discussions about Slow Food tend to focus on the need of reaching two specific groups: low income people and well-off foodies. For low income people the message is that it doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming to cook local, organic, real food, while the message for foodies is that when they fetishize taste, no matter the cost, they leave out a huge proportion of the population, for whom their message is useless.

As Slow Food grows up and the focus shifts away from its famous founders, there’s a third group that it will be crucial to reach: The enormous swath of the population with plenty of money to pay for good food, but who simply doesn’t care. This group doesn’t care about farmers, doesn’t care where food comes from, doesn’t care if it has additives, doesn’t care if it has too much packaging. Some probably doubt that organic is even healthier. Let’s call them the honey badgers of the consumer food market.  They really don’t give a sh*t.

If you’re a foodie living in a foodie bubble, you might forget these people exist. To remind yourself of the reality, go to a high-end conventional grocery store in any town in America, look at the cars in the parking lot, and watch what people put in their carts. It’s not a rarity to spot someone walking to a late model Mercedes or $70,000 Escalade with a grocery cart full of hundreds of dollars’ worth of processed, packaged food. Stacks of hot pockets, multiple giant boxes of Froot Loops, cases of Coca-Cola, jars of cheese dip, enormous bags of chips, and nary a fresh (or even frozen) vegetable in sight. Now go hang out around the parking lot of a fast food outlet in any well-off suburb, and notice how busy the drive-thru is.

So how does Slow Food reach those people? Smith Clark says people gravitate to the ideas of Slow Food around any number of issues, from concern for farm workers to childhood obesity. They get little tidbits of knowledge from community, news, friends, and family members, and at some point, the flashbulb lights up: “What are you going to do with the money in your pocket?” I ask if there isn’t some way to reach these people more quickly than these myriad individual conversations.

“I think that’s why it’s called Slow Food,” replies Smith Clark.

The honey badgers of the consumer food market vote. Changing the food system so that it is fair for both farmers and eaters is going to mean breaking the stranglehold the food industry has on food policy. Good food advocates need to reach the honey badgers and convince them that organic, sustainable food is not only better, but it’s also worth paying for, spending time cooking, and going to the polls for. Until then, you can pay all you want for chicken and heirloom vegetables at the farmers’ market, but the fast majority of food will still be processed, a lot of family farmers will still be impoverished, and those $20 chickens will continue to reach only a niche market. It’s going to take time. That’s why it’s a movement, not a revolution.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

Be Still my Beeping Crackberry: In Defense of Slow

Slow Fashion Alchemy

Slow, Meet Furniture. Furniture, Meet Your Maker.

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate,  on the environmental, social, and political issues related to what and how we eat.

Image: Lifesupercharger

                                 

Sustainable style news from EcoSalon’s West Coast Fashion Editor.

En Plein Air – This fall’s CAPSULE Urban Air Market takes place on Sunday, September 18^th and previews the fashion shopping of the future. You’ll find locally produced, artisanally made clothing and accessories close to the source – free of corporate retail mentality and overhead markup – in a farmers market like setting. The bi-annual, free event spanning 4 city blocks will feature over 130 independent designers of men’s, women’s, and kid’s clothing, accessories, jewelry, paper goods, glassware, and unique home décor. The designers are selected based on their quality, originality and sustainability of design. Some EcoSalon fav’s representing are Earthlust, Mission Thread Clothing and LINQUIST jewelry. We’re liking the forward thinking vision so much, we’re sponsoring it. Come down, check out some cutting-edge sustainable style and don’t forget to say hi when you see us at the scene.

Cause Connect – According to Etsy‘s new European Director, Matthew Stinchcomb, “the prevalent corporate mentality has left us ever more disconnected from nature, our communities, and the people and processes behind the objects in our lives.” The first step in his plan to create a more sustainable future is to create healthy micro-economies by supporting small businesses. Taking place in Berlin, Germany, and partner locations across the world this weekend is “Hello Etsy: A Summit on Small Business and Sustainability” a hands-on gathering for entrepreneurs, which will include training, a talk by Environmentalist Bill McKibben (350.org) and the chance to win five small business grants. West Coast hosts include GOOD in Los Angeles, CA; California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA; and the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Each of these locations will feature their own live speakers, panels, and workshops.

Seattle Strut – Sashay on down to Seattle’s Showbox Sodo for Fashion First‘s 8th annual fashion show this Thursday, the 15^th of September. Sponsored by Seattle Magazine, the long-running charitable event will showcase leading-edge local designers and retailers, featuring the latest looks from La Ree Boutique, Baby & Co., Lizzie Parker, REPORT footwear, The Finerie, Sway and Cake, Ragamoffyn’s, Chez Chic, Mercer, the Art Institute of Seattle and Seattle magazine’s own 2011 Seamless in Seattle winners. Proceeds from the event will benefit Rise n’ Shine, a local nonprofit providing advocacy, mentors, summer camps and more to children and teens affected by HIV/AIDS.

Mmmm. I just finished a few cookies from the Immaculate Baking Company called Sweet Georgia Brownie Triple Chocolate Chunk, and boy, were they good. Known for their creative flavor combinations, like Key Largo Lime, Leapin’ Lemon and Pumpkin Gingerlies, all are made with natural ingredients, are 70% organic and are kosher.

