They say, whatever you ask of The Camino... it provides...

Today I leave London to begin my journey along The Camino (Compostella de Santiago).  For those who've not heard of it, it is a route that runs from St Jean Pied de Port (in the south of France) which crosses up over the Pyrenees and across the north of Spain to Santiago (on the west coast of Spain).  It is a journey which I have estimated will take me around 4 weeks or so and whilst I have every intention of walking the entire distance (around 900km), my focus will be less on the destination and more on the journey itself... quite a nice metaphor for life don't you think?

Physically, I'm not sure how ready I am for this, as I am told many people train considerably for the Camino... and well, other than the walking I've done over the last few months, I'm afraid my training will begin around 6am on Sunday morning during my first leg!  Mentally, however, I could not be more ready.  I am feeling really excited, inspired and motivated for this next leg of my trip, as it will very much allow me to digest all that I've seen, learnt and experienced during the last two and a half months and contemplate my next steps going forward.

This is a journey I have been wanting to take for some time now and I can't express how excited and lucky I feel to be in a place in my life to have this time for myself.  I feel like I am ready for whatever the path throws my way and look forward to the many revelations I'm sure I'll experience between my steps. 

Whilst I had every intention of catching up on my blog during this time, I have already come to value each and every gram I am currently carrying and unfortunately my little laptop is just adding too much to my load.  I have managed to pack my life for the next 4 weeks into approximately 8kg and I would not mind betting after my baptism of fire on my first day over the Pyrenees (which they say is the most challenging part), I may also loose my attachment to another kg or two too!

So, this morning, I have posted a few of the blogs that I finished off during my last few days in the USA and whilst I have a number of half written blogs about my seriously incredible adventure in the USA, I'm going to have to wait till after The Camino to finish these. Sorry there aren't any pix with these blogs - I've issues uploading photos through my laptop so will have to upload these when I'm next on a PC...

Also, just so everyone knows, in order to really immerse myself in the entire experience, without the distractions and temptations of everyday life, I have decided I'm going to somewhat recluse from the outside (and digital) world for the most of my journey.  I will have access to my emails at different points along the path if you need/want to contact me, however, I don't plan to access these all that much during this time.

So here is to putting one foot in front of the other and growing from all experiences and challenges the path decides to throw my way.

See you on the other side... wherever that may be!
Jo
x

A seriously satisfying and inspiring meal...

I found myself in a quaint little town called Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which is the home to Dickinson College; a liberal arts college which has a huge focus on sustainability in terms of both its infrastructure and educational content.   A big contributor to the college's sustainability efforts is their links to Dickinson Farm; a 50 acre organic farm owned and run by Jenn Halpin and Matt Steiman.  Not only do Jenn and Matt run an educational program for many of the students at the college, they have internship and apprenticeship programs and provide extremely high quality produce to the college and students via their very successful CSA program. I was lucky enough to arrange a catch up and overnight stay with Jenn and Matt out at their farm, and also got to meet a bunch of students who volunteer for the 'weed and feed' activity that they hold each Friday.  I'll be uploading a blog about what I discovered during this extremely inspiring and fun catch up...so stay tunned.

I actually arrived the day before our meeting, so I was lucky enough soak up a lil bit of luxury with a night at Carlisle House; a gorgeous little B&B run by husband and wife, Alan and Mary Duxbury (highly recommend this little home away from home, for anyone who finds themselves in Carlisle!) and an absolutely deliciously refreshing meal at an organic restaurant called the Green Room.  Whilst it was very much by chance that I ended up there in the first place, it was such an unexpectedly enjoyable experience on a number of levels, that I wanted to take a moment to share it with everyone.

When I arrived, I was greeted by my waitress for the evening, Kristiana, who turned out to be a student at Dickinson College, in her third year of Environmental Science, with a major focus on food and agriculture.  It was lovely chatting with Kristiana as not only was she very knowledgeable about the composition of the various meals on the menu, she also had a sound knowledge of exactly where all of the ingredients came from around the region. I could tell she was really passionate about people knowing and having confidence in where the food they were serving came from, and she felt proud to be working for The Green Room for this very reason.  As a consumer, it was so comforting to know that what I was eating was not only grown sustainably and organically (so ridiculously health for me!) it was supporting the local economy and environment too.

When I opened the menu I was greeted with a modest but more than adequate list of meal options, all of which made from simple and delicious, locally sourced organic ingredients.  It was so refreshing to see a menu which had been developed based on whatever was in season and whatever the chef was able to access within the local region that week.

I ended up choosing a delicious broccoli and basil soup that had a hint of spice and was so ridiculously tasty, accompanied by two slices of homemade gluten free, grainy bread and locally produced butter (which, can I just say was out of this world... I could genuinely taste the difference).  I accompanied this refreshing meal with a glass of 'green juice'; which was a combination of a variety of fresh greens (whatever was available that week), cucumber, apple and ginger.  I then topped it all off with a slice of their vegan cheesecake; made from mainly pureed cashew nuts (!) with an almond and honey base.  It too was insanely good!

