Recently we've had an outpouring of good diaries on food. Some have been lighthearted, like our weekly What's For Dinner series. Some have been serious and thought-provoking, like OrangeClouds115's always excellent series Vegetables of Mass Destruction. But several new diarists and their writings have started me thinking in a different way.
All four of these have a single central theme: Food may be cheap, but good food is expensive and not available to everyone. Each diarist brings a different perspective to the problem and offers a different set of solutions.
All of us who write about food have been the target of occasional criticism which boils down to: "This is a political site. Why are you worrying about making a perfect souffle instead of feeding the hungry?" And while we've effectively answered that criticism in many ways, the question itself remains valid, I think.
This point was brought home to me on Friday. It was a simple errand -- I needed pearl barley and the store where I normally get it was out of stock. On my way to downtown Birmingham I stopped at a new "neighborhood market" in a mixed-use development (residential, municipal offices, commercial and retail). I had not been to this market before, so I spent a half-hour wandering the aisles, finding organic produce, artisan breads and handmade cheeses, imported olive oils and wines, free-range and grass-fed meats. It was a Mecca for someone interested in alternatives to the normal processed food products to be found at mass market groceries; a Promised Land for foodies.
Then I started to notice the clientele. All were young to middle-aged, obviously affluent, and mostly white. And I thought:
"Exactly what neighborhood does this market serve?"
U.S. Census Bureau figures show Homewood has a population that's 15.3 percent black, which is more comparable with national figures than other over-the-mountain cities. The school system includes families that speak 21 languages other than English.
The city's median household income is $45,431. About 13 percent of households in Homewood make less than $25,000. while 22 percent make more than $100,000, according to the 2000 Census.
Source
- Notice those two numbers. The 13 percent of households making less than $25,000 are almost entirely located in the predominantly black neighborhood of Rosedale.
* Rosedale is located three blocks from this upscale "neighborhood market," well within walking distance.
* Nobody who lives in Rosedale can possibly afford $15.99 a pound for grass-fed beef or $5.69 a dozen for organic, free-range eggs. (*I* can't afford $5.69 a dozen for eggs!) Not when the Piggly Wiggly is two blocks farther on, and has sales every other week with $2.99 a pound for chuck roast and eggs at 99 cents a dozen.
And the residents of Rosedale are in comparatively good shape. There is a reasonably priced full-service grocery within a reachable distance; they aren't condemned to eating fast food and Twinkies from the local 7-11 because there are no other options.
But what do you do for those who aren't so lucky? Is there a way to help without coming in as the Great White Rescuer of Unfortunate Poor Black People? Is there a way to help provide some of the good food to those who can't afford it or have no access to it? Can we teach people about nutrition or cooking, and show them ways to eat better without spending money they don't have?
I don't have any answers. I have questions. I have a desire to help but no knowledge of how to do that.
This, I hope, will be a brainstorming session. Tell me your answers to the problem of elitism, food, and poverty. I don't expect miracles or a full-blown plan, but I hope some workable ideas might emerge.
Thoughts?