“JUST FOOD”! Control what you eat, fight injustice 

’JUST FOOD’! If you control what you eat, you can fight injustice

by Professor Kwaku Kusi-Appiah,

Friday 30 August 2024

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“There is a natural mystic blowing through the air….and if

you listen carefully now, you will hear”

(Robert Marley, 1978).

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Introduction:

Since COVID-19 hit, corporate Canada has been bold! Corporate Canada has been bold increasing prices of all essential items (including food) without regard for our humanity. Today, the food we eat is beyond the reach of the consumer. The consumer cannot afford even the poisoned food we find on our shelves in our corporate grocery empire. But the consumer is fighting back! In this short essay, we go behind the scenes to investigate the coping mechanisms citizens (especially newly arrived immigrants) use to stave off hunger, and without ingesting poisoned vegetables sold at unthinkable high prices. We argue that community organic gardening has come to the rescue of low-income citizens in Ottawa. The average consumer is now relying on organic food cultivated by individuals on farmlands spread all over the City of Ottawa.

Why grow your own food:

Post-Covid19 food in Ottawa (and all over the world as well) has become so expensive that most households must spend more than 50% of their meagre incomes on food alone – food that has been contaminated with chemical pesticides and fertilizers (Tarasuk et al., 2022: Ziso et al., 2022). Corporate Canada has been boldened by the recent COVID19 epidemic and have consistently and unrepentantly increased the price of food to unbelievably elevated levels with no end in sight. Even the Canadian government has not been able to do anything about this disturbing situation. 

To alleviate the suffering, most law-abiding citizens have now become producers of their own organic food. They have become the ‘grocery stores’ for their neighbours. Consumers are now buying directly from ‘petty’ farmers/gardeners, who either cultivate vegetables in their backyards or lease plots of farmlands from farms scattered all over the City.

Who is gardening organically:

Of course gardening for food can be time consuming than going to a grocery store to buy food, but it is worth the hassle. Those who rely on ‘petty’ farmers/gardeners are guaranteed non-chemically infused food that cost less for mostly low-income communities (Ziso et al., 2022). Newly arrived immigrants to Ottawa are now at the forefront of this growing trend. They do it because most of them come from backgrounds where farming is a common vocation, it comes second nature to them, and they are good at it. In this business, there is no middle ‘man’ profiting from the transaction.

How sustainable is this trend:

During a conversation with a Syrian immigrant farmer last week, I was told that growing one’s own food does not require a lot of land, it just requires more time and dedication to the cause. The gentleman has been gardening successfully for the past seven years since he immigrated to Ottawa and his clients are now in the 100s. This gentleman now employs five full-time workers, also immigrants who have not found jobs in the mainstream.

Farmer Awad (real name withheld) of Ottawa grows healthy vegetables (assorted) with the assistance of his fellow newly arrived immigrants and sells his produce to Ottawa citizens who frequent the place. He has created a ‘community’ of people who are now eating healthy without breaking the bank.

What are the benefits:

Growing organic food offers a range of benefits that can positively impact physical health, mental well-being, the environment, and one’s financial situation. Research has shown that vegetables grown organically are often fresher, more nutritious and tastes better than corporate-bought options. They are also free from harmful pesticides and chemicals. Gardening encourages a deeper connection with nature and the natural cycles of growth, fostering mindfulness and relaxation. Gardening allows one to consciously observe the seasons, weather, and wildlife in a more intimate way.

In addition, many savings can be made on grocery bills – for both the gardener and the customer. Growing one’s own food increases one’s self-reliance and can provide a buffer against fluctuations in food prices or supply chain disruptions. In times of economic uncertainty, this has been particularly valuable.

Other benefits include physical exercise, which improves strength, flexibility, and endurance. It also reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Regular gardening activities like digging, planting, weeding, and watering contribute to a healthier, more active lifestyle. Being outdoors and engaging in nature can enhance mood, provide a sense of accomplishment, and promote mindfulness (Ohly, et al., 2016).

There are environmental benefits as well. According to Shabir and colleagues, growing one’s own food reduces the need for transportation, packaging, and storage, which in turn decreases one’s carbon footprint (Shabir et al., 2023). By avoiding long supply chains, the gardener can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with commercial agriculture and food distribution (Puigdueta et al., 2021; McFarland et al., 2018; Kulak, et al, 2013). In addition, ‘petty’ gardeners can contribute to local biodiversity by providing habitats for pollinators like bees and butterflies, as well as other beneficial insects. A diverse garden can also promote soil health and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers. Gardening techniques like composting contribute to soil health, water conservation, and waste reduction (McFarland et al., 2018).

