The Applied Research Center, a think tank that examines racial justice through media and research, recently published an insightful study, “The Color of Food.”

The Color of Food Source: The Applied Research Center

You can download the report here. Their key findings:

• People of color who work in the food chain make less than Caucasians
• Fewer people of color hold food management positions
• People of color working in the food chain are concentrated in low-wage jobs

On February 12, TedX Manhattan held a session on “Changing the Way We Eat.” Some amazing speakers…it’s a bit long, put it on while you’re cleaning or cooking, it’s worth your time. Check out the site for more, but some highlights from Session 1:

Alice writes about the garden on Growing Gardeners, and his is her newest update. Thanks, Alice, for all that you do!

I just created a presentation about the evolution of our school garden at George Watts Montessori. (I can’t wait to tell you why I was doing that, but that will have to wait for another post.)

To show what we’ve accomplished, I delved into the 5 biggest ways the garden has contributed to the students’ health and academics:

A proud grower of carrots

1. Kids are tasting more vegetables and fruits — and learning how to cook them. Tasting what’s growing in the garden is so essential, but it’s also a challenge to incorporate into the school day.

At schools like Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, Calif., they have kitchen and garden staff who work together in figuring out what’s ready to harvest and cook with children — and then do it during set-aside blocks of time. If you’re not lucky enough to have that arrangement, you have to fit in tastings somehow.

At our school, the tastings have happened as a school-wide “celebration” — like Harvest Feast or Green Smoothie Day — and also as an individual classroom activity. This year, for example, classrooms gathered lettuce to make salads for a mid-afternoon snack and harvested broccoli for a recipe a teacher brought in. Other classrooms nibble from the plants as they pass through the garden on their way to recess.

What can you make with spinach and strawberries (both grown in our garden)? Green smoothies!

This spring, we’ll be trying something new. More about that in a future post…

2. Kids move more. Outside in the garden, kids can stretch, soak up some sunshine vitamins, and have a sensorial experience, thanks to all the smells and textures in the garden.

But the biggest boon to students’ health? The .25-mile walking path that we installed as part of the garden expansion.

Many classes run the track before starting recess. It’s one way for teachers — and not just the P.E. coach — to help kids reach the daily recommended levels of physical activity, 60 minutes. A growing body of research shows the connection between physical activity and academic performance (not to mention the health benefits of exercise).

So anytime a teacher encourages a run around the track, she’s helping kids get smarter.

A class does a lap before recess begins.

3. It’s a learning lab. I’ve told you before about the garden-based curriculum we’re using at George Watts Montessori. But teachers don’t always need customized lessons to encourage learning outside. Journaling, measuring, making real-world observations, conducting experiments, gathering specimens — it’s all possible in a garden.

Students can witness what happens when they don’t water young seeds enough, or how slowly their compost heap decomposes. It’s like this Chinese proverb puts it: “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.”

4. It brings food equity to our community. We have enough space in our garden now that we produce more than students can taste during the school day. So we’ve been able to think about how to share food.

Some weeks (with the help of the school’s counselor) we send home fresh vegetables to school families in need. Over the summer, everything we harvested was given away to families at a weekly Garden Giveaway Day at the school. At last spring’s Great Tomato Giveaway, every family who wanted one got a free potted tomato plant, along with a list of ways to cook and eat a tomato.

And recently, over winter break, 20 or so students and their families came to the garden to harvest spinach and carrots. We took loads of it to our downtown soup kitchen, Urban Ministries, so the chef could turn it into a meal.

5. It builds community. This means a lot of different things to me. It can mean a small group of parents coming together to work on the garden beds, or the entire school community coming together to celebrate Rootfest. Or it can point to the many connections our school has made via the garden.

So far, we’ve forged partnerships with urban gardening groups like Bountiful Backyards and SEEDS. We’ve worked closely with the nutritionists from DINE for LIFE who serve public schools. We’ve helped and been helped by Duke students who want to make a difference in Durham. We’ve collaborated with other teachers and parents throughout the public school system. We’ve received grants and in-kind donations from organizations like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, NC Beautiful, Whole Foods, Burt’s Bees, Cabot Farms and our own school alumni group Friends of Watts. (And our PTA continues to provide the critical financial and volunteer support that sustains this program.)

