Americans fear only one thing: inconvenience

   In the documentary entitled "Fresh," it's mentioned that we fear inconvenience.  I think this fear of inconvenience is the root of the problem we're facing.  If we only eat the food that is convenient for us to find and buy, we are more likely to consume food that isn't healthy and fresh; we are more likely to consume highly processed food that comes from factory farms, where animals are mistreated and chemicals are commonplace.

   When I think about fearing inconvenience, I think about 3 different kinds of people. First, there are those who do not have the resources to find food other than what is convenient.  Maybe these people are from a lower socioeconomic status.  Maybe they don't have a car to get to the farmer's market, or maybe they don't have the money that's needed to choose organic food in the grocery store.  Maybe they are single, working mothers who don't have the time to tend to a garden or drive the extra 30 miles to a grocery store that sells local produce.  Without resources like time and money, choices are limited; convenience is the only option.

   There are also those people who have all the time and money they need, but they are just lazy.  The motivation is not there.  They know about the injustice in factory farms and they know that local, organic food is often healthier, but they just don't care to make an extra effort because it's "inconvenient" for them.  After watching a documentary or hearing about the treatment of the animals or the effects of pesticides, they'll go to McDonald's.  These are the type of people that piss me off.    To each their own I guess...

   Then there are the type of people who do not have the knowledge about the benefits of local, organic food.  They are unaware of the problems that exist in the food world.  Perhaps it is inconvenient for them to begin to learn.

   So, what can we do about this?  How can we reach the 3 kinds of people that I've mentioned?

  Overall, I think what it comes down to is looking at the BIG PICTURE.  We need to see beyond the temporary inconvenience- whether it is spending more money or time- to the end goal of creating a different, healthier future for both producers and consumers.