Interview with Sarah Pecas, Greenpeace France

Greenpeace France June 15, 2010

Greenpeace France provides five policy cornerstones for fundamental changes in farming and food systems in order to feed the world sustainably. They are: 1. Prioritizing the resource needs and knowledge of the world’s small-scale ecological farmers. 2. Supporting ecological farming systems with public research and investments monies. 3. Supporting the multiple ecological functions of agriculture through policies that value and protect ecosystem services. 4. Addressing climate change through the agriculture sector with support for ecological farming. 5. Recognizing the inter-related principles of food sovereignty and the right to food.

Greenpeace Campaigner Sarah Pecas believes that the slogan, act locally and think globally is necessary but she states that to act globally and think locally is equally important. Her campaign efforts go towards combating genetically modified products (GMO’s) in France and beyond. France’s food products have less than 1% GMO’s which by law must be label in contrast to foods in USA, where up to 80% contain GMO’s and requires zero labeling. Sarah sees a correlation between countries which have GMO businesses and the lack of governmental oversight in GMO’s effect on human and environmental health, labeling, and comprehensive media reporting. France restricts the growing of GMO’s but allows imports of livestock feed that of which contains 80% GMOs. Sarah says there is yet to be unbiased data to reflect the effects of GMO’s on human and livestock health, but there is significant evidence indicating the negative impacts of GMO’s on local economies and the environment. GMO’s contribute to climate change, to excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, to the destruction of small farmers, to ‘super’ chemical resistant weeds and pests, to the contamination of conventional seed crops, and false promises of greater yields as a measure of decreasing world hunger. Data on GMO’s can be found on Greenpeace International website at: www.greenpeace.org/

I asked Sarah what we could do individually and in our communities to address food sovereignty.

Greenpeaace believes that there are 15 simple steps to take in food security: 1. Food first (agriculture should provide all residents of a region the necessary means to feed themselves a health diet). 2. Smallholders are the key to sustainable food security. 3. Women make the difference. (Women provide the larger part of agricultural labor, food processing, household health and nutrition services). 4. Replace monocultures with diversity. 5. Design agricultural policies the support and enhance the multiple ecological functions of agriculture. 6. Escape the pesticide treadmill! 7. Minimise fossil fuel dependency. 8. Grow and produce food as close to those who eat it as possible. 9. Reduce and optimize meat production and consumption. 10 Reduce food waste and other agricultural products at every step of production, processing, and distribution. 11. Rethink and improve how bioenergy is produced and utilized. 12. Plant more trees! 13. Adapt global trade for the major challenges ahead. 14. Share the knowledge needed for survival! 15. Continue global multi-stakeholder exchange of knowledge and views.

“Green washing” is what Sarah calls the false promises by agri-businesses about the benefits of their costly products. Their rhetoric is about making a profit and food dependency, not in addressing world hunger. By decentralizing our food system and bringing the farm closer to our table, we can address problems such as food safety and food security, as well as environmental issues as water crisis, forest destruction, loss of biodiversity, and climate change.

Thank you Sarah for the interview and thank you Greenpeace France for your stellar work and commitment to our Earth!

A few scenes from along the Loire River, Orleans to Tours

Hello Food and Farm Fans!!!
Please enjoy the following photos from my 5 day bike trek along the majestic Loire River, from Orleans to Tours. Although the weather was cool and wet, my encounter with the beautiful farms and food felt warming. Here are a few food delights I saw: asparagus, sunflowers, several varieties of wheat, oats, lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes (in greenhouses), mustard (seeds for harvest), potatoes, fava beans, corn, cherries, strawberries, apricot, peach, goat cheese and of course, hectares and hectares of grapes. I stopped at a Crocs du Merle, a winery producing on 10 hectares in Muides-sur Loire and purchased an award winning Cheverny ... a lovely white that embellished the local goat cheese, bread and veggies I had for dinner (photo). Bryno Deschamps, (pictured with wife), has 1 hectare of greenhouse grown tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce and eggplant. He sales from his garage along with other local products in Muides-sur Loire. One afternoon I harvested strawberries at Ferme du Petit Villesablon in Chailles. What a complement with the bottle of Esprit, a dry red I picked up at Domaine des Pirrettes. Check out the photo with goat cheeses so lovely presented in a shop in Amboise. The fromage fermier from Sainte Maure de Touraine was my selection and it was heavenly. Valerie Lenaire, (photo at table) and husband Rodger, who manage the municipal campground in Vouvray, take great care in preparing their food. She remarked that the French do not philosophize about food, they are simply passionate about it and make it priority. They buy at a local market and stick to seasonal and local when possible. Valerie says the produce imported does not have the taste that her husband-chef desires in his dishes. Gardens along the Loire River are common, and remind me sf the dachas in Russia.

My last dinner in Paris at l'encrier (the ink well)

Odile, her daughter Lea, friend Yoan, and I went to l'encrier, The Ink Well for a fabulous Parisian dinner. My meal (photos) was friton d'auvergne, a ham pate. Pintade aux raisins, my main entre' was guinea fowl lathered in a sauce with baby grapes. The eggplant and potato side dish was a perfect complement. I had apricot tart for desert, tarte aux abricots et amandes. The menu changes here weekly, with seasonal foods, and a on-staff chef with assistants. The shocking news is that this is an average restaurant for Paris and offers very exotic dishes with veal, rabbit, lamb, pork, and fish. Odile had baby cow kidneys, a first for me to taste, and very flavorful!
Just for fun, a photo from metro... an organic advertisement next to McDonalds.

Saturday evening picnic on the Seine

Enjoying a Saturday picnic with Odile and friends. The quiche Lorraine recipe will be published soon! It was amazing! The card game is with a deck with paintings by French, Italian, and Dutch painters. The game challenges your knowledge of paintings and also chance.

Paris

Sunday breakfast

View from my room

Touring the city by bike