With all those people and organizations helping to lift up our students and lift up our school, we’ve accomplished a bazillion times more than we would have alone.

Sunflower

Braided heirloom corn from family fields. This corn will continue to dry and be used as a food source.

The answer to this is complex. There is much to be said of popular journalists like Pollan whose work has reached many in the U.S. who otherwise may not have become conscientious about the role of industry in food production, which has had damaging social, economic, environmental and health results. Understanding food sources and processes is undeniably a good thing—to know where your food comes from and to teach others, like your own family and children, to also question and explore.

Harvesting white corn at my family farm in Peru

However, while watching a recent Oprah episode where Pollan was a guest and Oprah staff were challenged to go vegan for a week, I was struck by two thoughts, like little lighbulbs going off above my head. Mind you, these thoughts are tangents that actually have very little to do with Pollan whose investigative approach to some of the biggest diet problems of our time is highly influential. The first thought I had was when Pollan asserted that American tradition has historically included eating meat—“we are big meat-eaters in this country, we always have been”—which is why he believed many Americans struggle with the idea of not eating meat. Pollan’s personal choice was to eat meat provided by sustainable farmers who could offer naturally-raised alternatives to the current standard of hormone-infused, questionably raised animals. While the number of conscientious farmers in both rural and urban contexts grows, hopefully setting a new standard, the notion of any singular American historical tradition begs the question—whose tradition?

A meat rack in Little Italy, New York (I think for St. Anthony's celebration)

The second issue I was struck by was that in making an argument for veganism, Oprah’s guest Kathy Freston pointed out that Pollan’s selection of meat was not affordable for many—to which Oprah responded jokingly that she could afford it. The problem is that many of us, especially those with large families, single-parent households and others struggling with the ups and downs (and waaaay downs) of our economy, cannot consistently afford these options.

In no way is this intended to be a diatribe against Pollan, Oprah or Freston. But what these little lightbulbs intend to point out is that 1) There is a disparity between good food and cost and 2) There is a long history of food practices often swallowed up or marginalized by the notion of any singular American tradition. For example, in the Americas, which include Canada, the U.S., Central and South America, there are long-standing cultural traditions where meat was historically not the staple of daily diets. While we are all impacted in some way (some more than others) to issues of access, affordability and conscientiousness about food, I believe we also need to look for the strengths in all of our communities that are reminders of existing and potential resistance to industrial food monocultures. It’s important to be aware of and open to the understanding that conscientiousness comes in many forms and traditions that are part of the fabric of these lands.

Bison at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Wild bison was an ancestral food source for many American Indian peoples.

For example, many Indigenous communities represent sites where the worst violations of human relationships with food have occurred and where the best practices in food conscientiousness can be found side by side. Working with Indigenous communities in North and South America, and being an Indigenous person from Peru, I have seen how our disconnect from food traditions for various reasons has resulted in our deteriorating physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. But I have also seen food traditions maintained and revitalized where conscientiousness is ingrained in amazing cultural practices. For example, in my community in the highland Andes, we raise animals from birth, care for them, love them, work alongside them. Children in my community are raised with a sense of responsibility for small to large animals and develop empathy as a result. We believe that every living thing merits our respect and attention—from our water sources to our trees and mountains, to the very crops we plant. Furthermore, in my community, eating meat is not a daily affair. We prefer grains, corn, vegetables, legumes, potatoes. Meat is reserved for special occasions.

Anishinaabe fishermen will set out to spear walleye during spring each year, exercising their treaty rights with the U.S. government.

In other parts of the Indigenous Americas, the process of hunting for meat is seasonal, carefully planned and involves various traditions that bring together family and community and where respect is demonstrated through offerings made to the animals. Nothing is ever supposed to be just taken. For example, among Algonkian peoples, stories are told of the beautiful gifts of life that each living creature, from plants to animals, made at the time of creation of human beings. These stories serve as cultural markers for Indigenous people that remind us of the instructions provided to us by our ancestors—how to live well with everything around us.

