State of the World 2004: Watching What We Eat

Worldwatch Live Online Discussion

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: Worldwatch Researchers

June 17, 2004 - 2:00pm EDT

While many people in the industrial world count calories, we often ignore a more significant tally when it comes to food—the levels of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics used in raising food and livestock. Similarly, as we become further separated from our food sources, we have become less aware of the conditions under which our food is grown and manufactured, and how it is transported and disposed of.

Steve Conklin, Worldwatch Institute: Worldwatch Researchers Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg are joining us this week on Worldwatch Live to discuss their State of the World 2004 chapter, "Watching What We Eat." Welcome, Danielle and Brian.

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: Thanks for getting us started, Steve, and thanks everyone for the questions - Danielle and Brian

gautier , MS.: newyrs we started the atkins diet..i told my husband if the fat doesnt terminate us.The contents of our lowfat,lowcarb,lowsugar etc..WILL. am I right?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: Thanks for your question. You're right, the Atkins diet is high in fat because it relies on a lot of animal based protein. Nutritionists fear that followers of the diet are missing some key nutrients found in carbs and vegetables. It is a better idea to follow a more balanced diet that includes protein from soy and sustainable meat products, as well as a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. - Danielle

Trumansburg, NY: In addition to the concerns I have about the environmental and health impacts of crop applications such as pesticides and herbacides, I am very concerned about the regulation of genetically modified foods. What are the most effective steps being taken to ensure that GM crops do not contaminate non-GM crops in production and what can be done to ensure clear identification/labelling during distribution? Is the UN's Codex Alimentarius being implemented, and if so, how?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: Thanks for your question on a topic that will only get more important if biotech companies begin to roll out the next generation of crops engineered to produce pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. Right now, there are no effective steps being taken to stop contamination. A recent survey by the Union of Concerned Scientists showed that the US seed supply of major crops is already thoroughly contaminated. Even if we forget about cross-pollination, it's very difficult for companies to keep the GM and non-GM crops separate because the same barges or shipping containers or elevators are often used to move both. I think the most effective campaigns to keep the crops separate are campaigns to preserve the integrity of organic standards (which forbid GM crops), and outright boycots of GM foods. Until there is a reliable way to prevent cross-pollination or contamination, it's irresponsible for the crops to be grown.
Not sure what about everything Codex says about this topic, but I don't think it addresses contamination. - Brian Halweil

Albuquerque, New Mexico: A few years ago I started gardening for at least four months of my food supply. That was fine in rain soaked Ohio, but do you think it important to continue growing your own food when I now live in a state that has a water shortage? What is your advice?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: I most definitely think there are benefits to growing your own food, even in a dry area like Albuquerque. Particularly if you chose plants adapted to your climate--drought resistant corn and beans, for instance--and take steps to minimize water use through efficient drip or sprinkler irrigation, mulching, and dense covercropping, your garden will use much less water than the typical lawn or swimming pool. Gary Nabhan has done some great writing on this very question. Check out his book, Coming Home to Eat. - Brian Halweil

Espoo, Finalnd: If I need coffeine, and am considering a choice between drinking a cup of coffee or a cola-drink - assuming the amount of the drink is the same - which would be more harmful for my health and in which ways?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: There are many dimensions to this question, but I would say that the cup of coffee is much better for you than the soda. Soda is essentially sugar (sometimes corn syrup and sometimes artificial sweetners) in water. Excessive soda drinking is linked to obesity. In contrast, coffee is a brewed product from a roasted bean. Not many calories and no additives, unless you add milk, sugar, and other flavorings that have become popular in the Frappuccino era. By choosing coffee from fair-traded, shade-grown, organic beans, you can assure that the coffee farmers helped to preserve the rainforest and that you helped to preserve their livelihood. There isn't a soda on the market yet that offers you that benefit. - Brian

ashland oregon: How can we make manufacturers label if antibiotics have been used on the meat we are eating. Why do we send Arkansas chickens to Oregon? How can we change that?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: That's a good question. Along with the fat and calorie information found on the labels of packaged meat, consumers should be able to find out the hidden ingredients producers use to make modern meat. In the United States, livestock consume 8 times more antibiotics by volume than humans do and the World Health Organization warns that the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture is contributing to the spread of antibotic resistant microbes, making it harder to fight human and animal diseases alike. Consumer pressure can help force manufacturers to not only label their chickens and other meats when they contain antibiotics, but also force them to stop using antibiotics all together.

One way to avoid chicken contaminated with antibiotic residue is by buying locally raised chickens from small farmers.

