[thechat] Fried Twinkies.

[David Wagner]

Chris Marsh referred to:

> http://www.beyondveg.com/billings-t/comp-anat/comp-anat-6c.shtml

Even this article (an interesting one) fails to fully discuss a highly
relevant point:

Humans aren't exactly primates anymore, either.

We're pretty far removed from any normal category. Most of us eat a
relatively omnivorous diet, but we're able to fuel our bodies in various
ways, with a wide degree of choice. Many humans are even able to reduce
environmental factors in their diets, and eat foods from around the world --
previously impossible in the animal kingdom. We have so much conscious
control over our diets that physiological characteristics are only partially
relevant. Through industrial processing, diet analysis on a grand scale, and
medicinal supplementation, we have surpassed the basic concept of "you are
what you eat".

Humans have become sort of meta-omnivores; "omni" in the truest sense. We
really can eat anything.

...Not that I'm advocating it, mind you. One of my housemates is deeply
involved in researching local food systems and related sustainable
agriculture concepts. These ideas are pretty fascinating, in that the
potential benefits stretch from individual health, to community economic
stability, to large-scale social consciousness raising, to addressing
macro-scale environmental concerns.

I'm Googling all over the place trying to find a good summary page on local
food systems, but it's all kinda vague at this point. Here's a few
resources:
http://www.sustainable.org/economy/agriculture.html
http://www.reeusda.gov/ifafs/
http://zzyx.ucsc.edu/casfs/about/index.html
http://www.agroecology.org/

David

--

David Wagner
dave at worlddomination.net