As a child, I was afraid of needles. I often kicked nurses in the shins to get them away from me. The last thing I wanted was a needle stuck in my veins. The problem became so severe my mother did what many parents in her situation would do — she promised me McDonald’s.
I haven’t kicked a nurse since.
My mom used food as a good to barter with me. She knew I wouldn’t stop acting out unless I had an incentive, and protection against polio and hepatitis wasn’t enough. I needed a Happy Meal.
Part of McDonald’s allure, especially as a kid, is the hokey advertising schemes, toys and fatty foods. The company’s marketing is so artificial, we as consumers think we’re being media literate when we pick at and expose all of the gimmicky techniques. Often, however, we find ourselves waiting in the drive-thru line a couple days later salivating over french fries.
If McDonald’s can convince a child to submit to getting shots and manipulate consumers to do things they know are dumb — like eat its food — then how is organic or locally grown food ever going to pick up steam?
I wasn’t introduced to the idea of environmentally sustainable food until I came to college. Growing up, my mother cooked strictly Puerto Rican cuisine — sancocho, rellenos, arroz con pollo, sorullos de maíz, etc. She never shopped at or knew of a Whole Foods or MOM’S Organic Market. We always went to the Food King near our house with a handful of coupons. Our diet was dictated by modest means and accessibility.
After going on a strictly local diet for a class last weekend, I realized why: I spent $63 on local food and just barely made it through four days. At an individual level, it’s nearly impossible to maintain a completely sustainable diet. What would that entail?
For one, you would have to know that every piece of food entering your mouth was produced on a farm that treated its animals humanely, didn’t rely on non-renewable energy sources, did business in paperless offices and used eco-friendly packaging. That’s typically where the buck stops — the cows are fine, the chickens are happy and the veggies are clean.
It’s a little more complicated, though. An ideally sustainable diet would also be economically sustainable. You would have to be able to eat satisfactorily without breaking the bank. Because what good do cage-free eggs do without a functioning refrigerator to put them in?
Cultural and environmental interests would also have to be reconciled. In other words, how can you make an organic platter of your mom’s sorullitos? Do you have to conform to the prevailing image of organic food consumption, which is littered with veggies, tofu, Omega-3 fatty acids and non-prescription glasses? Or can you find a way to make an organic, eco-friendly plate of overflowing paella?
Environmentally sustainable food is beyond necessary. At this university, steps toward this goal have already been taken. Real Food UMD is pushing to have “real food” served in the dining halls. The group’s website defines “real food” as “food that is grown sustainably, produced under fair labor practices, supports local communities, is healthy, and delicious.”
The fact remains, though — two double cheeseburgers cost the same as three apples at a Giant Food store. And for three apples, I think I’d risk meningitis.
Michael Casiano is a senior English and American studies major. He can be reached at casiano@umdbk.com.
