The Waste Debate

Yesterday, I ate food that wasn't local. In fact, I'm willing to bet it came more than 2000 km, all the way from California. But I don't consider myself to have cheated on the diet, and I'll tell you why.

Ian, Johanna and I made the trek up to Jean-Talon yesterday, in the hopes of getting some of the last veggies that will be readily available this year. You see, all the reputable vendors (you know, the ones that won't lie to you about where their food comes from) of vegetables are taking off in the next week, knowing that local vegetables will dry up by then. Anyone still around selling tomatoes are importing them from somewhere. Anyhow, after we had scoured the market for garlic, spinach, squash, honey, carrots, eggs and other local delights, we headed straight to the dumpsters out back. Here's the shock. Everyday at closing time at markets in Montreal, and across the world, tonnes and tonnes of perfectly good food is thrown out, either because its not worth it for the vendors to take it home, or because it just won't sell. Spying a goldmine, we joined about 10 other people who were scouring the garbage for food throughout the market. We found large boxes FULL of bell peppers, crates of California strawberries, blueberries, a single perfectly-shaped tomato, and even an errant yam. Given that the already paltry labeling system suffers a complete break down once the food hits the dumpster, we have little to no idea where this stuff comes from. So can we still eat it and stay true to our diet???

The answer for me is "Yes." The way I see it, the product I'm getting when I jump into a dumpster isn't the berries, the peppers, or the yam. It's the waste I'm buying (for an admittedly bargain basement price). This waste is locally produced by the mess of a food system we have, where so much sweat, fuel and nature can be thrown wholesale into the landfill. These markets AT LEAST need to get a serious composting program going. What do you guys think? Am I cheating?

To finish, I must say, that while it maybe beneficial to nature in general to nourish oneself on what will inevitably be refuse anyway, eating food waste is not in itself a practice that can be expanded to all sustainably; that is, it's only an exclusive club who can, or even wants to do it. So can I consider it sustainable if only I can do it?

Tim