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5 Ways To Fix America’s Food Problems, And Still Eat Frugally

By Frugaling 7 Comments

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Mark Bittman at The Englert in Iowa City

Mark Bittman’s diet advice is minimal and frugal: eat real food and more plants. As the first-ever op-ed food columnist for The New York Times, he’s paid to provide thoughts on various topics related to chowing down. But his job goes well beyond recipes and healthy eating strategies. Bittman recognizes powerful, systemic concerns that affect our world. From climate change to GMOs to organic foods, he’s got an opinion on nearly everything.

Two weeks ago, a friend invited me to see Bittman speak. I didn’t know what he’d preach about. I didn’t know what his style would be like. I hadn’t ever read his columns. I didn’t even read the flyer. All I knew was that he wrote recipes and cared about climate change.

We settled into our balcony seats, and the lights lowered. Eventually, a balding man with tiny spectacles walked onto the stage — a sheet of papers in tow. Bittman gulped from a bottle of water and placed his speech on the podium. I was initially disappointed — expecting him to speak extemporaneously. That ruffled attitude dissipated, as his spoken words were potent.

He explained that we are living at a time of great peace and prosperity. But our tragic irony is that amidst this wealth, we are not providing adequate care for the disenfranchised parts of society. We can produce faster than ever, but we can’t reliably provide clean water and air for everyone. And when these basic elements to sustain life are threatened, only the wealthy can afford to move and buy water filters.

Children are constantly being exposed to toxic advertisements for sugar-laden fizzy beverages that rot their teeth, spike insulin levels, create excess adipose tissue, increase incidence of cancer, and lead to various other medical complications. Bittman makes it clear that we are doing our children and future generations a disservice by advertising these unhealthy drinks and providing vending machines in K-12 schools.

We aren’t educating children to be critical consumers in school; rather, we are schooling them to insert dollar bills into the coffers of multinational corporations. Their reward is a carbonated gurgle that makes them temporarily feel good. The sugar targets evolutionary epicenters for life, but is overabundant in today’s processed world.

Food is just the tip of the melting iceberg for Bittman. Our way of life is being threatened by climate change. As global temperatures increase, crop yields will be threatened, waters will rise, and food scarcity issues will worsen. The research is abundantly clear, and yet, we haven’t taken any action. He seems to understand that sugar, corporations, and schools all play a part in affecting our food decisions. But even greater, that climate change complicates everything.

Bittman is controversial in his views. He takes firm sides and argues his points until others relent. I’d take greater issue with his debate-style personality, but I agree with him too frequently to care. He’s right, and people need to listen up.

While a polemicist and op-ed columnist, Bittman is not a pessimist. He recognizes these problems and provides solutions — however grandiose they might seem. The following are five takeaways from his talk:

1. Eliminate empty calories

We need to reduce empty calories from our diet. We need to stop eating treats and sweets in such great abundance, and eliminate sugary drinks (they’re awful for us). And we need to start eating nutritious foods. As a frugal blogger, this is vital to saving money, too. Junk food is junk, and not worth our money (or time working to afford them).

2. Support government research

Research on nutritional needs and diets is complex and onerous. For average readers, it’s entirely inaccessible. What are the researchers suggesting, should I have more or less salt? Are all high-fat diets bad? How much sugar do we need? All of these questions get answered in various ways by esteemed PhDs. But some research is better than others. Bittman emphasizes that we need to support government-funded — not industry-funded — studies. By removing corporations (or eclipsing their findings), we can find out how we should really take action.

3. GMOs aren’t that important

Despite being the popular object of vitriol, GMOs aren’t that bad. They aren’t linked to cancer or other health concerns. They aren’t dangerous. Meanwhile, this hatred of an acronym distracts us from real concerns such as antibiotics. They’re in chickens, cows, and lots of other livestock. Antibiotics leech into water sources, are ingested, and spawn radical bugs that cannot be killed. They’re awful and need to be done away with.

4. Transparency is vital for choice

Industrial agriculture companies constantly fight against labeling foods to enhance greater transparency. From calories of meals to GMO-free designations, they fight labeling because it cuts into profits. When people are made aware of what they’re ingesting, they make wiser choices and buy other products. To be able to “choose” healthier options, people must know what they’re buying first.

