Freeconomy Blog
Tue
03 Jun
How a small decision can symbolise a really big one...
| 9 comments |
Before I start the following debate, I should make it clear that what I write below is not an argument for veganism; it is merely an argument for ‘thoughtism’. I have no ambition to ‘make’ the world think as I do, even if I could. My only wish has ever been that people think about the chain of events intrinsically connected to what they eat, down to the rubber top on the gear stick of the tractor that was used to help grow that potato they had last week.
I’d expect many more people to disagree than agree with what I write below, given that under one per cent of the population actively live it out. But what I would like people to focus on is the importance of thinking about what you eat, and then acting on whatever it is you decide. And besides, regardless of whether it is a minority of one or a majority of billions, your truth is your truth. So below is merely an exercise in thought, and in that sense, and that sense alone, is it important to the freeconomy community.
Before I started my veganic locavore diet, I’d long since been vegan. It seems to follow a logical sequence – first you go veggie, then vegan, then veganic, then…well, it usually stops there I think. My current diet, I believe, is veganism in a purer form. For quite a while I have been living my life on the basis that if it is not organic then it’s not vegan. How on earth could pesticides and synthetic fertilisers that are initially tested on animals and then kill wildlife and more importantly, our planet, be considered vegan? I had just been to the Bristol Vegan Fayre at the weekend, the largest in the world, and it shocked me how much stuff was masquerading as vegan. I don’t mean that as a criticism as it is an amazingly positive event – it’s just the lack of connection that gets me sometimes.
But to take that trail of thought even further, I wouldn’t classify petroleum products as vegan either – anyone who has ever witnessed an oil spillage will vouch for that, and oil spillages are accepted as an inevitable part of what I call the ‘rig-to-roundup’ process. So the more petroleum in your food and its packaging, the less vegan it ‘really’ is.
So it has been on the basis of this that myself and my best mate, a very thoughtful omnivore, have had a long-standing debate. He asked me once that if I was starving and I only had a choice between a banana from Ecuador or some cheese from a local organic farmer, which would I eat? The idealist in me would say neither, that’d I’d hold out. And though I never verbally answered it, I did in a way, given the fact I never starved or ate cheese, yet necked tonnes of bananas.
However, my recent ‘transition experiment’ has highlighted many weaknesses in the UK's food security. One of the biggest flaws I’ve found so far has got to be the fact the we do not grow any oil-free sugar in the UK – so if the faeces hit the proverbial fan tomorrow and trade barriers went up, we’d struggle to even preserve jams and chutneys for the 'hungry gap' we annually go through. Plenty of the non-organic stuff by the way, but none that is not reliant on mainly US owned pesticide and biotech companies for a successful yield. All of which got me thinking about sugar replacements, which automatically triggered off another old internal debate of mine – to eat honey or to not eat honey?!
My problem with honey in the past has been that all commercial honey makers take the honey that the bees work hard for all summer, and then replace it with refined sugar from places such as the Dominican Republic. Even most of the small producers do it. Honey is more expensive by the kilo than sugar, and as the bees work freeconomy style (without their consent unfortunately though), profit can be made. However I did always ask myself that if I found a producer that only took the excess honey that the bees inevitably produce, and therefore have no need to replace it with sugar, would I still be ethically opposed to it?
This internal debate was put to the test a few weeks ago as I was approached by a woman who does just that – keeps bees and just takes the excess. Feeling a little drained from the low levels of sugar and protein in my current dietary regime, I thought harder about it than ever! And for the first time in 4 years, I decided that I would now eat honey! I still haven’t done it yet, but I have decided that this particular honey is something I would be very grateful to eat, on the promise that it is always an excess and that I say grace for the bees before each mouthful. But that highlights how important it is to know your farmer directly – could you possibly trust a company to do that, would the company even care? My bee-keeper also only supplies it to places she can cycle too! What a woman!
Does that make me a vegan anymore? Who cares? I’ve never had much time for labels, though I do agree they are often a handy way of summarising what it is you do and what you stand for. They can often have the same effect that religion can have on the unquestioning soul – a set of rules you can adhere to without having to think too much about afterwards. I’m not saying that is what religion actually is – just how it is used by ‘thoughtless’ humans, which we are all sometimes.
Good news by the way for all you budding ’locavores’ out there – I have also found protein packed Green Split Peas that are grown in the UK – you can buy them from an organic food co-op called Suma. Twenty two per cent of which is lovely, lovely, lovely protein. Still working hard on sourcing an organic, petroleum-free UK oil, have been in contact with the Soil Association regarding it and will let you know what I find.
With that I look forward to all your thoughts, and will leave you with a very apt quote about Freeconomy by Ralph Waldo Emerson – "No matter how you seem to fatten on a crime, there can never be good for the bee which is bad for the hive."
Comment on this Post:
Shivansh comments ...
Dude y dont u try jaggery?
Lol neways..
I think ur idea of being a vegan in itself is being pretty tough on u..
U dont wanna hav nething which in any way is derived from animals or is related to it..
If u go by this principle it'l pretty tough to eat nething at all..
Wat do u usually eat?
Paul Brown comments ...
