Wow, it has been months since I have written anything here. I have deactivated my social media accounts as well, so please share my work, because the majority of my readers find me through Instagram and I just cannot do it anymore.
I don't know about you, but I have been paralyzed lately in the face of what is going on in the world. We are watching a genocide being live-streamed in Gaza, and no matter what I do, how many emails I send to my representatives, how much I try to raise the volume, nothing I do or say matters. At the same time, the collective energy around the world gives me hope because it is how I want to model my lifestyle. Collective action. I want to use the word "we" more than the word "I."
I haven't had the energy to write much these days. Back in February, I was once again back in California taking care of my mother, and I had to take antibiotics, which seriously fucked my very carefully curated gut biome, which led to a Crohn's flare-up. I haven't had a flare-up in years because of my high fiber and highly plant-diverse diet that feeds my biome, but the antibiotics sent me. Then I found out my dog Benny's tumor had metastasized to his lung and jaw, and he was given two weeks to live. That pushed me over the edge, to be honest. I am now living through one of the worst flare-ups in my life, and I am now home a lot, caring for my hospice dog.
Well, it's now been almost three months. Every evening, Ettore and I ask each other, "Would you put him to sleep tomorrow?" and so far, the answer has been no. We had one scare this weekend, ready to have the vet come over, but it was managed. His quality of life is still good, he isn'tisn't in pain, and he lives his life as he always has Boo Boo style. I realized I have spent 1/3 of my life with Benny and his brother Chardonnay. 16 years! They are my best friends, family, soul mates, and heart dogs. I went through a few weeks of really intense anticipatory grief thinking about losing Benny, and this is what sent me. And I know I am privileged. I have been working from home lately, working in the garden, and able to monitor and spend nearly every moment with my dogs. I can't even begin to imagine a life without Benjamin.
And yet, every day, I read about Palestinians who have lost 15, 40, and 120 members of their families in eight months. People who mattered, people with dreams, joy, laughter, tears, hope, anger, voices. Extinguished. And if they aren't being routinely murdered, they are being systemically starved by Israel. Israel is weaponizing food against Gazans. Politicians in the United States serve Israel, not us. They accept millions in bribe money through AIPAC and refuse to listen to the citizens with whom they work. They are the few; we are the many.
I feel the global capitalist system that upholds the patriarchy and white supremacy is starting to unravel. The system of ecocide and genocide for profit that benefits the few at the expense of the majority of us is falling apart. We are no longer satiated with bread and circuses because we are hooked in and know what the actual cost of cheap shit and worthless entertainment is. The veil has been lifted, and I couldn't be happier about it. All people should have the right to necessities like housing, food, education, and healthcare. We don't have these things in the United States, and yet our politicians keep sending billions upon billions of dollars to fund war, and why? Not because they care about an issue. It's greed. They are not only funded by AIPAC; they are supported by the weapons manufacturers that make the arms that kill people. There is a lot of money to be made in war, and their greed has no limits.
It's greed that has infiltrated everyone. We are constantly taught that to feel whole, we need to "make it" and be girl bosses and rule the world. Corporate patriarchy has infiltrated the feminist movement. It's gross. For some reason, we have been led to believe that the highest honor is having a seat at the table that greedy men have controlled for thousands of years. Fuck that shit. The only way we get out of this mess is a total reset because, I can tell you, there is not much more to be taken. We are in crisis. A crisis of genocide and ecocide.
I was set off recently because I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and saw a post by a food professional that said (and I am paraphrasing here) I am going to conquer the world with these two. Conquer what? Conquering is for colonizers. Conquering is for assholes. This language is so problematic in food and food media. It's that capitalist "girl boss" bullshit that teaches women that we have value when we accomplish shit that doesn't matter. I can't remember who posted it, but the words seared me. This language is why kitchens in restaurants are so fucking toxic. Food media is rife with assholes who don't seem to care about the food or the people who produce it unless it is part of their hustle. It is maddening to witness the narcissistic circle jerk, and to also feel that to make a living, I have to participate too. Do I? I lead and organize food and wine tours in Rome and Georgia, and I hope that by talking about the realities of food, food waste, labor, etc, while I am on tour, maybe I can change the mind of one person to what to be a part of a collective change when they go home.
I hope that the future is going to be ok. The global resistance is growing, and many women are doing the actual work of creating communities that feed, inspire, and nourish. Food represents so much to so many of us.
I attended the 9th Parabere Forum in Rome at the beginning of March and left ready to be the change. The PARABERE Forum is a non-profit platform promoting women's views on food and politics. I had the great honor of listening to and being inspired by some of the most influential women in food who are creating real change through their work and the intersection of politics and food, which always intersect. Food is political and personal.
The food we choose (when we can choose) affects the entire planet. The agriculture sector is responsible for significant global greenhouse gas emissions, ranging between 13% and 21%. This is due to direct emissions and non-agricultural land conversion into agricultural land. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are primarily composed of nitrous oxide and methane, with animal husbandry being a major contributor. The farm food system uses significant land and fossil fuels, further exacerbating the issue. Monogastric animals, such as pigs and poultry, contribute less to greenhouse gas emissions compared to ruminant cattle for beef and dairy but are responsible for toxic waste poisoning waterways and land. Climate-smart agriculture strategies are being implemented to mitigate emissions, including higher livestock farming efficiency, better manure management, lower reliance on fossil fuels, and reduced animal-sourced food production and consumption.