5. Local influences global

What Bittman excels at is framing food in a systemic perspective. Food is about socioeconomic status, race, culture, geographic location, and much more. It’s not just what’s for dinner. The choices we make today are influenced by the advertisements of yesteryears. One of the greatest changes we can make today is supporting more local options. Buy nearby crops, go to farmers markets, and support your neighbors. These choices will reduce climate change, likely be healthier, and make for more vibrant communities. Additionally, the hope is that local change affects national and international policy. We have to start small and build out.

I highly recommend you check out Mark Bittman’s recent book, How to Cook Everything Fast, for fun, frugal recipes that don’t take long to make!

Filed Under: Save Money, Social Justice Tagged With: Agriculture, Budgets, Calories, eating, Food, Frugal, GMOs, Mark Bittman, minimal, Organic, Systemic

The Empathy Revolution We Need: Worker-Owned, Fair Trade, And Organic Foods

By Frugaling 8 Comments

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Equal Exchange is fair trade, worker-owned, and organic food
Equal Exchange’s incredible line of coffees, teas, and more!

Organic foods are expensive!

Prices for organic ground beef are 134% greater than their non-organic alternatives. Growing organic coffee costs about 15% more over conventional methods. And there are a number of reasons why they’re so exorbitant. Organic foods are produced and purchased in smaller quantities. They tend to expire more rapidly without the use of harmful preservatives. The current supply-chain isn’t set up for organics.

For many shoppers, these reasons prevent them from supporting organic farming and foods. But this decision has widespread effects. Firstly, by ingesting pesticide-laden foods such as bell peppers and cucumbers, they can wreak havoc with your body. Secondly, there’s a farmer and/or migrant worker for every vegetable and fruit that might be exposed to the chemically-dubious pesticides. This part of the equation is often overlooked.

One research study looked at migrant workers in California who are regularly exposed to pesticides. The consequences were painful to read. For these workers, chemicals and pesticides account for over 50% of “acute illness.” Many are afflicted with awful skin disorders, and these dangerous chemicals can also cause systemic and ocular (eye) problems. Big agribusiness likely has some responsibility for our misinformation and naivete, but the person that must pick our crops suffers greatly.

When we choose non-organic certified foods, we are complicit in the maltreatment of farmers and workers — contributing to the capitalistic destruction ahead of values-based treatment of others. As someone who self-identifies as empathetic to others’ struggles, I was admittedly ignorant to this part of the puzzle until watching the preceding clip. Remarkably, while I understood the consequence on my own body, I didn’t realize how my purchase affected others.

Frugality isn’t synonymous with selfishness

When I first started my frugal journey, I looked for any way to save money. Shopping at Walmart and Target made a lot of sense. These stores buy massive amounts of product, warehouse it, and negotiate the lowest prices possible with their suppliers. With low margins, shoppers at these stores benefit from “Always Low Prices.” But this marketing mayhem is a trick. We are hurting ourselves with pesticides and preservatives, while hurting our fellow humans that must come into contact with these chemicals (not to mention the horrific, food-stamp-needing wages).

There’s a powerful alternative, and opportunity to break out of this system. It requires two key variables when purchasing food: fair trade and organic certification. Each of these titles protects farmers, workers, and the health of those that come into contact with the product. By utilizing each, we can have a friendly society for all.

Equal Exchange Fairly Traded Logo
Equal Exchange is the leading fair trade, organic, and worker-owned company

We need a revolution, as it’s hurting everyone involved. Fortunately, there’s one company that’s trying to change the entire system: Equal Exchange. They’re leaders in producing fair trade, organic, and worker-owned products.

The empathy revolution we need

Equal Exchange was started by a couple founders that envisioned a friendlier system, and began buying fair trade coffee in 1986. They’ve grown from coffee to tea, chocolates, and more. Their methods support democratically run farms and co-operatives (“co-ops”). Simply put, employees are given respect and rights. They are allowed to vote in important company policies and can receive more profit revenue.

Everything about this counters big business models such as Walmart. “Big Blue” pressures producers with ever decreasing prices and threaten them to deliver despite diminishing revenue. If you grow bell peppers, you’ll be competing with Walmart’s massive supply chain, which forces you to find the cheapest possible way to grow as much as you can. This can encourage nasty practices using cheap and/or illegal farm labor, while splashing boatloads of pesticides over your crops. The entire model is corrupt and toxic.

I’m not sure that being environmentally friendly, respectful to workers, and fair to everyone involved is taught in business school — it goes against the current economic model. The zeitgeist is aimed towards profits and revenue — not health, morality, and respect. Our invisible hand doesn’t account for these important latter points. Equal Exchange’s concept of business includes an important variable: empathy. Isn’t that a crazy idea?!

