Monday, July 07, 2008
Waste Not
One of the more difficult messages to send to citizens of prosperous countries is to avoid waste -- especially food waste. So, this message is doomed to fail. The message is correct, but the populace isn't listening. The only way that people will conserve food is when food becomes expensive, as it is in Third World countries. Where there is little food and high prices, it is never wasted.
Citizens of prosperous countries are reckless with resources. That in itself is a reason for raising prices to make necessities a greater part of total family budgets. On the other hand, it is a testimony to the success of the nearly invisible agribusiness that supermarkets offer as much food as they do at such low prices. Most citizens don't know where food comes from. It is just there in neat piles of tomatoes, cans of tuna and freezer cases of ice cream. Agribusiness' success has encouraged waste.
Perhaps it is time for citizens to learn more about food production and in the process to waste less.
Citizens of prosperous countries are reckless with resources. That in itself is a reason for raising prices to make necessities a greater part of total family budgets. On the other hand, it is a testimony to the success of the nearly invisible agribusiness that supermarkets offer as much food as they do at such low prices. Most citizens don't know where food comes from. It is just there in neat piles of tomatoes, cans of tuna and freezer cases of ice cream. Agribusiness' success has encouraged waste.
Perhaps it is time for citizens to learn more about food production and in the process to waste less.
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