A Modest Suggestion

Last Friday Emma and I went to a supermarket to do a ‘big shop’ it was an ethically painful process (its not like I was n’t expecting it to be like that by the way! It is also not as if I have never been to a supermarket before, I've been hundreds of times!) I was going to write a normal blog about this 'suggestion' but I ended up writing a poem. I performed it at the Green Party Fundraiser on Sunday night here it is:

I’m looking for a section, with a modest selection of low impact food that might fit the current mood for sustainable change as we move into the age of environment awareness, ecological fairness.

Although I’m perfectly able, I’m tired of checking labels, this sort of shopping should be quick but I stick, stick, stick...

In the aisles of many miles sifting through the over travelled piles of fruit that might just mute my overzealous conscience that diverts me from the nonsense of buying out of season for no better reason that it comes cheap and easy in an attempt to please me, me, me.

The layout of this shop slows me to a stop, because I have to assess exactly how much mess each item bought is likely to have wrought on this fragile little planet just so I can scan it.

So I’m asking for a section with a modest selection of low impact food for me to pick and choose while being safe in the knowledge that a Professor from a college has independently checked that each item has n’t wrecked any lives or any land, directly or unplanned on its journey to my basket, it’s not much to ask now is it?

Now I don’t expect perfection lets have failures and corrections, lets tell no green lies so that one day I can buy a week of balanced meals that fit with my ideals without having to scour, hour upon hour for low impact goods amongst the ones that do not could cause deforestation and the droughts in poorer nations that lead to starvation or at best elimination of a diverse range of species, the world is falling into pieces.

But, until I get my section I’ll keep scouring and fetchin' my low impact goods because I think I should.