On last Wednesday, I spent the day at my daughter’s school. It was “Bring a Parent to School Day”. Let me say, I had sooooo much fun. I did some class work and actually got some homework. I was so stoked! Seriously!! The only disappointing thing was lunch.
There was not a green piece of anything in sight. At least nothing edible. A pitifully wilted salad and old fruit, all of which looked fit for compost. Fried chicken, peas, rice and a roll. Not good at all.
Which brings me to my point of this post:
The Slow Food Movement
Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.
Their Mission:
Slow Food USA seeks to create dramatic and lasting change in the food system. We reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils and waters that produce our food. We seek to inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat
Their Vision
Food is a common language and a universal right. Slow Food USA envisions a world in which all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet.
Good:
The word good can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For Slow Food, the idea of good means enjoying delicious food created with care from healthy plants and animals. The pleasures of good food can also help to build community and celebrate culture and regional diversity.
Clean:
When we talk about clean food, we are talking about nutritious food that is as good for the planet as it is for our bodies. It is grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems and promotes biodiversity.
Fair:
We believe that food is a universal right. Food that is fair should be accessible to all, regardless of income, and produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for their labor.
Every 4 to 5 years Congress reviews federal law, called the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. This law sets the standards for the food eaten by nearly 30 million children every school day. It is scheduled for review this fall.
Slow Food has developed a plan detailing five actions legislators need to take to make the Child Nutrition Act work for our kids. They are the following:
1) Invest in children’s health. Increase school lunch funding by one dollar a day per child.
2) Protect against food that puts children at risk. Establish strong standards for all food sold at school, including food from vending machines and school fast food.
3) Teach children healthy habits that will last through life. Fund grants for innovative farm-to-school programs and school gardens.
4) Give schools the incentive to buy local, and organic. Establish subsidies to encourage schools to buy food from local farms.
5) Create green jobs with a School Lunch Corps. Train underemployed Americans to be the teachers, farmers, cooks and administrators our school cafeterias need.
You can review and sign Slow Food’s petition at www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch.
*Article from Co-Options by Judith Winfrey of Slow food Atlanta.
Post Title → SLOOOOOOOOOW FOOOOOOOOD
