It’s Time to Vote with our Forks

“We have to stop eating lies,” said Roberto Burdese, president of Slow Food Italy, as the horsemeat scandal spread to Italy and Spain where two of Nestle’s pasta products are being recalled for mislabeling. “We mustn’t think of this as just an isolated case. Today we are talking about horsemeat, but what will it be tomorrow? It is time to react and demand to know the whole truth about the food we eat.”

Slow Food has always fought to defend a model of sustainable food that respects the rhythms of nature, telling the stories of those who produce good food and raising awareness of the benefits of choosing fresh, local and seasonal products.

“We need everyone’s participation if we want to really change the current situation. We cannot accept a system that devalues the foods that are part of our culture, traditions and identity; unfairly branding them as an “elitist niche” and replacing them with lasagna that contains horsemeat that is not mentioned on the label and is of unknown origin. Health problems have been excluded for now, but at this point we hope for the best given the lack of any kind of certainty. We need to ask our politicians to fight for a more fair and transparent system, with comprehensive labels and more guarantees. But above all, we as consumers need to open our eyes, be more aware of our choices, start asking questions and realize that every purchase is a vote for one food system over another. If we want change, the journey will be long, but it surely starts with abandoning the “ready-made” food system that so often lets us down.”

Image: southendgardeners.wordpress.com