One of the best and most refreshing parts about this meal (aside from the blissful happiness experienced by my taste buds!) were the modest serving sizes.  They were much smaller then I have received anywhere else and I will admit, my instinctive reaction at first was, "hmmmm is that going to be enough". I then stopped to think about my thought process, to realise that I too had become really accustomed to seeing these ridiculously large portions placed in front of me. It turned out, the amount I was served was more than enough to satisfy my hunger and you know what, I found myself eating much slower and savouring and enjoying the delicious meal placed in front of me, instead of thoughtlessly hoeing into it, the way I often find myself eating these days. 

While I enjoyed and savoured this inspiring meal, I thought about what drives me to eat so quickly and unconsciously.  On reflection, I think it's probably because I'm subconsciously thinking if I eat too slowly or stop to savour it, it will give my body time to register that I'm full, and how the hell am I going to get through the massive meal in front of me if I allow that to happen?  It's quite ridiculous, because but in actual fact, giving by body the time to recognise that I'm not hungry anymore is EXACTLY what I should be allowing it to do.  Not only is it my best defense against over eating it also allows for the optimal digestion, extraction and absorption of the nutrients within the meal.

I chatted to Kristiana about this after my meal and she said that portion size is probably the one comment (or complaint) she often has to deal with from people who come to the restaurant.  The crazy thing is though, my guess is that not a single person would leave that restaurant feeling hungry and it just goes to show, that in order for many of us to feel satisfied these days, we must feel 'full' rather than 'comfortable, without a sensation of hunger'.  Sometimes I think instead of asking ourselves "do I feel full" in order to determine if we are hungry anymore, is the wrong question to be asking.  Instead, maybe if we asked ourselves "do I feel hungry anymore", and stop eating when the hunger signals have ceased, we would find ourselves eating more appropriate amounts of food.

Additionally, in the case of dining out, I think our perception of 'value' has shifted from the 'quality' of the food we receive to the 'quantity' of it.   There is no doubt, restaurants have played a significant role in this and I therefore think, they have a key role to play in helping us to revert our sense of 'value' back to quality of the food served; from both nutrient and origin perspectives.

My sense is, however, that I don't think I'm too left field in saying that the habit of eating too much, too quickly is something many of us can attest to.  What is encouraging though, is that it's certainly a mentality we can easily reverse by changing our perspective and perception of 'value' and redefining what is 'normal' about our serving sizes and eating practices.  And I think, this is certainly something restaurants can play a really positive role in helping us re-create this balance for our bodies and our environment.

Interestingly, when I went to bed that night, I slept like a baby and I feel quite sure it was because I'd not eaten past my limits and everything I ate was 'real' and made from natural, wholesome ingredients.  The entire experience was also so inspiring and satisfying that it certainly gave me a wonderful sense of hope, that changing this seemingly warped world off food we are living in right now, could be possible if we rekindle this sense of 'satiety awareness' and encourage restaurants to serve us smaller portions from seasonal and local suppliers (where possible).  By eating this way, we create the demand for the development of a food system that can provide us delicious, locally sourced, seasonal and appropriately sized meals in restaurants... and with the amount we, as a society, eat out, this is a huge piece to the sustainable food system puzzle in my mind.

So following this incredibly satisfying and inspiring meal, I'm certainly going to go out of my way to find places who serve food this way and make sure I support them.  Not only am I also going to eat till I'm satisfied, I'm going to be brave and ask where various components of my meal have come from and if they know under what conditions it's been produced.  This is something I really encourage everyone to do, because whilst we can be sure there will be many a wait person/restaurant who doesn't know this information and will find these requests frustrating and confronting, the more we ask the more they will need to know about and be accountable for, the food they are serving us... and the more comfortable we can feel about the food that's about to enter our bodies!

www.dickinson.edu
www.thecarlislehouse.com
www.blogs.dickinson.edu/farm
www.thegreenroom.us

Sampling San Francisco's food movement

So I took a fleeting visit to San Francisco for 5 days as I had heard so much about the growing local and sustainable food scene there.  However, whilst I did take the opportunity to catch up with Iso Rabbins from ForageSF and check out one of the bigger farmers markets in San Francisco, my time there actually turned out to be a bit less about food and more about taking some much needed down time after my crazy busy six weeks is South America.

