Lately I’ve been more engaged with food politics and I’m not alone. Locally sourced and sustainable food is a hot trend these days. Restaurants such as The Local Kitchen offers a small menu centred around in house cured meats and local ingredients. The Atlantic‘s menu changes every few days focusing on what’s fresh and seasonal. Camros Organic Eatery offers an vegetarian, Persian- style, 100% organic menu; and these are just a few of many.
It’s no secret that much of the world’s food production are controlled by corporations that only have one thing on their agenda – the bottom line. Consequently, the quality and diversity of our food decreases, farmers lose their autonomy, and outbreaks of food born illness like mad cow and E.coli outbreaks happen with greater frequency. It only makes sense that the slow food movement and local markets are gaining in popularity as people become more aware and exercise their consumer choice.
I hope that this becomes more of a long term choice then a trend for consumers and businesses alike. Whether people are dining at these restaurants because the food is delicious (generally there are more flavour and nutrients in organic food) or because they approve of the ethics is hard to discern, but it is apparent that awareness is growing and demand is increasing – and that’s a good thing!