Food Activism - Slow Food Movement - Essay Example

Section/# Slow Food: A Discussion and Analysis It is without question that globalization has fundamentally shifted the way in which individuals engage consumer markets and make decisions. The power of globalization has allowed for cheap products to flood the market that would otherwise not be available or would commanded extraordinarily high premium. With respect to food, globalized station and the industrialization of food production has created a situation in which fast food and ready-made meals dominate both the restaurant experience and in-home dining. However, one particular movement that has sought to counter the impact that fast food and the overall level of globalization has affected is known as the “slow food movement”. As a function of seeking to understand this particular movement and analyzing its unique attributes, the following analysis will be concentric upon discussing and analyzing the following questions: how an individual’s social location affects the experience within the food system, what the specific problems and potential solutions to the current food system are (within the slow food movement), how individuals within this particular movement attempted make the food system more fair, and what key concepts the movement engages in and/or challenges. Therefore, it is the hope of this author that such a discussion and analysis will allow the reader to come to a more informed understanding with regards to the slow food movement and the manner through which it can potentially impact upon the efficacy, environment, and representation of cuisine. Firstly, in an attempt to answer how this particular group understands social location and the impact that this might have with regards to an experience of the food system, a heavy criticism must be levied. Even though a great many effective and useful ideas are promoted within the slow food movement, a fundamental shortcoming that is quickly noted has to do with the fact that individual seeks to utilize this particular approach as a means of providing a nutritional benefit to themselves and/or to their families will quickly come to the realization that abiding by the constraints that the slow food movement engenders will necessarily require much more money to be spent each and every month as compared to integrating with the globalized model of food production and distribution (Walsh, 2008). The underlying rationale for this has to do with the fact that the slow food movement draws its resources from the local region and attempts to utilize those ingredients and resources that are available within the local area. In many ways, this particular approach is cheaper; due to the fact that food items do not need to be shipped over very large distances. However, in other ways, as a function of providing a diverse nutritional diet, the price of “slow food items” can be exorbitant. One need only consider the way in which an individual who advocates the slow food movement might seek to provide the daily required intake of fresh fruit within an area that is not typically grow fruit during a particular time of the year to be aware of the negative financial reality that this imposes upon the practitioner. Secondly, with regards to the question of what specific problems and/or potential solutions exist to the current food system (in the eyes of the slow food movement), it can readily be noted that the core problem has to do with the economic loss, cultural decay, and environmental degradation that takes place as a function of the globalized food distribution networks. Firstly, the economic loss refers to the fact that the farmers within a specific geographic region are not reading the economic benefits of individuals who require their goods (McKenzie, 2009). Secondly, from the perspective of cultural decay, individuals within the slow food movement believe that national scene and regional dishes are slowly dying out around the globe; due in part to the fact that the mechanized and industrial level of food distribution that currently exists no longer requires these unique cultural differences. Finally, with respect to the environmental desiccation, it can readily be noted that a large distances that are travel by ship, truck, Israel necessarily create massive amount of pollution that had evaded impact upon planet. Further, in attempting to make the food system warfare, the individuals that espouse this particular approach seeks to promote a level of regional agriculture and regional demand that will stymie the pervasive impact of globalization; resulting in the development of a more robust regional food economies; one that ensure that local money remains local. Naturally, in an attempt to make the system more “fair” the centralization of resources is promoted. However, it must be noted that the fairness with regards to the slow food movement is contingent upon the people within specific populated regions (Frost, 2013). Ultimately, those individuals that live and extraordinarily small communities or those that are unable to develop their own forms of agriculture and food production, must continue to rely upon the globalizing means that had previously been discussed. As can reasonably be expected, “fairness” is a subjective measure that this particular movement attempts to make concentric upon regional stakeholders (Slow Food, 2013). The key concept that is challenged with regards to this particular point of view is that the globalized system of distribution and industry is one that is fundamentally flawed. In terms of a fair analysis, it must be stated that the quality of food has decrease in an era of mass production. Due to the fact that the slow food movement inherently engages with a more natural and community-based model, the assumption is promoted is one that is inherently promotes the nutritional value of slow food far above that of mass marketed and globally distributed