When an issue can be eloquently explained by an 11-year-old, in just over five minutes, could it really be that hard to solve? Coming generations will judge us by our actions or, even worse, our inactions. Our food system is more toxic than ever, and our collective health reflects that. We need to start creating some change, something the kids can believe in and be proud of us for.
At a TEDx “Next Generation” event recently, 11-year-old Birke Baehr got up on stage and announced his intention “to talk about what’s wrong with our food system.” He started off decrying “all the marketing and advertising on TV, at public schools and pretty much everywhere else you look,” that attempts “to get parents to buy stuff that isn’t good for us or the planet.”
In his brief talk, he also admits that, “a while back, I wanted to be an NFL football player. I decided I’d rather be an organic farmer instead. That way I could have a greater impact on the world.” Birke also covers the risks of genetically modified foods, CAFOs, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and food irradiation. He even addresses concerns over higher prices for organic produce. As he pithily puts it, “It seems to me that we can either pay the farmer or we can pay the hospital.”
” … And that, my friends, is how we can make a difference. One kid at a time.”
Watch Birke Baehr’s TEDx talk below:
So what can you do? Buy organic and local, and learn to adapt your food choices to what is fresh and seasonal. Join a CSA, shop at Farmers Markets and sign up to be a member of your local Slow Food chapter.
via Grist, original story by Tom Laskawy
