Edible Education: The Global Food Movement with Carlo Petrini

Sep 24, 2011 by The Tasty Buzz

I'm not sure if you've heard the buzz about the Edible Education course going on here at UC Berkeley, but somehow I got word of it and started attending the classes. I missed seeing one of heroes, Carlo Petrini, speak--and am especially bummed because it would have been a great chance to practice my Italian. The course was put together by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame, Niki Henderson from People's Grocery here in Oakland, and Michael Pollan, food journalist extraordinaire. The last two classes I've attended have explored race and economic issues in the food movement, especially connections between obesity, food insecurity, and minorities in the United States. Even though I love eating wholesome, organic food, these are the questions that really interest me: How can we re-shape our food systems here in the U.S. and around the world, to make sure that all people are being fed wholesome food, not just the privileged few? I'll be sharing notes and Youtubes from this course as I continue, but I want to start by asking this: What do you consider the most important issue in the food movement? Food security? Labeling/banning GMOs? Restructuring food systems so all have access to healthy food? Starvation in the third world? There are so many paths into the food conversation--which ones are you passionate about?