Last night, Hope and I watched the documentary film "Nero's Guests." The film focuses on poverty in modern India, and specifically its effects on India's farmers. We learned that 836 million Indians live on less than fifty cents a day. I can't even imagine that level of poverty, and it makes me a little ashamed to think of all the times I've stared into a full refrigerator complaining that we don't have anything to eat.
I have to be honest; I have never experienced poverty. Growing up, I never had to worry about not having something to eat. I lived in the delusion that everyone had equal access to food. It's what I saw, and nobody told me anything different. But today, my eyes are wide open to the problem.
In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 46.2 million people living in poverty. This number is staggering, and I struggle to fathom how any affluent nation can continue to ignore the obvious inequities that exist.
So, in an effort gain a better understanding of what it means to be poor, I'm going food shopping. Now, as Hamlet would say, "Here's the rub": I decided to only budget myself $3, and that needs to purchase enough food for all my meals tomorrow. Additionally, I'm not going to buy any packaged foods, and I want my purchases to be organic. Finally, I'm going to try and create my meals around the USDA's new MyPlate graphic and their daily recommendations.
Scott,
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I spent my childhood mired in poverty and hunger. Later, as a young adult, I still had very little money, and had to learn to stretch my wages as far as possible to keep food on the table for my daughter and myself.
Shopping with you tonight, I watched how carefully you made each choice, weighing nutrition and quantity against cost, and how you struggled with the realization that you might not be able to afford everything you had in your basket. It reminded me of my own shopping experiences throughout my life--having to pour a little bit of oats back in the bin, not getting the apple--and still fearing that I wouldn't have enough money to pay for it all once I got to the cashier.
These past few months, as you've worked on "Going Gandhi", I've been impressed with your willingness to open yourself to new experiences, and to challenge your perceptions. Tonight, I was more than impressed. I was deeply proud and grateful to you for attempting to understand this the food-insecurity aspect of poverty. You said that you know that this experiment won't really make you "know" how it feels to be poor, to be hungry, or to understand food insecurity. I agree, and I appreciate that--but I also appreciate that you're really working at broadening your awareness and gaining empathy. Your respect for me and my experience has deepened my admiration for you as you continue on this journey. Thank you for this.
Namaste.
Scott, I really admire you for doing all of this. Like Hope, I also grew up with the fear of not being able to buy food. When it comes to being poor, I might not have the best idea about it, considering I don't remember a lot of what happened, but it was just two years ago that I had to get a food box with my mom because we couldn't afford anything else. I remember the shame of standing in line. It made me feel less than human. I love your enthusiasm towards this project. Your $3 budget gives me a different perspective on what it's like to be in poverty.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to change something, I think it would be your choice not to have dairy. Dairy is an important thing to have in your diet. You could try yogurt. I get the ones for $0.48. If you could spare a little less of something and get a yogurt instead, it could work.
Andrea, Thanks for the kind words. I like your yogurt idea. To be honest, I hadn't thought of it, but since I was committed to purchasing only non-packaged items it wouldn't have worked for my experiment.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I really learned from this experiment is how difficult it is to shop healthy on a limited budget. The way the system is currently structured it's unlikely the poor can choose the option of eating healthy. To a large extent eating healthy is cost prohibitive. If you have limited funds, you may have to forgo choosing the healthy alternatives so you can have more purchasing power.
Scott, I just had a thought. While I do agree with you that eating healthy is not really an option for those living in poverty, there is another alternative to buying the more expensive foods at the grocery store: growing a garden.
ReplyDeleteIt is possible to start a garden nearly anywhere. All it takes is enough dirt for the plants to grow in, water, and sunlight.
Even if someone lives in an apartment, it would be very simple to build a wooden box and fill it with some dirt. While that may be a high price for people with less money, it would, in the long-term, be beneficial to them. They would only have to pay for the initial cost of building, the first batch of seeds, and that's it!
You would be able to save seeds from future plants, and you would save money from not needing to buy as many fruits and veggies from the store.
There would also be an added benefit; because you grow the plants, you would know what goes into them, so they would be GUARANTEED organic, instead of having to take a company's word that their products are organic.
-Janne
Scott, I have seen this situation so many times, from documentaries, to my own personal experience. For a while, my mother and I didn't have much to live off of, and I remember eating out a bit more than most of my friend's families. That's not to say that I didn't eat healthy at all, but I do remember eating out as a fairly regular occurrence. I was never a sick child, however, low-income families who are forced to eat a similar diet aren't always as lucky. I do agree that the price of healthy food makes it difficult for those families to get what they need every day. Also, if these individuals or families restrict their diet for whatever reason (such as yourself and your choice to go organic, and not eat meat or dairy products), it makes the search exponentially more difficult. The sad truth is that it seems there just isn't enough of a reason for food companies to adjust their prices at this time.
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