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by Sonja Jacobs '00 Bon Appetit and Food Waste Almost all food wastage that occurs in the St. Olaf cafeteria is due to students. Brian Murphy, executive chef at Bon Appetit, said that there is virtually no wastage in the kitchen because all unused food gets used again in the next day's recipes. However, every two days, a huge 20-foot long garbage bin is filled to overflowing with bags of pulped food waste from the dish room and other garbage like waxed boxes and other packaging from the kitchen. Each time I eat in the cafeteria (I am not on a regular meal plan), I am appalled at how much food students leave on their trays. Whole pieces of pizza, plates of stir-fry that were deemed too gross/weird/greasy/fattening to eat, fruit, yogurt, and drinks: this wastage is not the responsibility of Bon Appetit; it is our responsibility. Food Waste and Justice Issues When I first thought about writing an article about food wastage, it was obvious to me that this issue has strong connections with basic peace and justice issues. We live in a privileged atmosphere, where we are not challenged to consume wisely. On the contrary, we are bombarded every day with messages which tell us to consume as much as we can. The cafeteria at St. Olaf also gives us this message, with its heaping, never-ending amounts of mostly healthy, good-tasting food. We never want for anything, and we are free (just as in a grocery store or shopping mall) to take as much as we want. Well, maybe we should start taking only as much as we need, instead. I don't feel like I need to remind you about all the people who go hungry in this world, in this country, and in Northfield. This alone should make all of us think twice about how much we consume. But it should also make us take a critical look at our privileged lives. When we are mindlessly consuming without giving attention to what we actually need, we are mindless about many other things, as well. Its easy to forget about or ignore our privilege, and the comparative underprivilege of most other people in the world. Its easy to forget about or ignore the plight of migrant laborers and virtual slave-labor on plantations abroad that provide our food for us. Its easy to forget about pesticides, contaminants, and preservatives that keep our food looking perfect and standardized. What can be done? Aside from being more conscientious about consuming and wasting, we can be proactive about food wastage. Try to get an idea of how hungry you are before you enter the cafeteria. There are so many choices and good things to eat that its often easy to take much more than we need. Its the old saying: our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. Participating in the hunger banquet that is scheduled for March 20 (see article on the front page of this issue) is a great way to learn more about food inequity on a global scale. Be responsible when you eat in a group at the cafeteria. If there are friends who are wasting food, tell them to finish it. Ultimately the responsibility for cutting food waste is yours alone.
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