The first two days I was there, I actually spent sleeping and working out the east coast leg of my USA trip.  I took the opportunity to walk around and sample some of the (hundreds of) different restaurants, serving pretty much every cuisine under the sun and another day I actually got my 'tourist' on and checked out some of the quintessential San Fran touristy spots and activities. (NB:  To all the Aussies reading this - locals don't appreciate us shortening it San Fran; it's San Francisco... I learnt that one the hard way too!)  It was nice to take a day out to see, the Golden Gate Bridge, ride a tram, walk Lombard St, the windiest road in SF and check out Fisherman's Wharf, as I've actually not really done all that much 'touristy' stuff on my trip so far.  I also got to spend a lovely day riding around Stanford University and the surrounds with my beautiful friend Erin, who is living in San Francisco right now... and needless to say it was lovely to see her friendly familiar face and hear the comforting Aussie accent!

On the Saturday I was there, I got to check out the Farmers Markets at the Ferry Building, which I believe occur every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday along the wharf area; so very much enjoyed that!  It was quite an 'upmarket' farmers market, which was divided into two key areas; an outside 'pop-up' market stall area selling mostly organic produce such as fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses and dairy, eggs, breads and fresh flowers and an indoor area which housed a variety of artisanal vendors in more permanent storefronts.  It was really quite gourmet in terms of both the type and cost of food provided there, which in many ways, made it quite exclusive and really only accessible to those who could afford it.  Nonetheless, all the food came from within the local San Francisco Foodshed, which is certainly extremely positive in terms of supporting the local farming community and lowering the food miles (NB:  Foodshed is a term I heard quite a lot on the USA.  Using the 'Watershed' analogy whereby many rivers feed into the one main body of water, as does the food produced in the local SF area, it all comes into the one area being the Ferry Building Farmers Market, for example).

I got to sample some heirloom varieties of the organic peaches, plums and nectarines that are grown specifically to that area of San Francisco, as well as a 'Pluot', which I'm told was a cross between an plum and an apricot.  They were out of this world in terms of their taste, texture and juiciness.  The kind of stone fruit that I've heard my parents talk of when they were kids and could pick them off the trees themselves.  I bought one of each and savoured each and every bite of them...and something tells me I'm not going to be able to enjoy a peach, plum or nectarine until I find one just like it!

Whilst this was quite an upmarket farmers market, I am told there a huge number of farmers markets in the San Francisco area, all of which very considerably in terms of the types, quality and cost of the produce provided.  So I guess there really is something for everyone, providing an alternative to having to buy your fruit and veg (and other staples) through the supermarkets, and instead buying directly from and connecting with the farmers who produced it.

I also took the opportunity to meet up with Iso Rabbins, who is the founder of ForageSF, one night for a drink and slice of pizza at a pop up pizza place (turns out SF are also all over the pop-up restaurants, bars etc).  Not only was it good learn more about ForageSF's projects, it was also great to chat to Iso about some of the triumphs and challenges he's faced along the way in creating and growing the organisation from an idea he had back in 2008.

So what is ForageSF?  Well it is a 'not only for profit' business established to support the growing local food community in SF.  Their key projects are the 'Underground Markets' and 'Wild Kitchen Dinners' with their latest being the establishment of 'Forage Kitchen'.  Their philosophy is very much centered around the idea of growing the local food economy by creating a community of support for small food businesses in the San Francisco district.

The Underground Markets were created out of a desire to share food being created by food entrepreneurs in local communities, with the public, without the cost and delay that result from regulatory hurdles that exist around food production and distribution today.  Iso started the first market in 2009 from the back of a friend's house and today it now boasts 300 vendors with over 50,000 attendees!  Not too shabby you might say, as not only does it link the local community to the amazing food being created in the local area, but it provides upcoming artisans the opportunity to grow their financial and supporter base at minimal costs.  With such a following, Iso and his team now must comply with more stringent health regulations, however, it certainly is a testament for the need for the local community and their desire to be connected with their local food producers, and just how a small idea can generate significant momentum within a community.

The Wild Kitchen Dinners are a roving underground supper club, held in differing venues around the city and are essentially centered around a different, locally foraged ingredient.  They  too have been really successful and provide an interesting opportunity to highlight the importance of eating whole foods and a unique way of connecting the 'eater' with their natural surrounds.

The latest project ForageSF has taken on for themselves is the creation of a co-working space for food, called the Forage Kitchen.  Having recently raised over $150K from the community through a successful 'Kickstarter' campaign, the Forage Kitchen will be a place where food entrepreneurs can create and build their businesses, through shared kitchen spaces, office space, rental equipment and business support etc.  True to the ForageSF philosophy, the key point of difference will be that users will not be required to jump through typical regulatory hoops to use the space.   Instead a variety of options will be available, negating the need to sign a year long contracts, submit proof of liability insurance, and get catering permits.  Thus lowering the barriers to entry and making innovation in food a possibility.