Furthermore, the educational and social benefits are endless: Gardening provides a direct way to learn about biology, ecology, and sustainable living. It can be a rewarding educational activity for children and adults alike. Also, gardening can bring people together, whether through shared garden spaces, community gardens, or local gardening clubs. These activities promote social interaction, cooperation, and a sense of community (Ambrose et al., 2023; Sommerfeld et al., 2010; Waliczek et al., 1996).

Finally, growing one’s own food ensures that one has direct access to fresh produce, reducing dependence on external food sources, which are infused with harmful chemicals (Ziso et al., 2022; Puigdueta et al., 2021; McFarland et al., 2018; Kulak, et al, 2013) .

Conclusion:

Growing one’s own food has intensified since the COVID19 pandemic. This is the direct result of the unthinkable hike in the cost of food without the needed hike in wages.  Consumers, especially low-income earners in our city, now rely more on ‘petty’ farmers (like Awad) who started growing food for themselves but now have a growing consumer base who are mostly newly arrived immigrants and low-income Canadians and can hardly afford the exorbitant cost of food at the corporate stores. ‘Petty’ farming promotes physical and mental health, supports environmental sustainability, offers economic savings, and fosters educational and social connections. Whether you have a large backyard or a small balcony, think of cultivating your own food!

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Works Cited:

Ambrose, G., Das, K., Fan, Y., & Ramaswami, A. (2023). Comparing happiness associated with household and community gardening: Implications for food action planning. Landscape and Urban Planning, 230, 104593.

Kulak, M, Graves, A., & Chatterton, J. (2013). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions with urban agriculture: A Life Cycle Assessment perspective, Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 111,

2013, Pages 68-78, ISSN 0169-2046, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.11.007.

McFarland, A., Waliczek, T. M., Etheredge, C., & Lillard, A. J. S. (2018). Understanding motivations for gardening using a qualitative general inductive approach. HortTechnology, 28(3), 289-295.

Ohly, H., Gentry, S., Wigglesworth, R., Bethel, A., Lovell, R., & Garside, R. (2016). A systematic review of the health and well-being impacts of school gardening: synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. BMC Public Health, 16, 1-36.

Puigdueta, I, Aguilera, E., Cruze, J.L., Iglesias, A., Sanz-Cobena, A. (2021). Urban agriculture may change food consumption towards low carbon diets, Global Food Security, 28 (100507).

Shabir, I, Kumar Dash, Hussain Dar, A., Kumar Pandey, V.,  Fayaz, U., Srivastava, S., & Nisha R. (2023). Carbon footprints evaluation for sustainable food processing system development: A comprehensive review, Future Foods, Volume 7, 2023, 100215, ISSN 2666-8335, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2023.100215. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833523000011.

Sommerfeld, A., Waliczek, T., & Zajicek, J. (2010). Growing minds: Evaluating the effect of gardening on quality of life and physical activity level of older adults. HortTechnology, 20(4), 705-710.

Tarasuk, V., Li T., & Fafard St-Germain A. (2022). Household food insecurity in Canada, 2021. Toronto: Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity (PROOF). Retrieved from https://proof.utoronto.ca/

Waliczek, T. M., Mattson, R. H., & Zajicek, J. (1996). Benefits of community gardening on quality-of-life issues. Journal of Environmental Horticulture, 14(4), 204-209.

Ziso, D., Chun O., & Puglisi, M. (2022). Increasing Access to Healthy Foods through Improving Food Environment: A Review of Mixed Methods Intervention Studies with Residents of Low-Income Communities. Nutrients. 2022 May 29;14(11):2278. doi: 10.3390/nu14112278. PMID: 35684077; PMCID: PMC9182982.

Dr. Kwaku Kusi-Appiah,a demographer and environmentalist is an adjunct professor at Ottawa’s Carleton University. His research seeks to provide a clearer understanding of non-market strategies that determine access to community resources, and how the resulting inequities shape livelihoods in marginalized spaces of Canada and the developing world. Kwaku Kusi-Appiah was president of the Ghana Association of Ottawa (1995-2003) and senior advisor on Diversity to the Mayor of Ottawa (2004- 2006) where he led many multi-disciplinary teams to solve complex diversity issues in a timely & sensitive manner. In September 2018, Kusi-Appiah was appointed by the Lt. Governor of Ontario as a public member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario College of Social Work and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).

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