Re: Gussow on Nutrition/Food Systems
Pmadden1@aol.com
Mon, 9 Dec 1996 12:40:16 -0500
In response to Chuck Benbrook's fine comentary on Joan Gussow's insights
regarding organic food, I totally concur that to look only at nutrient
content of organic foods is to miss the point. The farmers I have visited in
the US and other countries who have made great sacrifices to make "organic"
(or biodynamic, or MOA Nature Farming, etc.) work on their farms seem to me
not to be motivated by mere nutrient content, but by love of the Earth, of
the biodiversity, the robustness of natural systems, the thrill of knowing
they are doing something special for Earth and humanity -- and much more than
I can adequately describe. And consumers who willingly pay extra to get
organic produce may not be motivated by the prospect of more vitamin C etc,
but may be sensing something far more important, but harder to measure or
describe. Like many of the most important realities of life ( such as Love,
Truth, Wisdom etc) the finer essences of "organic" farming and foods can
only be understood by direct and open-minded experience, not by reductionist
meaurement. It's like a proverb I heard recently in the Orient, which
translates roughly into something like "He who tries to analyze the cause of
the cherry blossum's fragrance may fail to enjoy its beauty."
Joan Gussow has contributed a very perceptive chapter entitled "Can an
Organic Twinkie Be Certified?" for publication in a forthcoming book, For All
Generations -- Making World Agriculture More Sustainable. Other chapters are
contributed by Fred Kirschenmann "On Becoming Lovers of the Soil," and
"Expanding the Vision of Sustainable Agriculture," and others, plus profiles
or small case studies of over 50 organizations around the world that are
working on various aspects of making agriculture more sustainable. WSAA will
publish the book (about 480 pages) in early 1997. I will provide details on
ordering when it is available.
Patrick Madden, President
World Sustainable Agriculture Association