WHAT down-turn?
So I ask you, WHAT down-turn in the economy? How has it affected you personally? Has it emptied your wallet or decimated your portfolio? Has it ruined your chances of getting that promotion, or has it canceled your vacation plans to Switzerland? I bet it's scared you, and I bet that somebody you know is having a tough time finding a job. But what else has it done?
Well, consider that what it has done already might be insignificant to what it WILL do, but then consider that what it WILL might just be for the best. I've been warned by friends and family not to wax too poetic about the recent credit crunch, seeing as I've done so rather smugly of late (and I'll leave my smugness at this: I saw it coming). But the down-turn's impact is pressing, and worth addressing, and worth, frankly, exploring until we find a silver lining.
Did you, by chance, read Michael Pollan's article in the New York Times Magazine of 2 weeks ago? As usual, he and I don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to local food production, but his article really stresses how ignored "Food" has been over the last 30 some odd years, and how important it now needs to become again. He lists several break-downs in how food is treated, and comes up with many ideas about what needs to be done to re-prioritize.
Also, as usual, he writes aboubt programs probably too ambitious for a mere mortal (in the case of this article, mere mortal president) to achieve in one lifetime. Dismantle industrial food production? Land reform? Setting diet as an educational priority? All LOW on the totem pole. But the overall thrust of the article really underscores that, like it or not, Food is soon to magnify in PERTINENCE to other issues, even if it's importance remains undervalued.
To whit, I'll take this moment to remind you that currently Americans spend about 8% of their income on food, where as recently as 1975 they spent 16%. That other 8% has mostly gone into housing, and we now know where that has gotten us, no? The credit crunch, courtesy of banking margins flimsily built on grossly over-valued mortgages and a housing surplus, means money is not moving, and won't move anywhere anytime soon.
But people still need to eat.
I propose that FOOD is the next economy, whether the next President sees it to be or not. Energy will come, for sure, but Food ain't ever going away as part of the economy, and has the potential to be the greatest food suplier in the world. There's a silver lining for you- Peeled Snacks and like companies may be the next Next Big Thing. And don't we all really deserve it?
More to come on this issue- with so much news reeling off about to much money NOT moving, more discussion is needed. But I just wanted to start with this one though- FOOD is BACK. And it sure tastes good....
Peeled Skinny