brands. Beyond this, the movement also engenders the need for individuals to come in contact with their own culture, their own capacity for culinary art, and a level of patients with regards to the fact that good food requires time, energy, and appropriate resources to prepare effectively. Another key shortcoming of the slow food movement that must tangentially be discussed is one that few other analysts or critics have had the courage to approach. Ultimately, regardless of the improvement in the stature and respect for women that the past several decades have been able to effect, it is without question that society is still largely patriarchal. As a direct result of this patriarchy, women are expected to raise children, cook, clean, and tended to many other “traditional” norms. Naturally, within such an understanding, the slow food movement is one that adversely and negatively impacts upon the overall self-determination and freedom that women in society can exhibit. For instance, if the slow food movement were to catch on to a greater degree, it is not the expectation of this particular author that women would not be adversely affected. Instead, a further level of integration with the slow food movement would see more and more women trapped in the kitchen for longer and longer periods of time; effectively neutralizing the positive impact that the women’s liberation movement, “the pill”, and a litany of other positive changes have been able to affect over the past decades. Although it is not the opinion of this author that the slow food movement is a harbinger of catastrophic societal change that will drive the course of women’s freedom back to prehistoric levels, it must be understood by the reader that expecting individuals to spend much longer period of time to prepare food will necessarily be shouldered largely by women within society. This creates an unnecessary hardship that is only recently been ameliorated with the advent of fast food, ready-made meals, and the need for women to integrate with the workforce in much the same way that men have in the past. If there can be any underlying reason for why the slow food movement has not caught on to a greater degree, it must necessarily be concentric around the fact that the fast-paced nature of the current world creates a situation in which fewer and fewer individuals have the time or the resources to expand upon a level of cultural enrichment with regards to the nutrition and experience that they are able to derive from the process of eating. Moreover, the recent economic downturn has created a situation in which budgets of lower and middle class families around the globe have been severely restricted. This has tangentially created a situation in which individuals are looking at each and every possibility as a means of cutting costs, cutting corners, and allowing for a degree of savings at the end of every month. Within such a line of reasoning, it comes as little surprise that individuals have not flocked toward the slow food movement to the degree in which those that champion it might have wished. Whereas it is without question that this particular movement has a litany of different strengths, the underlying weakness, some might even go as far as to say the Achilles’ heel, of the slow food movement is the exorbitantly high cost and the large amount of preparatory time that is required in order for the individual to read a benefit from it. References Frost, W., & Laing, J. (2013). Communicating persuasive messages through slow food festivals. Journal Of Vacation Marketing,19(1), 67-74. doi:10.1177/1356766712461403 McKenzie, R. (2009). SLOW FOOD. Delicious Living, 25(8), 16. N.A. (2013, April 4). Slow Food USA: Slow Food USA. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ Walsh, B. (2008). Can Slow Food Feed the World?. Time International (South Pacific Edition), (36), 50. Web Resource Overview and Questions 1. Authority The website has a great deal of overall authority due to the fact that it represents the entire Slow Food Movement and is able to provide a definitive voice with regards to the overall goals and aims that this particular movement seeks to engender. However, its authority is somewhat diminished by the fact that it has a very high potential to be biased; a component that will be discussed with a bit more depth within the “Objectivity” section of this brief web source evaluation. 2. Purpose The purpose of the site is meant to inform, energize, and motivate new and existing members to integrate to a further degree and promote the interests of Slow Food. 3. Coverage The coverage of the site is both effective and deep; illustrating that a great deal of information and research went into crafting the manner through which such data would be represented to the site visitor. 4. Currency Although the website is not updated on a daily basis, the currency of the site is reflected with regards to the fact that pertinent articles and links to ongoing discussions are reflected within its databases. This represents a core strength due to the fact that a very wide variety of analysis and ongoing data is represented to the visitor; thereby increasing their ability to make an informed understanding of the available subject matter. 5. Objectivity** Perhaps the greatest weakness that exists with regards to this specific website is that of its overall level of objectivity. Due to the fact that it represents the views and approach of the organization it seeks to promote, the objectivity that it can espouse is necessarily quite limited. 6. Accuracy* Similarly, it appears as if the accuracy also suffers slightly from the pro-Slow Food bias that has previously been represented. Although there are no clear indications that information is untrue, a clear representation of information that promotes the benefits of the movement is clearly evident; whereas any representation of the negatives is all but nonexistent. Read More