Very interesting op-ed piece in this past Sunday's Austin American-Statesman by Texas State University-San Marcos associate professor James E. McWilliams. It was titled "Agrarian Fantasy v. Agricultural Reality" in the print edition, but online it bears the headline "Microgreens for the Masses, Beef for the Elite, and Other Agrarian Dreams."
Here's an excerpt:
"Since the 17th century, American farmers have been deforesting, monocropping, commercially expanding and generally wreaking agricultural havoc on the environment. We can beat the drum of sustainability until deafness sets in, but the fact of the matter is that, agriculturally speaking, we've got what we've got: a chemically dependent system of food production as entrenched as any American institution has ever been.
Consumers should never accept our industrialized food system as it now operates. At the same time, we cannot deny our inheritance. If the system is going to be undone, it'll have to be undone gradually and from within."
He goes on to add, among other things, that eating local is well and good...unless your local is beef...which ain't so hot. Them's fightin' words in Texas, you know. Brave man! Best of all, he presents some middle-ground options for both consumers and big agriculture.
Personally, I think McWilliams offers a refreshing, much-needed historical perspective on the sustainable food system issue. As I've said before here, the MSM and alt media chat thus far has been tilted to the greener ends of the country...places were it's comparatively easy to grow food. Perceptions from writer and foodies in these areas of the country can lead to over-simplification of things. (Again, kudos to NPR's Splendid Table for their work to close this gap in knowledge and understanding.)
To read McWilliams perspective...and knowing that he works an hour or so away from where I write...well, it's reassuring to think that more "middle America" voices might get some play in these important discussions. Moreover, a bit of balanced, reasoned thinking such as the one offered by McWilliams might go a long way in attracting more people to the basic principles. A "meet the majority in the middle" approach, if you will. (This does not, however, mean that I think the middle is always right, either...for what it's worth. Just that it's going to take a LOT of voices from across the political spectrum to bring about real change. I don't know McWilliams' politics...but I'm going to guess he's left of center based on the piece.)
Off tangent and sorta back on track, I also think that for those of us who want fresh and local...we can learn to grow some of it ourselves, too. (Betcha knew I was gonna go there and there...hey, while we're at it...c'mon, let's go there, too.)
For the record, McWilliams' academic credentials are strong. He has a new book out, American Pests: The Losing War on Insects from Colonial Times to DDT, and another forthcoming book, Just Food. He seems both credible and thoughtful.
You can read the complete op-ed here...and please tell me what you think in Comments.
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