Michael Pollan: "Pay more, eat less."

This interview really resonates with me.

We've been conditioned by artificially cheap food to be shocked when a box of strawberries costs $3.

But it's important to know that farmers aren't getting wealthy. When you see strawberries being sold for $1 a box, picture the kind of labor it takes to pick those strawberries and the kind of chemicals it takes to produce those kinds of strawberries without hand weeding.

Eight dollars for a dozen eggs sounds outrageous, but when you think that you can make a delicious meal from two eggs, that's $1.50. It's really not that much when we think of how we waste money in our lives.

I'm not sure I'm convinced that buying local is better for the environment in terms of shipping costs,  because it usually involves some seriously-inefficient distribution schemes.   And living as I do in Minnesota, I'm not sure I'm on board with the idea of eating seasonally, as I like green vegetables and fresh fruit more than 5 months out of the year.  But I'm pretty well on board with "pay more, eat less."

ADDED:  His point about the eggs is well taken.  We expect eggs to be pretty cheap, but considering the high-quality protein they provide, maybe we should be doing the math on a per-meal basis, and comparing them to the meat they replace.   Four ounces of meat easily costs more than $1.50 for two eggs. 

Comments

[Erin]

Funny you would mention this, I've been considering changing over to farm fresh eggs and one of the arguments in my head is that even at farm fresh prices it is an incredibly cheap protein. Since, I've been making diet changes, my consumption of eggs has increased dramatically and you can't beat the taste of fresh eggs.

[Rebekka]

Hey bearing, this is a total tangent, but when I saw this I couldn't help but think of you (not in a bad way). Aren't you glad this isn't you? :-)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2010/08/gluttony-pants-by-betabrands-are-first-in-a-series-of-seven-deadly-sins-themed-trousers.html