Through ForageSF, Iso has certainly created an organisation that provides a platform to put the local food movement forward, and whilst it is a for profit business, I think it provides a great example of how for profit businesses can be working with the community around food.  I also think it provides food for thought around the power and ability of a fresh brand and a unique concept to generate interest around some really key food issues, such as the importance of eating locally and seasonally, sustainable and artisanal food production, eating fresh whole foods and encouraging creativity and innovation around food, its production and its distribution.

So, whilst I recognise there is a whole lot more I could have seen whilst in San Francisco, it was really nice to have some downtime.  It's certainly a place I'd like to return to as I hear it is very much the 'mecca' in terms of developing and delivering more local sustainable food systems.  However, I will probably make my way out to the regional areas to meet more of the producers behind this local movement.

www.foragesf.com

www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

Organic farming, vegan food, yoga and mediation in Buenos Aires

Whilst in Buenos Aires, I was lucky enough to experience what it is like to live a truly sustainable lifestyle at Eco Yoga Park which is run by a beautiful Hari Krishna community, in a small town approximately 100km outside of Buenos Aires, called General Rodriguez.  For those who don't know, I decided to change my flight to San Francisco, because, for this really unexplainable reason, I just didn't feel like it was the right time to leave BA.  So on a bit of a whim, I changed my flight with a hope (a belief/feeling I had) that an opportunity would present itself to escape the city for a while to allow me the time and the space to reconnect with myself and my food safari across the world. 

I had very loose plans with an idea to travel to Mar Del Plata, a coastal town approximately 5 hours south of Buenos Aires as, although I was keen for a more rural experience, I thought it would still be a lovely place to clear my mind and escape the craziness of BA.  However, the universe had other plans for me, and whilst I travelled to 'Mar Del Plata', it turns out it was the name of the road I stayed on in General Rodriguez.   Instead, I found myself living on a beautiful organic farm, meditating, taking yoga, surviving (or should I say, thriving) on a delicious vegan diet (from a large amount of the farm's produce) and with the space (physically and mentally) to clear my mind and digest all that I have seen and done thus far on my trip.

The journey to the property was as interesting and serendipious as my entire week there, so I thought I might just take a few lines to share...  I left my hostel in Recoleta (downtown BA) and set off on a 4km walk, with my massive back pack and day pack (!) through the bustling streets of BA.  It turned out to be an extremely warm morning so I more than worked up a sweat (and gained some insight into what my journey along the Camino may be like!) and somehow, without a map, I found the enormous, 'Plaza Once' (pronounced 'on-say') and a couple of thousand people all boarding and alighting a couple of hundred different buses!

 

In extremely broken Spanish (and with the help of some very patient people) I somehow found the line for bus 57 and what I can only call, my guardian angel!  The only information I had about how to get to the property; was to jump on bus 57, pay $8 pesos, hop off a La Serenisma (be sure to tell the driver where you want to get off, as it's not an obvious stop) and then walk 500m to a cab company and give them the address to the property... easy right?  Well, turns out, not so much...but the gods were smiling on me:-) As it so happened, the lady who was standing in front of me was going to La Serenisma, and although she could not speak english (nor I spanish), when she understood where I was going, she took me under her wing...and I was so lucky she did!  When I hopped on the bus, I was unable to pay for my ticket with coins (I needed a special transport card), so she paid for me and then when I had to stand the entire way with my big pack on my back (as the bus was so packed), she so very kindly helped me with my other bags.  

50 minutes into the journey, she then signals we have arrived at La Serenisma, which turns out to be a piece of concrete in the middle of a very busy highway!  Here I was looking for some kind of suburb or landmark!  Had she not been there I would never have found it and goodness knows where I may have ended up!  We then were able to jump in the same cab as she lived approximately 10 minutes from the park, and was able to ensure the cab driver knew exactly where to take me (which is off the beaten track to say the least!).  

Other than wanting to highlight the beautiful and comforting serendipity of this entire experience, I really wanted to share this journey, as it's experiences like these (which happen, so often, whilst on your travels), that really re-instill your faith in the goodness of people and the genuine care we hold for the wellbeing of one another.  I was a complete stranger, with whom she could not communicate and she so easily could have given me the cold shoulder or brushed me aside, instead, she went out of her way to make sure I arrived safely.  I have certainly wondered if I would have ever made it to the park on my own, had I not been so lucky to have stood in the line at that time and met her.  Such a wonderful person, whose selflessness has certainly enabled the life changing experiences and realisations I had whilst on the farm... It's a beautiful example of the butterfly effect of random acts of kindness and I certainly hope I too can pay it forward.

