Sustainability Alone Can't Make a Healthy Nation

Time magazine has written recently of the high price of bad food, painting a bleak picture of "the state of your bacon — circa 2009." From contaminated foods, to global warming, to obesity and Michael Pollan, we've heard much of it before, but there is space devoted to sustainability:

Sustainable food has an élitist reputation, but each of us depends on the soil, animals and plants — and as every farmer knows, if you don't take care of your land, it can't take care of you.

The article sees great merit in sustainable practices, moves to smaller scale production methods, and the creation of networks of farmers, into communities rather than a corporations. Despite Chipotle's dubious labor practices, it is one corporation making use of these networks — even though prices are higher. The article suggests that eating good, sustainable food is up to us, but many wouldn't agree, suggesting that a junk-food "sin-tax" is the best way to encourage healthy eating. But let's remember that just because the meat is sourced from small scale farms doesn't mean it won't make just as unhealthy as fast-food — it will better in myriad ways, but probably won't help the obesity epidemic, right?

[Photo credit: Mahalie]