#sustainablefooddesign

Growth is the source of all life. Growth creates food and thus the objects most important for the survival of out planet. Growth is a central element of culture, and therefore represented in as much in cultic-religious and everyday cultural activities as in the design process of objects. Growth is however regarded as an essential parameter of the nature of the capitalistic economy. Western-capitalism cultures consider so-called economic growth vital for a (our) life system, and for (our) order. Accordingly, eternal economic growth leads to steadily increasing prosperity for the (world?) people. Or does unlimited economic growth, the ever increasing quantity of all type of production, also lead to wasteful use or resources, environmental degradation, climate change, and social upheaval in poverty-prone areas?

The molestation of water and fertile soil, the export of food (colonial goods) from “famine zones,” or the exploitation of working people in slave-life conditions is apparently a condition of “Western” growth, thereby constantly increasing production at lower costs. A head of garlic from China leaves on its way to Europe, producing not only a few kilograms of CO2, but also having been produced under different working conditions and at a significantly lower price than in Europe. Soybeans (as animal feed in the EU) requires not only extensive destruction of rainforests and likely unregulated use of pesticides, but also uncountable, low-paid workers, who are forced by means of land grabs onto the plantations. Palm oil, coffee, cocoa, meat, etc., this list is fairly easy to continue. Whoever speaks of economic refugees should take into account the dictates of the “economy.” Whoever speaks of borders, they should be wholly in favor of globalization, because while the richer part of the world seems to hunger after cheap “colonial goods” (nomen est omen), this can lead to genuine hunger, to armed conflict thus to migration.

PHOTO: DAISUKE AKITA