So as it turned out, my whim to stay a little longer in Buenos Aires unfolded in ways I could never have imagined.  Not only was I able to gain some incredible insights into food production and preparation, I got to spend some really lovely time getting to know some seriously amazing people from all over the world, who were also volunteering on the farm.  Everyone was extremely interesting, from very different life experiences and had arrived at the park for very different reasons.  Over the course of the week, we all shared really fascinating an enlightening conversations and discovered many things about each other and ourselves.  I must say, I left the park a different person and I am extremely grateful for having met all of you; Johanna, David, Susanna, Andres, Holly and Leina!!  You all rocked my world! hehe

We stayed in a very basic (but comfortable), fire-warmed hut, along with two adorable dogs and a very affectionate cat, all of whom stayed in my room at varying times throughout the week...which I loved just quietly!  It had a small bathroom with 'eco-friendly' toilets (so no water people - just a hole and ash to throw on it) and showers, that had hot water... twice!  Needless to say, my showering activity was less frequent - however, my fellow volleys followed similar showering practices, so I didn't feel too bad about it!

The food that we ate everyday was absolutely phenomenal.  'Variety' was taken to a whole new level as no meal was ever the same and every meal consisted of fresh, whole foods, made from scratch (absolutely everything from scratch), jammed packed with nutrients and taste.  My taste buds had an absolute field day, 4 times a day, every day and I tell you now, my body thanked me for it too! The first few days were obviously detox days, however the 'come down' from my cheese addiction was surprisingly easy. All of the foods were created using simple (however, ridiculously tasty) flavours and I have to say, it was the most satisfying (and motivating) reward for the work you did each day.  

I must say, after the diet consumed in both Venezuela and Buenos Aires, containing meat, cheese, pasta, pizza, empanadas, ice-cream and coffee, I loved this huge influx of vegies and nutrients.  Whilst I LOVED the food in both of these countries, it really has brought home the need for balance and the beneficial role ALL foods play in our diets, when eaten in moderation. But more specifically, the way in which 'access' is such a determinant of our food choices. 

Unless we make the kind of foods that nourish us (and our environment) easily and readily available, physically and economically, we simply cannot expect to see the kind of changes we want (and need) to see around the food choices we are making as a community.  It really doesn't matter about how much you know about food or how motivated you are, as whilst these are both really important ingredients (and certainly go hand in hand), if the right food is not easy to come by, you simply go for what you can get.  So the need to advocate for a food system that has more equitable access to healthy, sustainable and nourishing foods for all people, is certainly a key piece of the food puzzle this contrast has allowed me to discover.  Not too sure if this came to me bent over the carrot patch or when I when I was peeling, cutting or grating vegies for our meals... probably both :-)

It is actually quite an obvious piece to the puzzle, but the solution is incredibly complex. In order to create a food system that is healthier and more equitable, a huge number of changes are required across many levels of our food system. And as it turned out, the opportunity at Eco Yoga Park allowed me to gain my first REAL insight into what it takes to produce food organically and the time and skills required to prepare every meal, every day from scratch.

The farm was approximately 9 HA and grew a large variety of vegetables in a space which is approximately 1 acre.  As it is winter, there were not a huge number of vegetables growing, however there were:  broccoli, various lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, cauliflower, silver beet and rocket.  Everything was grown organically and in harmony with the land, so there were no herbicides, no pesticides, no fungicides and no synthetic fertilizers used at any point along the growing process.  So the survival of what is grown, is completely the result of the nutrients mother nature provides, the nutrients we put back into the soil and the care provided by both the volunteers and workers...every day. 

It absolutely poured with rain almost every day we were there, and whilst we were lucky enough to get a day off because it was just too wet and muddy, the garden basically needs to be tended to every day; rain, hale or shine.  Johanna, Susanna and I got to experience our first taste of weeding together and I have to say, if we want to instill a greater value or deeper appreciation of what it takes farmers to produce our food, particularly organically, get a person to weed for half a day!    

It was so challenging and insightful on so many levels, and the physical and mental hurdles you need to push through to keep you bent over the vegetable patch, covered in mud with sore hands and sore backs; ultimately to save these plants from being over run by weeds, is incredible.  I will admit, each day we did it, the easier it became, but it really got me thinking, that this is the reality of food production and the energy and care that goes into ensuring a lettuce or carrot or broccoli floret grows and flourishes is phenomenal... and we simply do not pay enough for it in my opinion.

Organic growing practices also make you acutely aware of the importance of eating seasonally and growing food that is appropriate for the conditions of the landscape.  To produce foods out of season or in inappropriate areas requires a significant amount of inputs; energy, fertilizers, pesticides and water to counteract the natural checks and balances of nature, which means not only is it incredibly detrimental to our health, it's damaging to the biodiversity and integrity of the land and is completely unsustainable (whether we want to admit it or not). 

