Sustainable. Resourceful. Delicious.
It's no news: our food system is unsustainable. Food miles and unnecessary waste are just two of our globalised and sanitised diets' adverse side effects.
When we consider the extent of the problem and the interconnectedness of the system, the amount of work that will need to be done to bring back some sanity onto our plates seems gargantuan. Forum for the Future have broken it down in a very helpful way by identifying three priorities:
Rebalance economic equity in food chain, by valuing producers. This is a strong focus of the marvelous People's Supermarket, which sources nearly all of its fresh produces from local producers, and establishes long-term, meaningful and rewarding relationships with them.
Reconnect people with the food they eat, by allowing them to appreciate the many stories behind a meal, from social capital and animal welfare to nutritional value.
Restore resilience to the food system by making more effective use of resources and eliminating unnecessary waste.
I would like to add one more re- word: reevaluate. We need to turn problems upside down and search for opportunities in the existing system. We need to understand that waste, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Finally, we need to celebrate, not moralise. Here are two very admirable initiatives that illustrate these points by positively challenging the idea of waste.
THE PEOPLE'S KICTHEN, DALSTON
Every Sunday, The People's Kitchen is providing good food and good mood to the people of Dalston and beyond. Collecting food surplus from local businesses and inviting anyone and everyone to have a go at transforming it into a delicious feast, The People's Kitchen feels to me like a very welcome weekly celebration of... well, people.
Founded by inspired and inspiring chef Steve Wilson, it operates in a very non hierarchical way. While having to improvise a giant pudding from a loaf of stale bread in front of twenty hungry strangers might seem a bit daunting, the satisfaction that comes from seeing everyone's contribution equally valued is truly comforting. In other words, not knowing your turnips from your swedes does not make you less of a People's Chef.
The obvious benefits of spreading awareness of food waste are doubled by the joy of communal cooking, and tripled by the prospect of tasting every single dish improvised by the many hands that decided to come together on that day.
The People's Kitchen is a model of resourceful innovation: seeing solutions in what is already available to us. Taking part reminded me that opportunities for happiness are everywhere: in supermarket bins, in ugly tomatoes and mushy apples, and in all the people we don't normally speak to.
INVISIBLE FOOD, BRIXTON
Closer to home, in Lambeth, is another beautiful community food project, run by local artist Ceri Buck. Each month, she takes an ever evolving group of local residents on a foraging walk around the Loughborough Junction estate. Looking for wild food in the city is an amazing learning experience. Again, it is about discovering opportunities for positive action in what is already available to us.
Thus, thanks to Invisible Food, I found a few weeks ago what seems like a limitless supply of free blackberries just five minutes away from my house. Together with 15 other people of all ages and all origins, we joined efforts to make just about a litre of blackberry ice cream. It might seem like nothing, but it was a masterpiece! Best ice cream ever! This was followed by a potluck picnic, and a short walk during which we spotted not less than 15 edible plants I had no idea existed.
The amazingness of Invisible Food lies in its playfulness. It encourages participants to look at their urban environment differently, like peckish explorers, and to experiment and learn from eachother by sharing recipes. In Ceri's words:
"Invisible Food lives in the conversations held and the relationships that spring up during the walks."
Being located in ethnically and socially diverse Brixton, Invisible Food is also remarkable for its inclusiveness. Previous projects include, for example, the production, of a local Nettle and Ginger beer made and sold by local children in Brixton Village, West African plants growing and cooking at Brockwell Park Community Grennhouses, and a series of coffee ceremonies with Eritrean and Ethiopian residents near Myatt's Field Park.
To me, Invisible Food is a great example of the idea that food is a language everyone speaks.