- Danielle

Newark, NJ: I've got a couple of questions/comments to pose. 1. It strikes me that there is a problem with your initial premise that many people count calories and watch what they eat, as this appears to be a highly class-based phenomenon. The fact that the American population (as well as the publics of most other affluent countries) continues to become more and more obese, suggests that your claim is subject to some serious debate. An interesting account on this issue is provided by Greg Critser in his recent book, Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World. 2. Talking about the nutritional content of food as a means of advancing the discussion on sustainable consumption is an excellent development--one for which I applaud Worldwatch and the folks conntected to this on-line discussion. However, this is only half of the equation--namely, it is also necessary to engage consumers in a public discussion physical activity and exercise as a means of developing a more fully rounded appreciation of the way in which calories intersect with sustainable consumption. I am curious to get your thoughts on how it might be possible to make some of these links.

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: You make a good point about good nutrition being as important as physical activity for good health. Unfortunately, both nutrition and physical activity have taken a hit in the American context. Schools that have handed over their cafeteria services and hallways to fast food chains are also cutting physical education classes. In the case of schools, some of the most innovative programs to make these links between what we eat and sustainable agriculture have tried to get students involved in the process of raising and preparing food, either through field trips to farms and food companies or by gardening and cooking in school. The garden or kitchen not only provides an interesting setting for a range of lessons (from math to chemistry to home economics), but also provies real-life examples about healthy food and the exercise (otherwise known as hard work) involved in raising food. Check out the www.edibleschoolyard.org. - Brian

Everson, WA: Raising poultry and cattle in very large facilities has led to mass feeding programs and crowding of animals causing rapid spread of diseases, and sometimes the formation of new diseases, ie mad cow. How do you see us moving to a new paradigm for the raising of meat for consumption. Should we return to small flocks and herds, such as pasture raised poultry? How do we get there from where we are,if you think it is a good idea?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: Factory farming is responsible for not only mad cow disease, but food-borne illnesses and the emergence of diseases, such as avian flu, that can jump the species barrier and infect humans. Encouraging more small-scale, local production of livestock will help alleviate many of these problems, while also supporting local farmers. - Danielle

Truth or Consequences, NM: I'm an overweight American who only very recently became aware that my gluttony affects others. Please give me concrete ways to help the world's poor. Thanks!

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: It's admirable and considerate of you to frame your own lifestyle in those terms. Thanks for being so conscientious. The interesting thing is that overeating in one country doesn't necessarily have a direct impact on hunger or poverty elsewhere. For instance, if everyone in American started eating less food, there is no guarantee that this food would be shipped to hungry nations or that these nations could even afford to import our extra food. For some specific commodities, like shrimp and other seafood from tropical areas, the demand in wealthy nations does means that fishing families in poor nations have less to feed themselves. I think the best and most effective way to "help the poor" is to start at home. Think about the poor in your own area. You can volunteer at soup kitchens, donate food, help at job training areas, and buy food from your local farmers to help support your local economy. - Brian

Durham, NC: Is there a way to calculate the impact an individual has by changing one's diet or consumption behavior? I've used the Redefining Progress Footprint tool but am looking for a way that is more substantial (not measured in livable planets). Another organization, New American Dream, offers actions you can take and the impact it has (ie.being vegetarian saves Xlbs of CO2, etc). However, there I haven't been able to find documentation of these calculations. Do you know of any technique or resource I might try?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: I don't know of any comprehensive tool or model that would help calculate the impact that specific dietary changes have. The best I've seen are studies on particular aspects of our diets, like the ones you mention above. Another important impact to keep in mind is that energy saved (and greenhouse gas emissions prevented) by buying more local food. In Worldwatch paper 163, "Home Grown: The Case for Local Food in a Global Market," we point to studies showing that a typical meal made from imported ingredients can often require as much as 17 times the energy for transport as the same meal made from local ingredients. - Brian

Ellicott City MD: I have a unique opportunity to share critical information re: agriculture and the connections between the environment and human health. Do you have any suggestions /information/resources I should include and present to the audience of over 100 teachers from MD.VA.DC.PA area who will be in attendance at my presentation at the EnviroHealth Connections Summer Institute sponsored by Maryland Public Television and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Center for Technology in Education this July? My presentation entitled, "We've Got To Get Ourselves Back To The Garden" focuses on a comparison of Industrial Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture and analysis of historic/present/past farming/gardening techniques in 2 lessons for 6-8th grade entitled "What's On Your Plate" analyzing chemicals, additives, pesticides etc and their health impact and "It's In Your Hands" detailing choices and actions children may explore to make positive sustainable change in their environment and their health. All suggestions, resources, links are welcomed and will be passed on to the educators attending. Obviously I am using the Watching What We Eat Series, but welcome your suggestions as well in regard to how to instruct/encourage middle school students to wathc and perhaps change what they eat.

