Make no mistake about it: food is politics. Food is nation building and backbreaking business.
Where you source your food says a lot about your world view and even lack thereof. How you cook your food punctuates that argument. What you eat defines not only who you are, but what you can be.
Funny, isn’t it? Who would’ve thought a plate of roasted vegetables could be the topic for an intellectual discussion? But it is — and it invites lots of questions.
Did the vegetables come from a local farm in the UAE or even from our close regional neighbours, or from some factory farm in the USA? Did you cook it with healthy cold pressed coconut oil made in the Philippines or did you use the cheap ‘vegetable’ soybean oil from the USA (which, by the way, is genetically modified)?
Let’s go back even further. Remember the fish you served at your lovely dinner party? Did you buy wild, organic varieties from the local fish market that sourced it from local and regional waters, or did you get artificially coloured salmon farmed in and freighted from Norway?
As the conversations about the politics of food have gathered momentum, we have been made aware of the fact that we yield power with our wallets — and bellies.
If you have been in the region long enough, you may remember that more things were sourced locally and regionally. Back then, it was normal for people to exert some effort to find clothes and shelter. Everyone had a tailor in Meena Bazaar and a dearth of fast and processed food options meant that people cooked and ate fresh foods at home. Since then, life moved faster and ‘convenience’ became a buzzword. What was a healthy Middle Eastern and Mediterranean diet has given way to highly processed foods that include imported ‘fresh’ factory farmed meats while genetically modified ingredients have been hidden in much of the products we consume. But all is not lost.
Our hope lies in making small but cumulative choices to buy and eat local. Our collective decision is what will breathe life back into local agriculture and encourage local production to meet global standards of quality and competitiveness. Let us demand local items in supermarkets and farmers’ markets. When there is no alternative for produce to be obtained from local sources, shop around until you find the ones grown and farmed in the region.
If we create a greater demand for local and organic produce, we will eventually drive local food prices down once supplies catch up. Let us guarantee farmers that if they plant fields of food, we will not leave them to rot on their hands for waxed and modified picture perfect imports. Storeowners are in the business of making profits and will sell what we are willing to buy.
Where the politics of food is concerned, we vote daily with our wallets and our bellies — so vote well.
Places to buy local and or organic foods in the UAE
Baker & Spice, Go Organic, Organiliciouz, Greenheart UAE, Blue Planet Green People, Ripe and the inaugural International Fine Food Festival scheduled to be held from October 30- Nov 2 at the Meydan. Thanks to Sally from My Custard Pie for collating the list.
Photos of the Al Shuwaib Farm in the UAE. Article first published in Kari’s “When Hunger Strikes” food column in the Khaleej Times wknd section.
Didi Paterno-Magpali (@didipaterno) says
Speaking of local, any news on the farmer’s market on the terrace? Hoping they’d get back. I have recently started to eat better and I can certainly feel changes in my health and disposition. One of my concerns though is the price of organic and / or local goods. I know better health through better diet is an investment, but some vendors have insanely high prices. There are people like me in the UAE, who want to eat healthier, but prices have to be accessible as well.
Chef and Steward says
Didi, that is why I shop almost exclusively at Baker & Spice for my personal shopping as far as organics go outside of the few supermarket staples like organic eggs when the fresh ones from the Farmer’s Market on the Terrace are not available. What we pay a the Baker & Spice Farmer’s Market on the Terrace is a tiny fraction of the cost elsewhere. The prices elsewhere range from ridiculous to insulting. I have yet to try out Greenheart and Organilicious plus Blue Planet but we are less fond of box schemes because we like to select our own food ourselves.
Didi Paterno-Magpali (@didipaterno) says
That’s why I am sooooo looking forward to the Farmer’s market. You know the difference if you go to a lot of supermarkets. I will make the most out of the produce season.
Oh I know what you mean about selecting the food ourselves. I also want to find good organic duck eggs. Plan to make my own salted eggs. I felt bad my expensive grocery salted eggs went bad on me 🙁
Chef and Steward says
Didi, that is why I am such a big fan of the market -cost and quality. The produce are harvested that same morning and available for us to make brunch that same day and still waaay cheaper. Money talks! I haven’t seen organic duck eggs here. Sometimes times like these make you long for the tropic and totally agricultural home that you grew up in huh? I saw ducks strolling through the yard of a home I went to in Zanzibar along with turkeys and chickens and you bet they were eating organic – Indian spinach tied to a fence protecting a young breadfruit tree. No wonder the food and fruit in Zanzibar were just amazing!
IshitaUnblogged says
Great article. I would like to visit some local farm. Just to understand what the local thought processes are regarding this issue. Any suggestion? And I really agree with Didi… there are many of us who want to eat healthy but find the prices quite exorbitant. Very pertinent issue, an issue which will probably take a meaningful direction as many join in the participation.
Chef and Steward says
Ishita, it would be great to spark further discussion indeed. I was invited because of my food column. Local farms are not very open to outside visitors because they are all privately owned.
therealgeordiearmani says
my friend Nils owns the Organic Supermarkets, he asked me about 4 years ago to do a full weekly shop in his place as opposed to a regular supermarket, as a test I wasn’t actually paying. The trolley was pretty full, at the checkout we nearly fainted, it would have come to 1200 dhs. I try to buy local all the time and avoid imported and do by various veggies from organic outlets etc, all my meat is from Prime Gourmet, ultimately to comes down to cost though.
Chef and Steward says
And that again is the crucial point in the debate- so many want to get the food without the crap that you get when you buy organic but the fact that some make it so expensive that “buying organic” is a buzz word akin to “I shop exclusively at Saks” makes it difficult. Those who manage household budgets and restaurant budgets have to make them balance so we need this whole initiative to be sustainable for our pockets as well. If most people were to spend 1200AED on organics for a week’s worth of groceries, they would starve for the rest of the month and in many cases, even two!
Sarah Allenby says
Hi Kari, as GA says, price does matter. However, since we moved back to the UAE last year I try to buy locally grown produce as far as possible. We visit the Ripe market every other week and rotate my menu according to what is in the box. Yes, I will occasionally buy strawberries on special offer as my younger son loves them, but we wait for them to come from the neighboring farms in the UAE. When I lived in Bahrain for a year, I bought all my veg from a local farmer – I had a ten minute drive to get to him. Carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and herbs I grew myself. Last year we had a small crop of carrots and potatoes and hopefully this year will be better.
Chef and Steward says
Sarah, Kudos to you for planting! I am looking forward to the days when I will be able to grow food in my own yard! Were you able to grow the carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and herbs year-round in Bahrain?
Sarah Allenby says
Kari we only lived in Bahrain for a year. Planted in September and got results by December. We managed to keep it all going till may after which we left x
Chef and Steward says
This is an amazing story. You are truly an inspiration Sarah 🙂
rebeca john says
Hats-off you my friend. It will be a great inspiration for everyone out there, let everyone eat organic by there on effort. So happy to meet you