Birator

Trevor Doré

opinions editor

alk into your local coffee shop these days
\ \ | and you’re instantly overwhelmed with

choices. It seems that every time I visit,
a new specialty coffee has been added to the list.
Because I am by no means a coffee connoisseur, I
usually just go with whatever is on tap. Recently, I
asked the barista if they had any Fair Trade coffee.
She replied that they only had one blend and that it
wasn’t currently being brewed. I decided to ask her
how many times a day she received a request for Fair
Trade coffee. To my dismay, she replied never. In a
coffee shop that sees thousands of people a day, she
had never received a request for Fair Trade coffee.
This got me thinking.

We so often make decisions without giving
them a second thought. Food is no exception. We
don’t think to ask for Fair Trade coffee because it’s
not readily apparent to us. Decisions about food,
of any sort, are usually based on convenience and
price. They are the most apparent— go to the closest
grocery store, compare prices and get the best deal.
Now, thanks to “Nutritional Facts” labelling, we can
also base our decisions on health. But what about
decisions based on environmental and social impact?
Our food choices have an immense impact on society
and the environment, although you would never
know it.

Take your local grocery store for example.
Regardless of the time of year, vibrant colours of
luscious fruits and veggies and products from around
the world are aplenty. We take this wide array of food
available to us for granted. Rarely do we stop to think
about where it comes from or the impact that it might
have socially or environmentally. This information is
simply not easily accessible.

Many of these food products are grown,
produced and manufactured in foreign countries.
Often times, the labour laws in these countries are
more lax, which might explain the cheap prices.

Just think: if the labour laws are more lax, you can

 

only imagine what the food control laws must be
like. Imagine the different chemicals that were
used in production. How many kilometres were
racked up in order to deliver these products to
our kitchen tables? The environmental and social
impacts of our food industry are hidden behind
fancy packaging and grocery store displays. As
consumers, imagining is often all we can do. That
is unless we are willing to do some serious research
of our own.

So what needs to be done? Fair Trade and
Certified Organic have got the ball rolling.
A transparent labelling system needs to be
implemented—a system that clearly identifies the
social and environmental impacts of our food.
Meat products and produce shipped from far away
places would rank higher on the impact scale than
vegetable-based, locally grown products. Much
like “Nutritional Facts” labelling, “Global Impact”
labelling would provide accessible information for
those interested. A transparent labelling system
would allow consumers to truly know the social
and environmental impacts of their food choices.
While the idea may sound a little bit far fetched,

I am sure that at some point, there were also
doubts about the feasibility of “Nutritional Facts”
labelling—it is now standardized and mandatory
across Canada. The implementation of such a
certification however, would require substantial
investment and cooperation on multiple levels.

So what can the average consumer do in the
mean time? Researching every product is obviously
not realistic. However, small things can be done
to make a difference. The next time you’re at your
local coffee shop, ask for Fair Trade coffee. Take
a look at the organic produce and walk thru the
natural section at your local grocery store. Urge
your local grocer to provide more local, sustainable
food options. While the grocer may be held
accountable for providing the products we choose
from, it comes down to consumer demand.

In the end, it’s about reconnecting with our
food. Our dietary choices have immense social and
environmental impacts. As individual consumers
we have the power to make changes with our
purchasing decisions. What better place to start
than with something that we all need—our food.

Some food for thought.