Ever heard of Food Day?
Neither had I.
Well, it’ll be celebrated around the country tomorrow, October 24th, yet it will not be America’s first Food Day.
That took place nearly 36 years ago but went on a hiatus for over three decades because of a lack of money and energy to keep it going.
Michael Jacobson and The Center for Science in the Public Interest are reviving this event to raise awareness of increasing food prices and world hunger.
But the ultimate goal of Food Day is nothing less than to transform the American diet.
This means changing national policies and individual behavior by supporting small and mid-size sustainable and organic farms, providing protection for workers from harmful pesticides and poor working conditions, and replacing factory farms (CAFOs) with farms that minimize suffering and avoid polluting our water, soil and air.
As such, Food Day is centered around 6 main principles
1) Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2) Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3) Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4) Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5) Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6) Support fair conditions for food and farm workers
Led by honorary co-chairs Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Rosa DeLauro, Food Day is also represented by many well-known people in the food world including Maria Rodale, Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and dozens of others.
There are over 1,800 events scheduled around the country for Food Day and click HERE to find something close to where you live.
MY TAKE
I absolutely love the idea of Food Day.
Organic, safe, clean and sustainable food needs to be celebrated and recognized as an essential component to our health and well-being.
Where do you think the organic movement would be if Food Day had been going on for the past 36 years and was as much in the general consciousness as Earth Day is?
I’d say in a very, very different place.
