Ted Talk: How Food Shapes Our Cities / Carolyn Steel - Activities Blog #3

Summary
     This Ted Talk focuses on the evolution of food  in cities and how societies are currently facing a disadvantage.  It highlights the fact that people take their food for granted, not realizing the processes that make up their food systems.  Speaker Carolyn Steel uses humour and photos to capture the attention of the audience.  She emphasizes serious issues that have developed as a result of the current food systems.  Cities, urbanism, and the consumption of meat, are all identified as issues that already exist and will continue to increase if the Western diet sustains.  Steel compares the impacts of old world food systems with food systems today.  In the past, food was based on a local level, and did not have to travel far to make it to market.  People would visit markets daily to get food, but also to interact and socialize with others in the community.  Another aspect of the market was the real connection to the food; for example, animals would be bought alive and then prepared at home.  Today people have a limited connection to their food.  It is often bought frozen at the grocery store, and then heated up in the microwave.  Steel exposes that the Western diet in unsustainable, and will not be practical for much longer.  Her solution for the damaged food systems of today is to rethink the way food shapes society, and this can allow food to shape the world.

My Impressions
     I really enjoyed watching this video.  I think that Carolyn Steel did a great job of presenting the issues of current food systems and providing realistic solutions.  I liked her use of humour throughout the talk, and I feel as though it adds a sense of connection to the speaker.  I found it interesting to learn more about the details of old world food systems.  I was already aware of the use and purpose of markets in the past, but Steel was able to reveal fascinating facts about street names and locations based on the type of markets present in the area.  The views proposed by Steel were very true, and I agree that people need to have a connection with their food and where it comes from.  I think that it is important to be involved in our food systems and to value what we have.  Overall, I thoroughly appreciated the messages and wisdom of this video.