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: It sounds like an important presentation. There is some good information about the importance of local food in the Worldwatch paper I just mentioned, "Home Grown." My impression is that the most effective school programs revolving around food are ones that actually get kids out in the field, get some dirt under the nails, and get them to taste fresh food that they might have picked themselvs. And check out www.edibleschoolyard.org. - Brian

benson, az: i would just mention that distance food comes from is a consideration. I am a small ranch operator, grazed animals no antibiotics, hormones good healthy milk and protein. and i enjoy working with the animals.

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: You're right, the distance our food travels is a big environmental problem. In the U.S. the average food item now travels 2,500 to 4,000 km and in the United Kingdom food now travels 50 percent further than it did two decades ago. This distance between the producer and the eater makes it impossible for consumers to know where, how, and by whom their food was produced. But small ranchers, like yourself, can help shorten that divide by selling directly to consumers and giving a face to the food they eat.

- Danielle

Boston, MA: What, if any, health risks are associated with the many "low-carb" alternatives that have been popping up on grocery store shelves over the past few months?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: The Atkins Diet and other low-carb diets are generally high in animal products that are loaded with fat and cholesterol, which have been linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and obesity. High protein diets can also be hard on the kidneys and gall bladder. As we mentioned before, it's better to eat a more balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, soy based and plant proteins, and whole grains. Food should also not only be judged based on its fat or calorie content, but on whether it is good for both people and the planet.

- Danielle

Aurora, CO: If you were to make recommendations to a chain of restaurants - what would you recommend that they do to improve the sustainability of the menus and operations?

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: There are so many different steps a restaurant can take to improve the sustainability of their menus. But the important thing to keep in mind is that even small steps are a step in the right direction and can help set a chain up for making more dramatic changes. And the good news is that there are a few innovative companies that are already showing it can be done. Check out Burgerville (www.burgerville.com) which is a fast food chain in the Pacific Northwest that sources all of its ingredients locally and uses only grassfed meat for its burgers.)

I would focus on the three areas we mention in "Watching What We Eat," which we chose because we felt that they collectively could have the biggest impact on the food system.

1. Reduce the number of meat options and shift to meat from grassfed or pasture raised animals. Meat is by far the most resource intensive part of our diets, so even one or two grassfed options is a big improvement. And the grassfed market is growing very rapidly and even big chains should be able to source meat.

2. Use as many organic ingredients as possible. This will help reduce chemical use on American farms, and reintroduce biodiversity to the landscape.

3. Use as many locally grown ingredients as possible. This will help reduce the energy use associated with food shipping, help reconnect customers to where their food is grown, and also improve the flavor of the food.

- Brian

Everson, WA: The present food distribution system in the US is very difficult to change, or break into if a farmer is an independent producer, ie, grocery stores do not want to deal with many deliveries, billings, and traffic. How can this system be changed to allow for local, fresh and more nutritious food to become available on a grocery store wide scale.

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: Breaking into a very concentrated food chain is probably the most daunting challenge for independent farmers or small food businesses. As you know, grocery stores often have relationships with larger food makers or meat packers, and they are unwilling to deal with many individual growers. These smaller growers also cannot afford the slotting fees and other kickbacks that supermarkets demand from food companies. But breaking into this chain, and getting beyond farmers markets, is an essential frontier in the local foods movement.

We discuss this issue, and possible solutions, in "Home Grown," but here is some other advice. You can ally yourselve with other farmers to try to share a salesperson or delivery truck and make things easier for yourself and the grocer. The grocer might be happy to deal with a coalition of 20 local growers, but not each of the 20 growers individually. Even if an entire chain will not get back to you, try going directly to manager of individual stores, who often have some flexibility and might be interested in promoting a local product. You can also try forming alliances with other "independents," including mom-and-pop grocers or restaurants, who might also be interested in promoting a local product. Finally, customer pressure can be very effective. I've heard from someone in the grocery business that if a dozen or so people ask a manager for a particular product, they will start stocking it. Perhaps you can work with a local citizens or church or environmental group to organize a campaign to demand that the nearby supermarket buy locally raised food. - Brian

Steve Conklin, Worldwatch Institute: Thanks for joining us today, Danielle and Brian!

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg: Thanks for the great questions and discussion everyone. Don't forget to enjoy your food as much as you think about what your eating. - Danielle and Brian