We talk about ethical and sustainable food consumption today on We Are Us TV. Because it is also possible for us, the consumAtors, to contribute to the improvement of what is wrong. With daily choices of purchase, consumption and proper use.
Ethical is primarily that which respects the individual and his or her fundamental rights. We witness the systematic violation of these rights, in food supply chains that are rooted on:
–
land grabbing
, or land robbery. The violent deportation of indigenous peoples, aimed at agricultural exploitation of the most fertile areas of the planet, is still ongoing. In Central Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and South America. The bloody palm oil business is the primary cause. And that is why we refrain from buying products that contain it,
– slavery and child labor. The ILO Declaration and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child seem unknown to some Food Lords. That supply international markets with palm and canned fish from Southeast Asia, cocoa from West Africa. Of palm oil it has been said, enough is enough! We then avoid Asian-sourced tuna and shrimp, subject to appropriate guarantees and certifications. Ditto for cocoa, preferably fair and sustainable,
– Corporalism. The exploitation of migrants also takes place at home, amid the indifference of agricultural organizations and the judiciary. On risk products such as canned tomatoes, vegetables and fruits, we then demand guarantees, such as SA8000 certification. At the same time we avoid buying below cost, knowing that it affects workers.
Ethical and sustainable food consumption and Made in Italy.
Ethical and sustainable food consumption, on these premises, also means favoring Italian products. Every purchase of Made in Italy food-from Italian raw materials, as much as possible-is a little Jobs Act. We nurture jobs, the economy and supply chains. We preserve food sovereignty. Let us try to escape, at least in part, the dangerous interdependencies caused by globalization.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
