Where Food Injustice Wanders Next: South Africa

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from Civil Eats:



Where Food Injustice Wanders Next: South Africa
By Judy Bankman on August 13, 2013




One of the defining landmarks in Johannesburg, South Africa is the Coca-Cola dome: A 19,000-person arena sponsored by the beverage giant. Coke has become increasing popular in South Africa, where an average of 254 Coke products were consumed in 2010. That’s more than the international annual average of 89 per person and quickly approaching the 403 Coke products consumed by the average American.

KFC is also a significant presence in South Africa, with more than 600 locations in the country. Thanks to the increasing availability of soda and fast food, South Africans are developing the chronic diseases associated with the nutrient-poor standard American diet.

As diets around the world are becoming less varied, and more dependent on processed convenience foods, few places demand the attention that South Africa does. As the home to strong historical inequalities and a fierce ongoing battle for racial justice the question arises: What is fueling the adoption of the Western-style diet there? Who is affected the most?

In recent years, South Africans have been migrating from rural areas to urban centers in search of work. Along with more opportunity, life in an urban environment offers easy access to big supermarkets and fast food chains. While access to supermarkets can often be a good thing, large chains like Shoprite and Pick ‘n Pay carry mostly packaged foods that contain the processed meat, refined flour and sugar, and artificial preservatives, the very ingredients that are tied to diet-related illnesses in the developed world. ......................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://civileats.com/2013/08/13/where-food-injustice-wanders-next-south-africa/#sthash.qVB1yAEV.dpuf

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1. du rec.

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2. Stores aren't force feeding anybody.

Topic

large chains like Shoprite and Pick ‘n Pay carry mostly packaged foods that contain the processed meat, refined flour and sugar, and artificial preservatives

Comment
Stores want to make money. That's about it. They'd carry jerked rabbit penises and spicy fermented horseshit if it they were legal and people bought them, even if the shopowners were themselves predisposed to lamb curry and chicken pesto ravioli.

I lament that my local HEB doesn't carry raw dried soybeans and sunchokes and that the local warehouse store stopped carrying marinated artichoke hearts (great on subs, by the way). When I asked the first store said they tried sunchokes--and they did, for a month, after I asked (no soybeans, however). Both stores said that what I wanted didn't move so they wouldn't carry it.

Apparently pickled pig's feet and frozen breaded okra move faster than dried soybeans. Who knew?

If the people want something the stores don't stock, they should ask. If enough people ask and follow up with buying, then you'll see the Ultra-Preserved Textured Soybean Lasagna with Real Artificial Flavors vanish and, well, the spicy fermented horseshit (if that's what's asked for) appear.