Eighth and Ninth Days
I have baked bread again. I only have two bags of the flour from the Lonesome Stone folks left. (lonesomestone@gmail.com) Or about twelve loaves of bread unless I mix it. I may have to add some rye and some white to the next batch. Next week, I can return to buying bread. Do I want to? I never thought I’d be asking that question!
I am reading Raj Patel’s Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle For the World Food System. I have learned that in 2009, fifty million people were “food insecure,” in other words, hungry! And one in four Americans are on some kind of food assistance. It is estimated that hunger costs us $140 billion dollars in work loss, medical bills (one in two people of color born in 2000 will get diabetes), depression and long term damage. Furthermore, he claims that the difference in money per week between being hungry at least some of the time and not being hungry is about $13.00 per person per week.
He also points out that in the food movement, we are often just talking about the food, not about hunger or poverty.
Sobering thoughts as I get used to eating less, not the same as being hungry.