Immaculate founder Scott Blackwell, also a folk art collector, decided to combine his love of food and art and created the Folk Artist’s Foundation to help deserving folk artists maintain the integrity of their lifestyle and the sincerity of their unique vision by providing encouragement, support (financial and otherwise) and exposure.

Blackwell also founded the Soul Food Fund “artreach” programs to inspire kids of all ages to stretch their imaginations. The fund provides artists with materials for their craft, contacts between artists, collectors, galleries, and museums, and holds events that unite folk artists with children of all backgrounds. Each bag and box of cookies features an original work of folk art and a short bio of the artist. Now there’s one cookie company we hope will never crumble!

We all know that buying fair trade items aids underprivileged communities across the world, but what exactly does this entail on the other side of the transaction? According to the basic standards enforced by the International Fair Trade Association, these organizations must:

Generate opportunities that will help producers who suffer from an economic disadvantage.

Exercise transparency and responsibility in areas of management and commercial affairs.

Work towards the independence of its producers.

Offer its producers reasonable pay.

Ensure that both genders are empowered.

Provide a healthy and safe setting for work.

Enforce the laws of child labor.

Utilize environmentally responsible materials and means of production.

Maintain reputable trade relations.

Promote the practice of fair trade.

For a more comprehensive understanding, visit IFAT.

Like the label “organic”, “fair trade” can be complicated, however. We’ll be exploring this issue further, so sign up for our RSS feed to stay in the know.

Image: James Jordan

It takes the inhabitants of rural villages in Bolivian regions like Alto Plano or the Central Highlands two hours to walk to the nearest town. Because of this isolation, these people must rely on a craft that doesn’t require goods from distant urban areas. Fortunately, they have everything they need right at their fingertips.

These skilled artisans, members of the environmentally responsible organization Circle of the Sun, share the remote expanses with herds of Alpaca. The soft fur from these gentle mammals is the perfect material for weaving, as it is warmer than wool and hypoallergenic. Plus, with 22 natural shades to choose from, there’s no need for toxic dyes. (Although occasionally plant dyes are used, but those are eco and safe.) Stay warm this winter while supporting fair trade with the handmade Absolutely Alpaca scarf from Original Good.

“Cut metal work represents the wealth of Croix des Bouquets. This is what has made the city famous,” he says. “This is what God gave me to live; I support my family, I am building a house and I am providing work for others.” You can find handmade candleholders and wall hangings from Augustin and other members of the Comite Artisanal Haitien at Ten Thousand Villages.

With over 1,000 artisans under its wing in 150 workshops around the globe today, it’s hard to believe that Mahaguthi’s Craft With a Conscience began with one man’s determination to help those in need.

Born to a middle class family in Nepal in 1896, Tulsi Mehar was never afraid to speak his mind, openly protesting the oppression of the caste system. The Rana Prime Minister considered these sentiments anti-national and banished Mehar from Nepal for life.

Discouraged but never defeated, he traveled to India, where he joined Mahatma Gandhi in the quest for social reform. Touched by Mehar’s devotion to his beliefs, Gandhi personally wrote to the Rana Prime Minister on his behalf. Granted permission to return, Mehar immediately began the spinning and weaving project known today as Mahaguthi. Current artisans craft anything from lamps to singing bowls to shawls to earrings.

There’s trash on Mount Everest in Nepal and Machu Picchu in Peru is crumbling under the weight of 2,000 visitors a day. The Costa de Sol in Spain is paved over with concrete, while Cambodia has a full-time job shielding its children from sex tourists. It’s easy to despair when thinking about the effect of mass tourism on the planet.

But believe it or not, travel can also be a force for good even in some of the world’s most remote beauty spots. Gabon in West Africa is setting an example in how to do it right with Africa’s Last Eden in Loango National Park.

In this case, tourism is small scale, low-impact and directly funds conservation. As Rombout Swanborn, director of Loango National Park, says: “We will never have 20 Jeeps around a waterhole shining lights into animals’ eyes.”

Until recently, the country was not on the tourist radar at all but in 2002, Gabon’s forward-thinking president set aside 11% of his country as national park. With the ethos that “ecotourism pays for conservation,” the government started a small pilot tourism project in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society and a private investor. Loango National Park officially opened for tourists in 2007 and the park is also used as a base for scientific research.

Africa’s Last Eden recently won an award from the British Guild of Travel Writers so it won’t stay a secret for long. Guild member Sarah Monaghan, who nominated the project for the award, describes why it’s so special and how it benefits the local community.

“A mosaic of grassland, rivers, forest and mangroves, Loango offers a unique safari experience because the wildlife is so spectacularly varied – with whales, elephants, hippos, leopards, reptiles and primates galore,” Monaghan says. “Visitors are accommodated in the eco-friendly lodge and satellite tented camps and wildlife viewing is small-scale with pirogue trips, forest treks or savannah drives.”

She adds that 500 Gabonese live in the area and nearly 100 have gained employment in roles such as tourist guides. The local farmers sell produce to the lodge and their children study in a new school built by the park.

Gabon is a little tricky to get to but depending which tour you join, there are flights from Paris, Brussels, Zurich, Casablanca and Johannesburg. The tours aren’t cheap, but going on safari to Africa never is. If you’ve always dreamed about it, do it with a clear, green conscience. And where else would you see wild elephants and other large mammals on the beach?

Image via National Geographic