Yeah, but how does organic, fair trade food taste?

Equal Exchange Milk Chocolate Crisp Bar

Halloween just came and went. If you went trick-or-treating, you probably noticed a gluttonous amount of Hershey’s and Mars candies. Most all the chocolates are made with milk, sugar, and artificial flavors (e.g., engineered vanillin). Most of the candies made by major producers use artificial colors and flavors to fill in the flavor gap. The imperfections are masked.

So, I created a little taste test for myself. I lined up a Snickers bar and one of Equal Exchange’s Milk Chocolate Crisp bars. I bit into the Snickers, and got that heightened rush of sugar and peanuts. Then, I unwrapped the Equal Exchange bar and was blown away. This organic, fair trade chocolate bar was fantastic! There was a distinct cacao taste and liquor mix that was rich, vibrant, and unique. This wasn’t your average Hershey’s bar. Yum!

Then there’s the price question. The Snickers bar (outside of Halloween season) regularly costs about $1.25-1.50. Meanwhile, Equal Exchange’s Milk Chocolate bar costs about $1.59. Do the math: for about a quarter more, you can respect small farmers, their workers, the land, and your body. That’s an incredible value.

The system is broken, but we can work to change it

Every purchase and consumer-based decision we make has tremendous effects on the world around us. The current system discounts everyone involved — workers, ourselves, and the environment. We need an empathy revolution, because what goes around comes around.

While organic and fair trade foods may be too expensive for houses in large amounts of credit and/or student loan debt, I’d encourage those who aim to live a frugal life to consider better alternatives. We all deserve it.

Check out some of Equal Exchange’s products on Amazon!

Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: Business, Capitalism, co-op, Cooperatives, Equal Exchange, Fair Trade, Organic, Worker-Owned

Being Frugal Should Not Be A Race To The Bottom

By Frugaling 5 Comments

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How can you maximize your money
and minimize the environmental impact?

Living within your means – at times – necessitates the cheapest, lowest cost product. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the fairest on the environment. Some of the most affordable products come from half-a-world away in distance, and the people are subjected to abject poverty (i.e., parts of China, India, and Haiti). The labor conditions are grotesque for many and the poverty is encouraged by continued international spending. In fairness, this is an economic slant that I’m coming from, and it’s called: “Race to the bottom.” (Wikipedia)

India Slums Class Frugal Race To The Bottom
Photo: ToGa Wanderings

Race to the bottom theorizes that the globalization and efficiency of markets can have a negative impact on the worker conditions, living wages, and much more. Essentially, when we are frugaling by buying the cheapest product, there’s an indirect consequence that includes wage suppression and continued poverty. To make the cheapest products, there must be consequences. Shipping the cheapest toys, clothing, and cleaning products burns countless amounts of fossil fuels. Between the Earth-destroying consequences and poor worker conditions, frugal spenders should try to go beyond this – when possible.

The consequences of inaction or continued spending decisions that are only aimed at the cheapest version can be harmful, externally and internally. Every day you can make little decisions for yourself and those around you. There are choices we can make that benefit everyone.

Coffee

Waking up to a fair-trade, organic coffee is a perfect example of putting good in and getting good out. Think fair trade is too expensive? Check out Target’s Archer Farms Brand for $6 a pound. That’s cheaper than Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and a wealth of other popular brand names – not to mention it tastes great! The soap and detergents you use can be harmful, rough on your skin, and non-biodegradable.

Soap

Buying a gentler, biodegradable soap/detergent will keep your clothes in healthy shape and longer, while caring for the waste water that ensues. Some of the cheapest vegetables and fruits are the most pesticide-laden commodities in the marketplace. Those pesticides pollute the farms and waterways in production, and you invariably digest some of them.

Vegetables

Organic and pesticide-free can be expensive, but you can try to stay away from the worst polluters (e.g., bell peppers, apples, and cucumbers – see more here). Cows that are given growth hormones and antibiotics are harming our ability to fight infection and causing serious medical complications.

Milk

The cheapest milks and cheeses on the market are often from these ill fed animals. Look for the cheapest breads, and you’ll find bleached, enriched products that likely contain high fructose corn syrup. These breads have been stripped of their intended nutrients and injected with fake, man-made sugar syrups. I, for one, aim to do better.

Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: Coffee, Fair Trade, India, Labor, Milk, Organic, poverty, Race to the bottom, Soap, Vegetables, Wages, Waste

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