By Caitlin Donohue
Chef Jon Hall of sustainable food management company Bon Appetit was profiled in recent SFBG article on class issues in the sustainable food movement. Photo by Erik Anderson
I’ve been pleased and impressed with the thoughtful feedback we’ve received on my recent cover story on class issues in the sustainable food movement. Many who wrote in took issue with my charge that sustainable food activists often don’t do enough for the working class. They cited programs that “good food” groups have implemented to work on making sustainable food accessible to low income groups, many of which I was excited to learn about and applaud. But is it counterproductive to “go after” organizations that are already doing important work to bring health back into our food systems, as rchstev- whose intelligent response raises a lot of great points- implies?
rchstev writes:
I’m disappointed, however, that the author and Bay Guardian editors chose – in the opening passage, closing statement, and under-headline – to disparage the sustainable food movement (and Slow Food in particular) as a hook for delivering the message.
Problems in our food system are complex and multifaceted. In many instances, addressing one concern, such as increasing wages and benefits to farm workers, can create offsetting problems, such as affecting the viability of smaller operations who want to produce high quality, healthy food and provide workers fair compensation and safe conditions. Talk with most independent producers and even the most successful say it’s an extremely difficult balance. (One reason numerous organizations are actively working to effect governmental changes.)