Another thing that was also highlighted to me, was how obsessed with are with making sure our food looks 'pretty'; all the same size, colour and shape etc.  I have put 'pretty' in quotation marks as, in my mind, this kind of standardised food is not pretty or appealing. In fact eating the food in whatever shape or size mother nature has chosen to provide us, is so much more deliciously appealing to me; aesthetically, nutritionally  and tastefully.  The food picked on the farm was ALL shapes, sizes and colours and I cannot begin to tell you how delicious it all was.  Not standardised on any level but completely perfect.  There has very much been a perception of 'quality' developed around standardised food, but the truth is, a lot of this food could not be further from 'quality' because of the unnecessary (and unhealthy) inputs required to produce it in this way and the subsequent waste that is generated from throwing away the 'less than perfect' rejects.  Give me a curly capsicum or a beautiful bumpy carrot any day!

I can't help but think if we all got over our obsession with standardised perfection and 'abundance' all day, every day and the 'whenever we want it we can have it' mentality, it would certainly be the first key step in changing the way our food system operates. Because, the reality is, eating this way is simply not sustainable and we simply won't be able to eat like this in the future because our finite plant (and the finite resources needed to produce food like this) will simply not exist.

There is no question, really, that food produced with little or no chemicals from seeds that mother nature so selflessly provides us year after year, is certainly better for us and our environemnt.  Her system is completely and utterly perfect and I think we are kidding ourselves if we think we can change or control it; she will simply just rear her strength in other ways... far beyond our control or comprehension.

So as you can see, many insights gained and thoughts generated during my time at the Park.   Although it was sometimes quite tiring, our days were so refreshingly simple and organised, that it really gave me the space, physically and mentally, to clear and detox my mind (and body). I certainly feel I left a somewhat changed person (for the better) and I am so very grateful for the wonderful new friendships I gained. It was certainly an experience I will remember and be extremely thankful for the years to come.

www.ecoyogapark.com.ar

Venezuela's Socialist Revolution

When I first decided to join this exciting delegation through Venezuela I will admit that my main expectation (and motivation) was that I would see, first hand, this country's efforts to transform their food system in order to re-establish food sovereignty and food security amongst their people.  Whilst this is exactly what I have seen, the political context which is enabling this process has been a complete surprise to me and I am a little embarrassed to say, I had no idea about the political, social and economic transformation which is occurring in Venezuela, since Hugo Charvez's election to power in 1998.

Under the Charvez government's leadership, Venezuela has taken on the astronomical task to convert the from the capitalist society it has been for the past 300 years, into a country with a 'socialist' structure whereby the country's wealth is more evenly distributed and 'the people have the power'.  With a population of 29 million and a significant disparity in the standards of living and well-being between the societal classes, you can begin to imagine the scale and complexity of this transformation, as well as the resistance from some of the wealthier middle and upper classes and foreign investors; whom have benefited most from this country's capitalist economy.

The way in which Venezuela is restructuring how it organises and governs itself as a country, economically, legally and socially, has absolutely blown my mind and has very much opened my eyes and challenged my view of the western, capitalist world as I know it.  It is all extremely complex and I could write an entire novel purely on the way in which this country is organising itself; but I really want to try and share a sense of what is going on there, as it not only provides the context which is enabling the transformation of the food system, but also contradicts the propaganda, particularly in the United States, labelling Charvez as a radical and malicious dictator. From what I have seen with my own eyes and the way in which an overwhelming proportion of the Venezuelan community hold Charvez in such high regard and admiration, this could not be further from the truth.  Below are some images of just some of the official and non-official promotion for Charvez.  It was everywhere - all over Venezuela (not just in Caracas) and many people have created murals and spray painted walls with messages of support for Charvez etc...The poster below Charvez' picture below is in support of Capriles, the opposition.  There is far less propaganda in support of him around the country from what I saw...

I will provide you with some links to read more below if you're interested, but I've decided to have a go at packaging it into a nutshell as a way of summarising it for you (and an opportunity to get my head around it too!!).  This is going to be quite a long blog, purely due to the sheer amount of information, so you may want to go and grab yourself a cuppa before you settle in for the read :-) OK, so here goes...

Before President Hugo Charvez was elected as President in 1998, the disparity amongst the classes in Venezuela was exponential.   That age old saying of where the 'rich get richer and the poor get poorer', could not have been more true in Venezuela, as a result of a variety of factors; a predominant factor being their neoliberal, capitalist economy and society.  Almost everything was privatised and in many cases, owned by foreign investors and companies, which meant that an incredibly large percentage of the country's profits were benefiting a tiny percentage of the Venezuelan population ie the wealthier middle and upper classes or being sent overseas (hmmm, is it just me or this is sounding a little all too familiar???). 

