I read two items today that remind me once again how food and foreign policy are so  profoundly linked.

One is a Washington Post story on how Michelle Obama’s celebrity in Russia is to a large degree  focused on her creating and tending an organic garden at the White House.

The other is a sentence in the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs:

“Families in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia spend up to 80 percent of their incomes on food; for the average U.S. household, that would mean an annual grocery bill of $40,000.”

How would life be different if 80 percent of earnings had to go to food? I really can’t imagine it.

In 2008, Americans on average spent 9.6 percent of income after taxes for food. But I don’t believe that really cheap food is the answer to food shortages. Food that is American-cheap and processed has given us soaring obesity and diabetes, and diminishing fertility of farmland. I’m sure it will cost more to support  food grown locally in a sustainable way. We should no more be the food provider to the world than we should be the policemen to the world. Both concepts are unsustainable.

Of course it is easier in California than in any other state for supermarkets to find local (within state) suppliers.  And the buying power of Safeway will undoubtedly undercut and stress some California organic farmers and their farmers markets.  Nonetheless, isn’t the greater good done by a marketing campaign that says says local agriculture is the way to go?

There is one thing missing in this story — is the local produce they are selling produced in a sustainable way, a way that maintains or  increases soil fertility and future productivity?

Hear her May 18, 2009 interview with Morning Edition’s Renee Montagne.

“A Self-Sufficient Life” is a blog by a UK couple who moved to a mountain in Spain where they harvest olives and almonds for very little money. They find adventure in self-sufficiency.  Yes, by all accounts they live the hippie dream. I don’t begrudge them any extra money they might make from the ads on their blog.

They call themselves “Mr. and Mrs. Dirty Boots.”

This week, Mrs. Dirty Boots is sharing recipes for cheap nutritious  breakfasts and lunches. Here’s her simple recipe for one of my favorite Indian foods: vegetable chapattis.

1. Walk or bike ride to class or work instead of driving your car. Or at least, take public transportation!
2. Join a CSA. That’s community support agriculture for those of you new to the sustainable or local food movements. Find a farm near you at: http://www.localharvest.org/
3. Recycle. Or better yet, fill up a reusable water bottle from the tap before heading outside.
4. Offset your emissions. There are a number of places you can do this. Check out Carbon Fund or Terra Pass
5. Power off and get outside and enjoy the day – rain or shine! And, when you power back up tomorrow, share with us how you celebrated Earth Day today so that we can take your advice tomorrow. Every day should be Earth Day!

Even if you don’t participate, the article is worth reading.

Check out the regional pocket guides, available from Seafood Watch at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  There’s even a guide for sushi! Print one out or download it to your iphone and take it with you to restaurants and grocery stores.  How does your favorite seafood rate?

That’s what I have been studying since I graduated from Bates in 2000. Did you know that commercial fishing vessels haul a lot of other marine life aboard their vessels in addition to whatever it is that ends up on your dinner plate? All that “other” marine life, the fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks, sea birds, and invertebrates that are accidentally caught, are called bycatch. Bycatch is one of several things to consider when seeking out sustainable seafood. I am going to post several entries on sustainable seafood and other related topics over the next several months as Bates contemplates these important food issues. What is most important to you when choosing seafood for dinner?