But Now Only the Rich Can Eat Well

Two years ago I had an interesting experience in the United States. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta invited me to give a talk before 300 of its leaders and scholars — and live online for all the healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. — to express my opinion on the food system and on the importance of best practices, both from the production and distribution points of view. It is significant that the body of the U.S. Department of Health [and Human Services] that deals with epidemics — and with the possible effects of biological warfare — takes the control and prevention of disease so seriously that it considers a sustainable food supply for the environment and for the people one of the best ways to prevent disease and look after the health of its citizens. It was when Obama was pushing for a new welfare state to provide health care to all, and I noted that it was essential to control the pandemic of obesity and poor diet that has hit the U.S. for many years. The debate was intense but with total agreement: The operators were fully aware of the problem and the social costs it brought with it. Unfortunately, in the face of Big Food, they felt powerless to prevent and hard-pressed to cure.

The slow food movement is still going strong in the U.S. after 10 years; we realize something is changing over there. First lady Michelle Obama’s choices to promote school and community gardens, to support or campaign in favor of physical activity, which does not lack the opportunity to contribute to the great national network of organic and farmers’ markets, are not only a matter of lifestyle or fashion — like artificial light products, more a question of aesthetics than substance: It is a political issue of the first importance that U.S. leaders have taken on at the right time. It is not a coincidence that farmers’ markets have multiplied to be present almost everywhere. Certainly in all the big cities, those who produce and consume organic food have steadily increased in number, and increasingly bars and restaurants reveal the source of their food and the cultivation methods used. We’ve been seeing these phenomena for some time, and thank God that industry has begun to take note.

The perception of food is slowly changing, which is important from the health and wellness point of view. If it is indeed true that these were communicated by the elites diffusing this new “belief,” perhaps now the time is right for the social antibody to infect other methods of production and, above all, other sections of the population. Moreover, the farmers’ markets and the educational and community gardens have been around for a long time in the suburbs of large cities, from the Latino neighborhoods of San Francisco to food deserts in East Brooklyn. The many less affluent Americans continue to have industrial products as a reference for their own nutrition, and the hope is that the industry is perhaps realizing that its path was wrong, and that it no longer resonates with large sections of the population beginning to reverse course to something more virtuous and healthy for everyone. The real hope — also for Italy and the rest of the world — is that “local,” “organic,” “good, clean, and fair” become an everyday thing for all and not just one of the possible options, an opportunity for those who have some extra cash.