Venezuela's largest commodity is oil.  It has THE largest oil reserves in the world and can therefore generate, unfathomable amounts of wealth from these resources.  However, despite this wealth, under the capitalist regime, these oil stocks were owned by a handful of multinational corporations and the majority of Venezuelans did not benefit from these profits; with as much as 80% of the population living in poverty!  The amount foreign investment in both the oil stocks and arable land was insane, and Venezuela found itself in a situation whereby it was operating under a false economy and suffering the symptoms of an economic phenomenon economists call 'Dutch Disease', due to the inflow of foreign currency as a result of the oil exports.  In addition to 'overvaluing' the Venezuelan currency and increasing the costs of domestic production, this phenomenon had a two fold effect; firstly it increases the population's purchasing power and thus elevates inflation and secondly, it makes imported products more cost effective than any kind of domestically produced products.  Consequently, cheaper imported products, including food, flooded the Venezuelan markets and practically destroyed agricultural production across the country, along with its food security.

Before its boom in oil exploration, agriculture was Venezuela's main commodity, and as such, over 70% of the population lived in the countryside.  Once this agricultural economy shifted to one reliant on mineral exploitation, Venezuela became a net importer of agricultural products (despite their high ability to produce food for themselves).  Farmers (called Campesinos in Latin America) could no longer sustain their livelihoods as food producers and had no choice but to move to the cities to earn a living.  Urbanisation was rapid and cities across Venezuela were flooded with more people than they could accommodate with adequate housing and services, resulting in the development of enormous slums, called barrios (now called 'communities') on the outskirts of the major cities.  Compounding these effects was a high level of unemployment, making poverty and extremely poor living conditions a reality amongst these communities, and the disparity between the classes even greater.

View of Caracas - where a barrio meets the city

A 'community' in Caracas (view from the new cable car that has been constructed to increase access for the people who live in these communities.  Before they had to walk up 1000s of stairs and the journey would take at least 2 hours.

Recognising the need to bridge this gap between the classes and increase the quality of life amongst the overwhelming majority of this population, President Charvez and his government launched The Socialist Revolution (inspired by the Simon Bolivar Revolution in the 1800s) to shift the power back to the Venezuelan people and rebuild the country, and its economy, from the ground up.

In order to fund this incredible shift, one of the first moves the government made was to recognise that the Venezuela's minerals ie oil, belong to the Venezuelan people and if it's going to be extracted, that it should be the Venezuelan community which benefits from these astronomical profits (not a handful of multinationals). So one of the first investments the government made, was to buy back the rights and ownership of the minerals, so that profits could be invested into the development of the country and the value of these minerals, realised by all Venezuelans.  Because how much has this revolution cost so far?  Oh well, you know, just a cool $3.5 TRILLION... but it really highlights (a) how much profit was being generated, (b) the incredible unequal distribution of wealth in a country with the ability to generate this kind of profit, but with such high amounts of poverty under a 'capitalist' regime; and (c) how much a country can benefit by a government who takes complete ownership of minerals which are by rights owned by all who live there.

I realise this provokes a whhoollee other conversation about the enormous environmental and ethical considerations around mining (which I too have significant opinions on), but for the purposes of this conversation I've really mentioned it to show how the revolution is being funded, the importance of greater government control around these resources and how an entire population can benefit from the profits - not just a few.  The investment in small to medium scale, localised, agroecologic agriculture in Venezuela is certainly occurring as a result of the government's acknowledgment of oil as a finite resource and the subsequent need to diversify their revenue streams/commodities.

In many ways, this Revolution is unprecedented in the way it has created a form of 'socialism' that is relevant and unique to the needs of Venezuela.  Comparative to other socialist/communist countries around the world, Venezuela is paving their own path, whereby they are redefining socialist philosophy within the unique context of the Venezuelan population and this has meant that the government, in conjunction with the people of Venezuela, have had to construct and entire new governing constitution which is specific to Venezuela's situation.  We were actually lucky enough to attend a meeting with an advisor to the National Assembly, who are the legislative branch of the Venezuelan Government and create/approve the laws, to learn more about how these new 'organic laws' were decided upon and created, and how they are being adopted by the 43,000 community councils across the country.

The round table meeting we attend with to hear from the advisor to the National Assembly who wrote many of the laws in the new Venezuelan Constitution.  You can see the Constitution is the red book on the table.

Kenski being interviewed to capture his thoughts on the Revolution.  A superstar in his trackpants (he will know what I mean when I say that!!)

Under the socialist society, the people have the power and the government's first and foremost role is to serve and protect the needs and well being of its people, as defined/identified by the people (and not the government's own agenda).  This is done via the establishment of 'community councils' within communities across the country, whom are empowered with the ability to govern and develop their communities within the context and reality of their unique situations.  The overarching laws which govern the country are those within the Venezuelan Constitution of Organic Laws, established by the National Assembly, however, community councils may request differing laws within their community, depending on their unique needs.  This is then subsequently discussed and decided upon in consultation with the National Assembly.