Amazing artwork by Ojibwe painter Rabbett Strickland. Title: Assimilation. Citation: http://www.rabbettstricklandgiclees.com/artwork.htm

These beliefs were prevalent prior to the subjugation of Indigenous peoples in the Americas, and understanding this history shows us just how deep attacks on food traditions can be. For example, during different periods in history, Indigenous peoples in the U.S. were forced to give up their lands, religious practices, their lifestyles and even their children to make way for settler expansion and domination where Indigenous people were considered sub-human. Starting in the 19^th century, entire Indigenous hunting, fishing, farming and gathering societies were forced onto reservations where they were not allowed to leave and made to be dependent upon government rations of processed foods. Known as commodities, these foods, many of which were given to starving people, were not only often rotten, but also a complete departure from the natural way of living Indigenous people had known for thousands of years.

The proposal for Indigenous people to reclaim their foods has been strongly made by Indigenous scholars, researchers and community members, as instrumental to a process known as decolonization, or resisting, reclaiming and rebuilding Indigenous communities.

Given these histories, it’s not hard to see why the notion of what is American tradition needs a lot of work. We need to understand how diverse cultures, including Indigenous communities, have been impacted by past and present attacks on their food systems, while simultaneously recognizing that “tradition” is made up of lots cultures—European, Asian, Latin American, African, and so forth—that carry histories and lessons that we can all share.

My absolute favorite: Indian pies and cookies made by my dear friend's mother for a Jemez Pueblo feast day

Today, in spite of our difficult histories, Indigenous communities in the Americas still exercise traditions that assert strong beliefs about land and foods. We offer our prayers and our actions to demonstrate that we still remember how to live carefully. Yes, we have been invaded for a very long time by non-foods, Western chemicals and now GMOs, but we also have within our communities generationally-perpetuated ways of nurturing foods. And these ways do not cost a lot, just our time, just our participation.

Wild rice just harvested by canoe by Wisconsin Anishinaabe men. The rice is considered one of the sacred foods of the Anishinaabe and will nourish many families throughout the year.

You may be thinking that regardless, it does cost more to produce real food in the U.S., especially with an organic label. But isn’t it interesting that what is considered normal (as in naturally-produced foods) in Indigenous communities like mine, is so prized now by wealthier post-industrial societies? Just as important as asking how we’ve gotten away from these practices is asking why we’ve gotten so far away. We have only to examine our histories, including both how we’ve been targeted and how we’ve resisted, to start learning some answers.

I would argue that it’s not necessarily about the price tag. Our food issues require more than trying to be conscientious about food through learning about its sources and critiquing unsustainable agribusiness. What is required is a re-examination of our history, our humanity, our cultural philosophies, and our own daily practices where our beliefs are enacted in order to remember that we all have instructions rooted somewhere that remind us how to live well with each other and our earth.

But the lucky of us ate.

Candy Cane Chocolate Marshmallows (recipe below)

(You didn’t think I was going to close out the year without an “sound the alarm” post, did you?) Imagine: going to get food and then getting killed because of nothing you did other than getting food for your family. On Christmas Day, while many of us (including myself) were happily gorging themselves on cookies, cakes, and pies, 43 people were killed trying to get food at a World Food Programme distribution point in Pakistan.

Lemon Sugar Cookies (recipe below)

Or imagine not having enough food to make the tummy stop growling. In the U.S., 1 out of every 7 person in the U.S. lives on food stamps. The middle class is the newest class to be dependent on food stamps. About 1 in 6 children were food insecure, aka, not enough food. Check out CNN’s Eatocracy’s report.

German Butterman (recipe below)

The bright spots are the numerous organizations and programs out there, such as Share Our Strength and backpack buddy programs, which provide countless of meals to those who need it. Especially in a tight economy, we must dig in to offer support so those food pantries are not depleted after the holiday rush, we must volunteer extra weekend hours to help stock or serve food after the holiday volunteer boom.

Berry Rugelach (recipe below)

It makes enjoying cooking, baking, and eating more personally satisfying as well, when you’ve helped someone else out too. Check out your local food pantries to see what you can throughout the year. Give to organizations like WFP – your donations count for 2010 if you do it by tomorrow!

Rosemary Pecan Shortbread (recipe below)

I am one of the lucky ones. I can eat. I can cook. And that I did for the holidays.

Paprika Parmigiano Pinwheels (recipe below)

Admittedly, these cookies and snacks were a big hit. And if I continue to eat them at the rate I have been this holiday, I will have some serious health issues. But they sure were fun to make and even more fun to share and make others smile.

