Today was Food Day in the US, an event simultaneously disheartening and encouraging.
On the down side, having to declare a day to focus on real food suggests just how far we've wandered from having a real food culture. Would France have a Food Day? Or Italy? No - they have agri-tourism, stores closed mid-day to facilitate long, sit-down lunches, cafes with sidewalk tables for the simple pleasure of lingering over a cup of coffee while people-watching, and protests when a McDonald's is proposed in any historic venue.
On the plus side, the event was well-organized and clearly articulates a manifesto for constructive change. In addition, the publicity includes a host of excellent resources for interested Americans.
The real tests of Food Day's success will be what we do after this inaugural year, and how many years it takes to make the exercise obsolete.
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