I remember when I first arrived in university back in 1999. I had heard of people being vegetarian but when someone told me they were vegan, first thought was, “What on earth is a vegan?” The answer hit me like a tidal wave when we ordered pizza and there wasn’t any cheese.

It is always interesting to me to hear about food because for the most part, it is something we enjoy and experience on a day-to-day or somewhat hourly basis. Very few thoughts have run through my mind with regards to the impact I have when I eat what I eat. I generally believe in a “balanced diet” — too much of anything is generally bad. I do like to eat healthier but it depends on the cost and if it is generally good food (i.e. flavour). I keep in mind that the chicken or the cow (which I actually haven’t eaten in two years because of medicinal reasons) gave up their life so that I have nourishment. I acknowledge the fact that the agriculture industry isn’t necessarily working as it should (i.e. hormones, space and feeding practices) and many other issues surrounding food, but I had yet to think of how I affect others in this world when I take a bite out of a chicken burger or nibble on a french fry or enjoy a donut in the afternoon.

Mark Bittman makes some really interesting points and comparisons when he points out how many animals are killed a year, a production process that takes up massive amounts of land, and how this is connected to other farm productions that is focused on corn and soy.

Personally, I don’t eat out much. Too expensive. People often tell me to shop locally because of a number of reasons but I don’t think that’s the right mindset to encourage people. I think it’d be more effective to explain to them that when you are picking up that piece of meat or bag of fruit, you are affecting others. By supporting the current distribution of food, we are supporting the use of trucks. By supporting organic products, we are still supporting a certain method of distribution which may still be inorganic.

How do we deal with such a big picture effect? It would be way too overwhelming. The only way is to simply reduce the amount we eat and the number of times we eat out. Even better would be to eliminate the fast-food chains. I think the key to making an impact on the bigger picture is to continually ask ourselves how our actions can impact others — this goes back to being considerate but it is no longer just about manners or being polite — it is about cities and their polluted air with people suffering from allergies and asthma; it is about farms shutting down and massive suburban expansion, etc.

The interesting thing about this video is that it’s primarily American focused. Being a Canadian of Chinese descent, I often don’t really just eat a slab of steak or just a chicken burger — Chinese cuisine tends to draw upon many different food groups and blend them together. Since this is cultural and so many dishes have historical significance, I wonder how this has impacted the world…