My favorite segment so far has been the story about Stonyfield, and Mr. Hirshberg's success in the organic food industry. I found his mission statements to be quite interesting- balancing sustainability with profitability, without sacrificing too much of either. It is an interesting concept that not many people realize. I, myself, did not realize how profitable sustainability could be, at least in his case. His story was an engaging one, though that could be the starving artist's daughter in me feeling for another small business owner who's struggling to make ends meet until he successfully found his niche in the economy. Nevertheless, I found this to be an engaging testimony. First, his ideals about the origin of his food, and then his efforts to make his ideals a reality are commendable. Then, his struggles at the beginning of the organic movement are so conceivable and real that it's difficult to not be inspired by them.
But that's really the whole point of the book, isn't it? To get people to change the way they think about the food that they consume on a daily basis? In that regard, we'll see how much it affects me when I make my next Kroger run. I certainly know that I'll be thinking about where my meat and dairy come from, though I don't know if my budget will allow me to switch over to 100% organic foods. Still, should the opportunity present itself, I would do so in a heartbeat. In that, at least, the book is successful.
Becoming aware is a step. Change is slow and often a matter of two steps forward and one step back. Come spring, go the farmer's market.
ReplyDeleteThe book was successful for me also in the informative part. I will indeed think about where my food is coming from and maybe even choose wisely between the food groups. But ever since I was little, I ate this food all the time so switching to organic will be a hard change for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree that going 100% organic is not usually in the budget for a college kid but it defiantly something to keep in mind when out in the real world with a job. I also felt a sense of reassurance when I read about the profitability of organic foods. The fact that there is room for profit in this sector is great because where there is demand and chance for profit, industry usually steps in so this is a good step in the production, distribution and consumption of organic foods.
ReplyDeleteI liked the last part of your post when talking about your next Kroger run. It is so easy to yeah that we are going to change the way we eat because the current way we do so is harmful to ourselves and the environment. However the true test in when we are in Kroger and we see the foods we love, that we know are mass produced, that taste so good and having the will power to not buy them. Even having the will to go looking for organic foods alone is a chore. Where in Kroger is the organic food? Is there its own separate isle? Is it sitting right next to the regular food and we just don't see it. These are the "difficult" questions we sometimes refuse to answer while shopping.
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