The true cost of some of our food
By Kathryn deBros
Jenelle has a carefully planned strategy for maximizing her weekly visits to the farmers market. Every Saturday she walks the two miles from her home, coffee in hand, to the bustling street that’s been closed to traffic for the event. Surveying the whole joyful scene—children nibbling warm donuts, musicians busking, shoppers chatting with farmers as they fill their market bags with vibrant leafy greens, ruby radishes and speckled eggs—Jenelle previews potential purchases. The rhubarb looks good today, but how will she use it? She’s bored with zucchini at this time of year, but the heirloom tomatoes are robust and beautiful. And what is that odd-shaped vegetable with the spikes? So many options!
A steadfast vegetarian since age six, now studying to be a dietician, Jenelle developed an allergy to dairy 12 years ago, and took that out of her diet as well. She’s a conscientious consumer who buys most of her groceries at the farmers market, but for all the abundance, there is a significant gap in the local offerings: plant-based protein. There is some protein in vegetables—notably spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, corn, potatoes and peas—but like many vegans, our shopper relies on beans, quinoa and soy products for a balanced diet. Since these are in scarce supply in her market, it raises an interesting question: How sustainable can a vegan diet be if a substantial portion of it must be shipped from elsewhere?
Tofu, for example, is made by only a handful of companies. In Southern California we are fortunate to have House Foods, 
Wildwood and Morinaga producing non-GMO soy products, but where the beans are sourced is another question, and some are even imported to meet demand (an estimated 90 percent of the domestic soybean crop is GMO). Add to that the processes of soaking, grinding, pasteurizing, packaging and shipping to rack up the sort of carbon footprint estimated, in a Dutch study, to be close to that caused by chicken.
And then there’s the quinoa conundrum. While the basic components of tofu can be produced here in the States, 92 percent of all the quinoa in the world is grown in South America. An ancient seed that is cooked like a grain and is gaining popularity even in omnivorous cookbooks as a superfood, quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids, and thus is considered a complete protein. The United Nations actually declared 2013 to be the International Year of Quinoa. Varieties of quinoa are being developed to suit the North American climate, but in general, Chenopodium quinoa can be a fussy plant, and temperatures greater than 95° F. will destroy it. It may be available at farmers markets in cooler climates over the next few years, but even then it will take farmers some time to catch up to demand. An article in the Guardian in January of 2013 blamed vegans for creating more demand for quinoa, leading to skyrocketing prices that the humble Andeans, for whom quinoa is the staple food, can no longer afford. On the other hand, boycotting the grain entirely could put them out of the job. We are, in that regard, damned if we eat it and damned if we don’t.
The other key vegan revelation relates to our feet more than our mouths, because a vegan commitment means no more shoes made from animal hide. There’s a fairly steady market for canvas shoes these days, but even slightly cooler, wetter weather sends shoppers scampering for a leather alternative, which will most likely be a petroleum-based synthetic material shipped from China. Add to that the resources required to process petroleum into something resembling, or at least functioning as animal skin, and the greenhouse gas emissions begin to rack up.
Obviously “local” depends on where you are, and buying local is about more than reducing emissions. California has terrific advantages for vegans, as the range of growing conditions within the state and the lengthy growing season allow for a steady supply of vegan necessities. And in major cities with a significant Asian population, chances are good that a locally made tofu is available, providing an opportunity to keep money in the community. For those in less urban regions, it can be more difficult to maintain a vegan diet without committing to more home production.
For Jenelle, our shopper, by her second time around the market she has her game plan in place and her market bag ready, and she fills it with produce. But for now she’ll have to visit her local co-op later in the week to buy a few other staples of her diet—including tofu and quinoa.
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~ Cher and Share Alike—Alicia Silverstone
~ Eating Vegan to Save Our Planet
