The Dark Side of Fruits and Vegetables #1 - Strawberries
The Dark Side of Fruits and Vegetables is a conceptual photography project, which I started back in 2014 but put on hold shortly after. From then on, for one or another reason, I kept postponing it month after month, year after year... until now. I have finally decided to pull myself together and finish it once and for all.
A slowly fading memory
As some of you know, I grew up in a communist country in which we didn't have much exposure to Western goods and culture. What we did have, though, was a strong agricultural production; we were enjoying locally grown vegetables and fruits that had a fantastic taste!
After the fall of communism, the quality of our agriculture industry started to deteriorate rapidly. Nowadays, most of the fruits and veggies (except for the overpriced organic stuff) smell like a chemical laboratory and have the taste of a plastic bag - a result of genetic modifications and heavy use of pesticides. Unfortunately, this is pretty much a global tendency, as companies like Monsanto have government support and influence in many countries.
The Dark Side of Fruits and Vegetables aims to provoke the viewer into pondering the topic of food toxicity and the role of the big agrochemical industry in modern agriculture.
Strawberries
According to EWG's report, our beloved strawberries are the most heavily sprayed fruit crops. There are carcinogens, neurotoxins, and hormone disruptors among the many pesticides that are being used on them. Most of these chemical substances are not only harmful to humans, but also to the environment and the bees.
You can get a better overview of what pesticides are used on strawberries here.
Are you conscious of your food choices? Do you think the price of organic food is justified? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for reading!
Dan
Sources:
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php#.WftRcGi0OUk
http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=ST
I hate that we can't trust that food is no longer safe to eat. During the summer I get a big box of produce grown organically at a farm just down the road from me. I eat fresh and then freeze some to eat in the winter. It's expensive, but worth it for the peace of mind.
There's nothing better than being able to find and afford locally grown organic food. When I was living in Denmark a few years ago, there was this wonderful initiative in my town - you spend a couple of hours a week helping at the farm, and each week you get a big basket of organic food really cheap.
Trading labor for food is a great way to do it! I got my last CSA box of the season on Friday. I will miss it this winter, but will have one more reason to look forward to spring!
:) Thank you for resteeming my post, Melinda!
What an eye-opening post! This is a problem of the so-called first world countries, and I can't figure out a solution for it, as organic agriculture can't cope with the fast-growing number of the world population... I'm lucky I live in a country where the food is all still organic.
About your project, it's powerful, so please keep it on. Best!
Thank you kindly for your comment, @nolasco! I will do my best to keep it up :)
Go! I'm looking forward to seeing the new posts! Thanks!
Strawberries are the fruits I NEVER buy out of season, which I can't say about all the fruits I like and buy. I try to buy seasonal, regional and organic but I assume I can do better. I have to inform myself even more.
Interesting and disturbing post!
I also try to buy organic as often as possible; though, I think it's way overpriced (here at least). Pretty much everything that is organic is 2.5-5.5 times more expensive than the non-organic stuff. Thanks for reading the post and for your comment @pusteblume!
Where do you live? Organic is more expensive here in Germany as well. But not this much. For me paying the price for organic food feels more like paying for the producers expense so they don't feel like deliver scrap. But if I have to decide plastic wrapped organic or unwrapped conventional, Indecide unwrapped.
I live in Bulgaria at the moment, and with regards to the expensive organic, I meant organic products from big brands that I normally find in the supermarkets. I would happily pay more if I know that I am buying from the producers directly; in fact, I do so sometimes when I have the chance to visit the so-called farmers markets :)
I totally understand you! Hello from Wuerzburg/Germany to beautiful Bulgaria!
Greetings from cloudy Sofia, my friend :) ✌️
I've been meaning to grow my own, in memory of my late Uncle, not sure if I will be able to grow them successfully since I'm in the tropics. Organic strawberries are almost impossible to buy here and cost triple or quadruple of what they would cost elsewhere.
I am no expert in agriculture but with proper care, you may be able to grow them despite the tropical climate. Where do you live?
We indeed have to be cautious with many food crops. Better grow some of the vegetables that we eat.
cheers!
Cheers, @kouhei-gahaku :)
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