What happened to our priorities?

by Benoît Bleau, translation by Sheila Lord  (December 2013)

A humorist said recently that soon it will be more ap- propriate before a meal to say «Good Luck» than to say «Enjoy Your Meal» Is this expression really so insincere? For some time now, what with mad cow disease, Asian flu, listeriosis, we have become obsessed with healthiness. On the contrary, our foods have never been so «unhealthy». We are slowly being poisoned thanks to our large-scale production methods, the wide-spread use of synthetic pesticides of all kinds, transformed foods, and the addition of preservatives in almost all the groceries we encounter. We are realizing more and more that the sicknesses of a civilised society such as cancer, heart diseases, multiple sclerosis and obesity are closely related to our life-style which is becoming more and more sedentary and driven by the urge for profit and productivity. Even worse, the companies which are poisoning us with their synthetic products are the same ones which make millions of dollars supplying medications which have in turn been prescribed by doctors more interested in treating diseases than in promoting healthy living.

Food, air and water which are supposed to sustain life are being destroyed because of our greedy and irresponsible monopoly of natural resources for «pure» pleasure. Modern agriculture is at its most vulnerable and its least profitable in the whole of history. Our large- scale producers could not survive without the subsidies and compensation available to them. At the same time farmers in Quebec (and elsewhere) receive hardly any support and are constantly faced with regulations of all kinds which are imposed on them by more powerful interests via an influential government and union lobby. It is nevertheless proven that small-scale agriculture is the most socially acceptable, selling produce, as it does, to the local population and at the same time creating a climate of confidence and support. But, as a result of these limitations, farmers and other regional artisans who are simply trying to support their families and supply food to their neighbours, feel discouraged and give up.

What will it take for us to realize that we are heading for the collapse of humanity if we don’t acknowledge the situation and agree to reduce and change our consumption habits. Certainly in the present context a change of direction will be required which may invite disapproval. Why just wait for worldwide scarcity before coming to our senses and taking action? When more attention is de- voted to what goes into our cars than to what we feed to our children and ourselves, THERE IS A PROBLEM!!!

Fortunately more and more local initiatives are calling into question our life style. Only by meeting together for discussion and pooling ideas will we reach realistic and viable solutions. It is possible to eat well without exceeding the budget. It is possible to revitalize our fields and restore vital links between country-dwellers and city-dwellers. At this time of rejoicing and reflection, let’s show our willingness to take action. Get in touch and exchange ideas through organisations such as equiterre.org; Hemmingford Environment Committee : benoît.bleau@gmail.com or 514-834-8230;
St. Romain Second-Hand Store : Diane Bourdon, 450-247-2889;
Volunteer services « Au cœur du jardin » inc. : Hélène Mathys, 450-247-2893; Profil santé Jardins-de-Napierville : www.facebook.com/pages/Profil-santé