This reminds me of a debate I had with a very good friend some years ago. She berated me for killing a mosquito that was irritating me. Mosquito bites really cause the area where I am bitten to swell up and generally causes me discomfort. I know that she regularly uses a train to visit her family in the north of Italia so my point was that by participating in a train journrey she killed many insects (just check the front of the train to see their corpses). We both came to the conclusion that you highlighted. It is the thought behind actions that needs to be evaluated balanced with our needs. A line has to be drawn somewhere otherwise the logical conclusion of not harming anything would be to not move. Even that would not be enough as ones body is killing unwelcome bacteria and micro-organisms very efficiently. To really not harm anything would mean not to be born. The problem is though that anyone's "line" is valid if mine is to be counted valid otherwise we get into the realm of mine is more valid than yours and if this is the case on what basis is this validity validified. Religion is great for dictating validity, ie, my "God" is the only true God and that gives me carte blanche to impose my belief over your's. The whole thing is a philosophical minefield if one keeps questioning. My philosophy, I have my beliefs that I am willing to discuss with you but will not try and impose them on you. I hope for the same respect from you. For all the nonsense that religion has spawned there is one part that I can absolutely relate to. "Love thy neighbour as yourself". One just has to bear in mind that the whole population of the planet is my neighbour.
nadia comments ...
Hi
You make a good point Saoirse in getting us to think about the consequences of eating what we eat before we do so.
I have given thought to lot's of things that I eat before doing so. I would prefer not to eat bananas because they come so far however I have recently lost weight and will hopefully be having an operation soon. So I am including them in diet for now as they are an easy way to get calories.
So I agree witht the previous commentor that for me it is best to have a balance between my needs and the consequences of eating what I do.
With respect,
Nadia :)
Saoirse comments ...
- To Paul -
I'd agree whole heartedly with most of that. Two small additions if I may:
1. When I, and many others, speak to people about using less energy, I don't suggest that we use zero energy. Zero energy is literally impossible, even food is energy. I suggest we use as little as we need and no more, as any more is disrespectful.
The same, I believe, is true regarding suffering caused through food. It is impossible not to take some form of life when eating, drinking or even breathing. However, what I suggest is that you cause the least amount of suffering as possible. For different cultures in different parts of the world that level will be different. Why cause more suffering than you have to - why eat a factory farmed chicked when organic green split peas are available? Convenience certainly isn't an excuse.
2. I, like you, also do not agree with 'right and wrong', 'good and evil'. However, I do believe that all our actions can have a positive or negative effect on the world around us. I like this outlook as it also means we get away from a blame,' I'm more ethical than thou' culture, and instead focuses the attention on the 'act'. An act, in a certain context, will always be positive or negative, whilst an actor / actress will, like a river, be changing at every given moment.
- To Nadia -
I also agree with most of your points. Your life is as valuable as any others and you can't love others until you love yourself first.
Couple of points also though -
1. If bananas suddenly rose to their true cost, taking into account the real cost of energy inputs and putputs of producing bananas on a large scale monocrop basis, and rose to £20 a kilo, would you still buy them or would you look for your calories closer to home? Would the calories you lost through having to work for 1/23/4 hrs (depending on ho much you earn per hour) be less than the calories you gained from eating the bananas?
2. It is a fallacy to think that what is bad for this thing Lovelock titled 'Gaia' can be good for you - we are all completely interconnected, there is no such thing as independence. It is jut short temr thinking. Our disrespect for our planet, fellow humans and other earthlings is a large part in what makes us ill in the first instance. For example, we pump our oxygen full of diesel fumes first, which causes a complex chain reaction in our bodies, so we then keep abusing the thing that gives us life thinking that it is that which will make us healthier. True healing will only ever come through complete respect for Nature. That is the key to real health.
That is not to say you shouldn't eat bananas. Just another perspective.
Tonnes of complete respect,
Mark Boyle
Shaz comments ...
There is of course another way of eating - raw food! This can be a fantastically healthy way to eat, and of course, local organic is best, being fresher and containing many more nutrients. One of my favourite sites is Debbie Took's - www.rawforlife.co.uk/ - she is a raw food coach, but there's lots of excellent info on there too.
Refined sugar is a toxin and this is one of the first things it's best to eliminate asap - usually, because it's addictive, there's a withdrawal period, but once that's over, the taste buds recover and you start to taste flavours you'd either forgotten about, or didn't even know existed! No one needs refined sugar. Then all packaged food goes - and you're left with veg and fruit.
However, the UK climate can be a problem for most wanting to eat local and raw in winter - I've not managed it yet, but would love to hear about how the other rawfooders on justfortheloveofit manage?
kabbeer comments ...
you seem to flip flop.....a lot and then sort of settle....not that it makes me incusitive.....just my observance....honey if you like is by and large of good quality if you get from asian countries....like india.....bees do what they love to do....so why not all of us here....live to love and share
Digger comments ...
I cant recommend this website enough: Plants For A Future (http://www.pfaf.org/) - it is the best resource for information about unusual plants that have beneficial characteristics .
Shaz: There is plenty of information in there about plants that can be grown for all year round salad vegetables and fruit. I am just starting an attempt to do just that, its gonna be interesting. If you're interested in trying, times amoving fast, you need to be getting seeds in very soon.
Saoirse: Most Acers have a high sugar content in their sap which can be tapped and boiled down to make... Maple Syrup! Where theres a will, theres a way! Good blog.
Love
Kieron comments ...
I'm a wee bit dissapointed in you ya bit hippy, I won't hide it.
What's up with this honey lark eh? I remember the day you gave up eating honey and gave me the half jar you had left. I enjoyed it too, but have since seen the light and given up animal products in my food. You were chunk of inspiration for that.
I don't know enough about this "excess honey" you speak of, but my question would be, how do you know it's excess or leftover? The bees cannot tell you this, we don't know that they don't make it for a reason.
My take would be, do you need it? Can you do well enough without it? You've already answered this in your life over the past 4-5 years.
Rock on brother
Leave the honey though eh!
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