These are made with real food, authentic food. No substitutes here. Of course, my favorite Kerrygold butter, I believe, makes all the difference in the world. (recipes below). Warning: the lemon sugar cookies are addictive, the German butterman are naughty, and the marshmallows are simply sinful.

Before we close this year out, for those who have been reading and supporting us, thank you for making us a part of your daily reads. In a year of meeting many new foodies friends online, we thank you for sharing your lives with us. For those of you who had some real ups and downs this year (Baby Ryan, you’re never far from our thoughts), indulge Mariah Carey’s rather Zen-like attitude.

I have learned that beauty has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage to be all that I can
And I truly feel your heart will lead you back to me
When you’re ready to land

I can’t pretend these tears aren’t over flowing steadily
I can’t prevent this hurt from almost overtaking me
But I will stand and say goodbye for you’ll never be mine
Until you know the way it feels to fly

If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly

It sounds terribly cliche, but this is a good time to count your blessings, to let bygones be bygones, to let go of regret and guilt, to look forward to a fresh start in 2011, and to celebrate and enjoy the wonders everywhere (including those 20 inches of snow – lucky!)

Goodbye, 2010!

Candy Cane Chocolate Marshmallows

Candy Cane Chocolate Marshmallows
24 marshmallows
2 ounces fair-trade dark chocolate
2 ounces fair-trade milk chocolate
6 organic candy canes, crushed

1. Crush candy canes (use bottom of a glass, mallet, whatever works)
2. Over double burner (or other concoction where the chocolate doesn’t touch the water), melt chocolate
3. Dip marshmallow into chocolate, then into crushed candy cane
4. Set on wax paper
5. Chill for at least an hour or until chocolate hardens
6. Store in airtight container
7. Enjoy alone or dunk in a mug of hot chocolate.

Zomppa’s Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon Sugar Cookies
2 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb. butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1 tsp vanilla

1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest
2. Mix butter and sugar at medium for 3 minutes
3. Add eggs, one at a time
4. Add vanilla
5. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix at low (don’t overdo it)
6. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour
7. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick
8. Bake 15 minutes at 350F

German Butterman

German Butterman
3 cups flour
1 TB cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 lb. butter
1 1/8 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup Riesling or other fruity white wine

1. Sift flour, cinnamon, and salt
2. Mix butter and sugar at medium until fluffy
3. Add egg
4. Alternate between dry ingredients and wine, 1/3 at a time
5. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour
6. Flour surface area and roll out 1/4 inch thick
7. Use gingerbread man cookie cutter
8. Brush surface with egg white
9. Bake 20 minutes at 350F

Zomppa’s Berry Rugelach

Berry Rugelach
Ready made pie dough
3 TB sugar
3/4 cup all berry spread

1. Put sugar on work surface
2. Lay pie dough on it and press gently so it picks up the sugar
3. Spread berry…spread
4. Roll tight
5. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour
6. Slice into 3/4 inch thick pieces
7. Bake for 25 minutes in 400F

Rosemary Pecan Shortbread

Rosemary Pecan Shortbread adapted from Angie’s Recipes
1 1/2 cup flour
14 TB butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 TB rosemary
1/3 cup chopped pecans

1. Mix flour and butter on low-medium
2. Add sugar, egg yolk, and rosemary and mix on medium
3. Add pecans and gently work into dough
4. Roll into long cylinder and wrap in plastic
5. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour
6. Slice
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 350F

Paprika Parmigiano Pinwheels

Paprika Parmigiano Pinwheels
1 sheet puff pastry
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 tsp paprika
Dash of chili powder
Olive oil

1. Mix cheese, paprika and chili powder
2. Brush both sides of puff pastry with olive oil
3. Sprinkle 2/3 of cheese mix onto puff pastry
4. Fold both sides into each other, so outside edges meet in middle
5. Sprinkle rest of cheese mix
6. Fold both sides again into middle
7. Tighten
8. Slice (chill in refrigerator helps to hold shape)
9. Bake 10-12 minutes at 400F until browned

What the heck is phosphorus?

