I recently bought a batch of firm-skinned, flavourless kiwis on sale at the local corner greengrocer. That part, however, was the only local thing about it. I noticed the kiwis were from Italy and though I was surprised by this, I shouldn't have been, as Italy has pulled ahead of the kiwi's namesake nation in terms of production volume: Italy with around 260,000 tonnes, accounts for 35% of the market; New Zealand, with just under 240,000 tonnes, 32%.

I'm used to getting smaller, organic kiwifruit with a lot more flavour, but they still come from abroad- I believe generally from Mexico or California which certainly means slightly less travel time, but they are still far from local, even though we do have hothouses that grow them in BC. Is it just a matter of the Italian imports being cheaper to bring in than ripe, local fruit? We pay the price in flavour, certainly, I realize again and again.

Another note on the high cost of low prices: http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2009/03/politics-of-the-plate-the-price-of-tomatoes?currentPage=1

I'm getting a little greened-out, I think. I've made such an effort to green my workplace, my home, my travel and daily commute, produce as little trash as possible that I probably have earned some gloating rights- but that isn't what this is about. It's hard not to feel a little touch of superiority when you attend a green tips brainstorming session intended to involve people who haven't been previously involved in working on environmental issues. I wanted to be supportive, but could hardly resist rolling my eyes when I heard some of the suggestions put forth.

The other thing that struck me was the frustration people expressed with trying to raise the consciousness of others. Even simple tasks such as separating recyclables from compost, from trash apparently baffles many. Even when there are pictures above the bins that a 3 year old should have the capacity to interpret, some people either will not take the time, or do not have the capacity to understand these most basic of instructions.

Wow.

Sometimes my faith in humanity sinks below a level that is easily recovered from. Whether people's callous behaviour towards others and doing things that create a better society should be attributed to: 1. a lack of basic intelligence (we can't be THAT stupid on average), 2. a lack of time (are we really THAT busy? how can you use having the fact you are busy because you have children as an excuse for not wanting to make the world a better place?), lack of caring (why did you reproduce in that case?), or complete unwillingness to participate (can a person be that self-centred?) or whatever other possibilities exist; it frightens me to live in a world filled with people that go through life this way every day.

Here's an example. I have made the choice to cycle to work, rain or shine. Some people drive Hummers and other ridiculously offensive vehicles to work. I physically expose myself to their lack of responsibility every day. If you are one of the completely self-centred, individualistic bastards described above; how do I know you care enough about to not injure or kill me with your vehicle in your haste to get somewhere? If you are that stupid, do I really want you to have the right to operate a machine with that destructive capacity in crowded traffic, especially when I am nearby wearing only a stryofoam helmet for protection? If you are so special, that society's rules and regulations, that our "best practices" for living in a better world don't apply to you, then do I want to share the road with a sociopath like you? Do I even want to share a society with you? It might seem extreme, but if society is doomed unless we change drastically and immediately, shouldn't we be sending extremists like you to a gulag to retrain you for the new paradigm? Maybe the wrong people are being sent to Guatanamo Bay.

bread and cheese and delis, oh my

Been reading a lot about cuisine and its issues: 100 mile diet, Slow Food Movement, sustainable agriculture, urban market gardens, farmer's markets, etc. the last little while. Lisa and I have been customers of Spud.ca for almost a decade and making the choice to buy free range, organic quite often. Which has got me thinking:

I'm not going to pretend that German food is the height of gourmetry, but I was raised eating what foodies consider "whole foods": whole grain bread, meats raised without cruelty and unnessary additives, muesli, etc. I was also close to the means of production- we often bought farmer-direct and visited the places our sausages were made (Dad's friend's deli). It wasn't low fat or low salt and the veg was often overcooked, but the fact I was teased for having "weird food" in elementary school while the other kids ate Wonderbread and Wagon Wheels and othe white trash delights has made me a better and healthier person today.