meansoybean

Take, say, bananas.

Bananas have attained mainstay status in our society. Our grocery stores present them as almost a basic staple. They are even made affordable — to most, anyway.

Thing is, we seem to have forgotten that bananas are, like, totally alien to our northern climes; an exotic item. Indeed, they are the fruit of a whole industry with a less than palatable background.

Sure, you could try organic bananas for thrice the price, if that helps you get through the night. Sadly, there’s no globally recognized certification for organic labeling, and in the end you end up having to trust Dole (or some other “legitimate business” of dubious legitimacy).

Then there’s also “fair trade”, though that doesn’t mean your bananas will be free of pesticides. Whichever path you choose, you’re still eating something that had to travel halfway across the world and appears fundamentally unsustainable given the hidden energy costs.

To eat locally and sustainably means letting go of such crazy — yet seemingly normal in today’s economy — imports. Like coconut milk, avocados and olives, to name a few. Think back to your grandparents’ time, when getting an orange at Christmas was enough to get your sock garters in a knot from excitement. Like, something special.

I’m not saying that importing anything from far away is wrong, but I do believe a true “staple” should be locally produced. We can’t let the hubris of globalization reach a point where we depend on food imports for our basic needs.

Now, if you’re going to import something, it should be produced by people who get fair compensation for their — in the case of bananas, backbreaking — work.

Anyway, as you might’ve guessed, this Norwegian has purchased nary a banana for some time now.

He’s also been anxiously — and ANGRRRILY — looking forward to a doc called BANANAS!*, which will finally be playing in Montreal as part of the Rencontres internationales du documentaire festival, on November 17^th and 20^th.
Check it out!