According to Foreign Policy (an article you should read), phosphorus is “used extensively for a variety of key functions in all living things, including the construction of DNA and cell membranes.” In other words, it helps our plants grow, it helps our bones grow. Without it, we’re kinda in trouble. Yet the U.S. only as 12 phosphorus mines and although we used to export it, we now have to import about 10% to meet our needs (not counting everybody else’s need in the world).

I’m not quite sure what to do about preventing a global food shortage or damage to our ecosystem because of dwindling supplies, but perhaps a start is to find out how our agricultural subsidies and policies are making the situation better or worse.

Source: Sesame Workshop

So I was no doubt super stoked when I got an internship there during my doctoral work working with the educational research department. It was one of the best places I ever worked for, and there are many a times, I wish I still lived in Manhattan. Sesame Street really is a place that takes great care and thought into how children learn and engage and grow. So when Cookie Monster decided that cookies were a sometimes-food, I believed him.

Almost 25% of American children are food insecure. So Sesame Street is taking their advocacy for eating healthier a step further with “Food for Thought” about food insecurity and how to eat healthfully on a budget. Check it out.

And for those you Elmo-fans and White-House-chef-Sam-Kass fans:

Organic foods do not always had a good reputation. People have criticized the likes of Chef Ann Cooper and Alice Waters saying that they don’t understand “regular” people who cannot afford organic foods. It seems there may be a “cultural war,” as Washington Post’s Brent Cunningham and Jane Black write about.

True, organic foods tends to be more expensive. But is the “crusade against fast and processed food…an obsession of ‘elites’…and not ‘real Americans’?

The answer is no. Actually, those who try and make this a “crusade” are missing the entire point.

Does it make me un-American to support local American family farmers, our American children from growing breasts prematurely, or raise awareness among our American neighbors that food is something to value and appreciate, not something that is conducted out of scientific laboratories for the dollar menu?

Does it make me an elitist to spend a little more on what goes into my body and into those for whom I cook? I don’t own $100 handbags. I carry a little bag that came free with a purchase. I don’t wear $500 shoes. I wear my shoes until the soles start to separate.

Yes, I was one of those who spent more money on an heirloom turkey and ham from local NC hogs. But when I start hearing about 7-year old girls developing breasts, and my own lip starts puffing up when I eat conventional apples (it took me years to realize it was the pesticides I was allergic to), I realize that my food purchases are at least something I have control over and I don’t see it as a cultural war, I see it as a way to watch my health, support my community and value food.

In the U.S., I know I’m fortunate to have the option to purchase organic foods. The organic industry isn’t this well developed in every country. Remember the cooking oil scandal in China where oil was recycled from sewers? That has prompted a movement in organic farming there, though it is not nearly as widespread as it is here.

Or as well developed as Canada, which has fairly sophisticated local food systems, like the Concordia Food Systems Project. Local food, like organic food, can be pricier than conventional foods, because the economies of scale are far smaller.

But local food supports local economies and tends to be provide fairer wages for farmers and producers. When we pay higher prices for local or organic foods, we forget that for the most part, we underpay for our food. Food has long been cheap, often due to the unfair wages paid to laborers. As I was making this super easy Tomato Mushroom Egg Bake (this photo series, recipe below), I was somewhat comforted by the fact that even though my tomato was $0.30 more per pound, I knew that the people who picked it were compensated fairly.

This is not always the case. The tomato industry, in particular, is notorious. Wages haven’t risen in 30 years. A person who can pick a TON a day, might make $50 a day. Of course, a ton a day doesn’t happen. This wage, of course, doesn’t include health care or other benefits.

So I am willing to pay more for local and/or organic foods. But I’m not a wealthy person (monetarily), so I try and make my dollar stretch just like the next person. Since I had already had eggs, milk tomatoes, etc. on hand for the Tomato Mushroom Egg Bake (photos above, recipe below), I figured I’d utilize as many of the same ingredients the next day for another hearty breakfast.

This Ham and Egg Pastry Pie (recipe below) allowed me to stretch the dozen eggs, the cheese, etc., so I only had to purchase a few additional ingredients. I plan a week in advance so that I make different – but similar enough – dishes together so I can maximize the purchase.

This way, I avoid the last minute – oh-it’d-be-cheaper-to-pick-up-fast-food-breakfast where the eggs aren’t really eggs and everything is processed.