The way we eat in the West is no longer sustainable. It is not sustainable for the planet we live on; it kills billions of land and sea animals every year, and it is certainly not good for our health. It is toxic to the soil, and the air and extremely dangerous for workers who are exposed to chemicals and extreme weather conditions. The food we buy in the supermarket isn't doing anything for us, it is only lining the pockets of a few greedy CEOs of food corporations. And it tastes like shit.
It is because the model most systems are built for profit rather than well-being. It's easy to feel bogged down and like there is no way out, but the Parabere Forum introduced me to incredible women who are creating systems of change based on the concepts of love, community, and nourishment rather than greed, ego, or the need for validation.
In Dee Woods's talk, '"Politics from Below," she emphasized,
"Food is a policy issue. We have a global food system that is violent. It still enslaves people and children. We talk about a broken food system, but it's working exactly as it was designed."
It is designed for maximum profit for the few at the expense of the many. Look at global inflation and soaring food costs around the world. They tell us it is because of supply due to Ukraine or oil prices due to war, but these companies are currently making record-breaking profits. Woods pushes us to challenge that from below by working together; there is power in the collective. Women make the majority of household food choices, and in numbers, we have the power to make change if we work together. But how? She explained,
"Food doesn't come from industrial producers. 75% of food comes from small family farms."
By eating lower in the system, we can decolonize our food system by eating culturally appropriate foods. But we must be collective and create a revolutionary love and joy system.
I love the idea of radical love and joy to create change in the world. That does not mean ignoring reality, though. Toxic positivity is not healthy and frankly comes from extreme privilege. We need to decolonize our feminism. We can start with language and eliminate words that reflect a power dynamic that perpetuates colonial ideologies that still marginalize people today. I don't want to work within the system; I want to smash the patriarchal structures that are designed to marginalize the majority of people in the world. Words like "conquer," or manifesting a goal to rule the food world, or to be the "best" in the world imply over someone else, when the reality is, if you are writing about Food, wine, or even travel, you are doing so because someone else shared their knowledge with you. We all seem to be climbing up a pyramid with very little room at the top; being at the top simply means people are below you.
A more fair and egalitarian system has no pyramid structure. It is curved and round, with space for everyone to achieve their goals without stepping on someone else. Something marvelous happens when my focus isn't simply being a boss but community-centered. I become a part of the community, and as I enrich it, it enriches me. It is a circular economy. Obviously, I have to survive in this capitalist system as it is because I am not landed gentry, but the more I focus on my community of people, and my local ecosystem, the more people remember me when they need a wine person to lead a tasting in Rome, or they remember that my husband is a licensed tour guide.
Frankly, I am not good at self-promotion or marketing about myself, which is why I deactivated my social media accounts. I went back on after a long break and remembered I was not mentally healthy enough for META. Is anyone? Giving away my data so they can create an algorithm for me based on how I behave is scary, and it doesn't benefit me in any way. It simply drives me further into an echo chamber so they can sell me products or make me feel bad I have pores, or my vegetable garden isn'tisn't manicured enough. My data enriches our techno-feudal overlords. I don't want to be influenced by anyone but my community, which isn't on Instagram or X.
I feel like I am walking on a tightrope, trying to balance a complete sense of doom and yet feeling inspired by people who have lifted the veil and are being the change. I was a punk kid in the 1990s, and those ideals shaped me. My resistance will always be through food, from not eating animals to growing my own food to supporting independent growers of the food and wines I consume.
As I write this, Benny has outlived his predicted life expectancy by months. How? It wasn't just his nature and strength. It was love from Ettore and I. Love in the form of cooked food that nourishes rather than processed food. It is the Chinese medicine I give him. It is the care, attention, and love that makes him endure. And it can be the same with us if we take an approach of love, nourishment, and community focus; little acts by many add up to significant changes.
Who is inspiring you?
What I am reading on Substack:
I have read a lot of posts on the current blocking of celebrities on social media. I think we should just block the apps because these celebrities will just be replaced by someone else, but everyone is on their own journey when it comes to social media and I think this is sending a clear message. I am glad to see the demise of stan culture. They don´t give two fucks about us.
Have you also noticed how food culture in most cities around the world is designed for grammability rather than food? It is the reason I just stay home to eat.
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newletter.And yes, the wine industry is rife with misogyny and violence, but it hasn´t been aired out. Because the gatekeepers are still men and the women who protect them.
I'm so with you on values and food! Power dynamics just don't fit with the conviviality of sharing food and enjoying the company of others.
And I've been vegan for forty years, and can't imagine a healthier, more delicious way of eating that causes much less harm to the planet.
And, yes, Palestine takes up so much of my psychic space -- it's almost all I can write about these days.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks Sarah! Great links that you pulled together and totally agree about smashing the system and rebuilding a community