As Tom Philpott, a financial journalist-turned-farmer who helps run Maverick Farms in North Carolina (an educational non-profit promoting sustainable agriculture and local community development) argues, it is possible to afford organic food. A lot has to change to change the food system – policies, personal choices – but we all too often forget the real cost of food is not just on the sticker price.

Call me an elitist if you want. If that’s what it means, I’m proud to be a snob.

Tomato Mushroom Egg Bake

Tomato Mushroom Egg Bake
2 English muffins
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup gruyere, grated
Olive Oil
4 eggs
2 green onions, chopped
Salt
Pepper
1 TB dried basil, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 milk

1. In skillet, heat olive oil
2. Add chopped tomatoes and mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper
3. In bowl, whisk eggs, milk, basil, and garlic
4. When tomato/mushroom mix is ready, take off heat source and cool
5. In small casserole dish, place English muffin at bottom
6. Top with tomato/mushroom mix
7. Pour egg mix over everything
8. Wrap with cellophane and put in refrigerator overnight
9. The next day, take out and keep at room temperature for 45 minutes
10. Add gruyere cheese
11. Cook for 50 minutes at 375F

Ham and Egg Pastry Pie

Ham and Egg Pastry Pie
1 sheet puff pastry
5 eggs
1/2 pound ham
2 green onions, chopped
1 TB milk
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Cut puff pastry sheet in quarters
2. Put one quarter of the puff pastry in each small casserole dish (one of two) or ramekin
3. Add 1/4 of the ham in each dish
4. Crack two eggs in each dish – poke gently so eggs runs slightly
5. Add green onions
6. Layer the rest of the ham
7. Put top layer of puff pastry and press
8. Mix 1 egg, milk, and cheese in separate dish and use as wash over each pie
9. Bake for 20 minutes at 350F

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and Simple Lives Thursday!

Source: Good Medicine

In a time of budget cuts, why does so much go towards subsidizing fast food?

It’s tough…on the one hand, there are real farmers who cannot escape this subsidy racket and have to make a living; on the other hand, how much are we hurting our health when it’s cheaper to eat unreal food. To find out more about the Farm bill and get updates, check this out.

Jeff Nield at Treehugger found this inverse correlation between food subsidy and nutrition.

Perhaps learning more about how to influence the way food is subsidized (and what is subsidized) is really the way to change our food culture.

Including water.

Last year on Blog Action Day, we wrote about Climate Change. No climate change isn’t over – did you not see LA’s record high 113 degrees in late September? I strongly recommend this important new book by Bill McKibben.

This year, we’re talking water.

When we talk about food scarcity and food insecurity, we often forget to talk about water. Sure, we see the $20 bottle of artisenal water collected drop by drop by butterflies served in fancy restaurants. We hear about celebrities washing their hair with Evian water.

The more environmentally conscious places now serve tap water in recycled bottles. I carry my water bottle, especially after the news came out about BPA leaching into water bottles. Almost everyone seems concerned about the overuse of plastic bottles for water.

Check out this video by the Story of Stuff Project on plastic bottles (no surprise, it’s received some controversy!)

With all this controversy, it’s easy to think that water always comes in plastic bottles and that it is ours for the taking without limits, whether in plastic, recycled glass, or aluminum.

But is water really a right or is it a privilege?

According to Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke of the Nation, “Water promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th century: the precious commodity that determines the wealth of nations.” Oil and water may not mix, but they certainly have something in common: who has right over their sources has a lot of power. According to their 2002 research, our source of fresh water is limited – it makes up less than half of 1% of the world’s water stock. With pollution, factory farms, and climate change, these sources become even scarcer.:

• 31 countries and over 1 billion people completely lack access to clean water
• A child dies every 8 seconds a child dies from drinking contaminated water

As is the case with scarcity, inequity results, usually along socio-economic and ethnic lines. In South Africa, for example, water has become another barrier to integration. Although the right to water is written in their Constitution, in 2002, 600,000 white farmers consumed 60% of the country’s water while 15 million Blacks had no direct access to water. Read Barlow and Clark’s article here.

The World Health Organization has  published quite a bit on the right to clean water that you can check out here. When deciding between that bottled water or “vitamin-infused” water, or dumping water down the drain as it were a limitless thing for our taking, take a look first at our right to water.