As I understand it, the overarching philosophy is to empower the people and build their capacity to define and create solutions to the issues within their immediate communities and then provide them with the necessary infrastructure and support to address and overcome them.  The way in which the government works with the people, is that each community council have leaders of specific areas; such as housing, health, land and agriculture etc and they all provide representation for their communities at the national level.  So in essence, a leader of a community council takes whatever problem or need they have in their community, for which they are requiring support from the government, and presents this to the National Assembly, whom then grant the funds or the support required to rectify the issue at hand. 

I can hear you saying, really every single little issue every single community is experiencing is dealt with this in way?  Well as you can imagine, the issues faced across many of the communities within Venezuela are fundamental and global; such as lack of adequate housing, land and infrastructure, limited access to healthy food, education and support and access to funding/credit etc, so many of these services are being established across the country to allow for immediate/direct access for communities, and allowing for bigger/more complex or unique issues to be debated at the national assembly level.  Additionally, an enormous consultative processes with the Venezuelan people has taken place over a number of years, so the country's agenda/priorities have been established and work to build the services to support the country's development, is happening in tandem.

I realise I am painting quite a simplified and somewhat 'rosey' picture of Venezuela's transformation,  so I would like to acknowledge that this has/is by no means an easy feat; infact it has been a highly challenging process and lives have been lost in the process, particularly in rural communities who are taking back land under the new land reforms (check out more about this in the Food Sovereignty blog).  There has been significant amounts of violent resistance from those who oppose the Revolution, and in fact, we could not make our trip to the Amazon as there were reports of para-militants in the area and it was simply too dangerous.  Also, when we stayed on one of the properties that had been 'expropriated' ie 'taken back', we were constantly guarded by an armed security guard, the entire time we were on the property.  What is happening in Venezuela is serious and enormous and it is taking a significant amount of time.   There are still many creases to iron out in many of the processes and decisions as they move forward.  But like I said, Venezuela is walking in uncharted territory with this revolution, so a lot of what they are doing is about trial and error and learning as they go; but from what I have seen, they are giving it an extremely good go and Charvez is doing it with the support of a large majority of the Venezuelan community.

This entire system sounds a bit idealistic and chaotic I know, the thought of an entire population of people (all with quite individual needs and desires) having the power to dictate the government, but however slowly, it is happening and you know what, it is working!  Disparity amongst the 'classes' is on the decrease, less people are living in poverty, access to services, education, housing has increased, local food production has increased, better infrastructure for food production and distribution is being established across the country and the elderly now have greater security via a national pension scheme... and the mind blowing thing about it, is that it has all been defined and created by the Venezuelan people themselves via the support of the government.  The Venezuelan people are recognised as human beings with the ability to make valuable and significant contributions to the development of the country.  As an empowered community, they are the solution and their needs and wellbeing are placed ahead of profits and thus money is being invested where it is needed.  Call me crazy, but isn't this exactly how all governments should be serving and protecting their people?  People before profits?  Communities before corporations?

So what are my thoughts on it all?  Well I am still developing my thoughts but, in my opinion, I think 'socialism' and 'communism' have been tainted by greedy, radical dictatorships (ie Hitler, The Khmer Rouge etc) and in our western, capitalist worlds, the significant stigmas attached to these concepts (which are compounded by the propaganda fed to us through the media), makes us afraid of them and leaves us feeling like neoliberal, capitalist values are the best and only way to govern our countries.  I am not saying I am now a converted socialist and Australia should become a socialist society.  However the values which underpin this economic and political model; whereby profit is not the only consideration, the wellbeing and needs of the community are first and foremost and the government is structured to truly serve and be guided by the needs of the people, provides food for thought to say the least.  I do wonder how some of these values could be applied to our society and the relationship between us and our government could be strengthened and re-oriented towards building our capacity (through support, resources, education and infrastructure) to have greater involvement in defining the issues and creating the solutions; rather than being told what the issues are and how they will be addressed (with profit and corporate agendas in the driving seats, steering us towards these 'solutions').

The food sovereignty and food system transformation effort in Venezuela is a prime example of just how well these more 'socialist' principles can be applied and are working.  But, given the length of this blog so far (thank you for reading if you've made it this far!!) and all I want to share about the Mission 'AgroVenezuela', I think I'll place all of these details into a new blog, which I'll upload shortly.

As I'm sure you can tell, I am still forming my thoughts and opinions around all of what I have seen in Venezuela and my sense is it's going to take some time, in conjunction with further reading and investigation to really get to the bottom of it all.  But I guess this is the beauty of a blog, whereby I can capture my thoughts at different stages and see how they are evolving (and changing) over time.  I guess I just hope I have been able to convey the different viewpoint and approach Venezuela is taking and that it too, has provoked some thought for you around the status quo of our society as we know it. I'd be extremely interested to hear others thoughts around what I've seen and written about here, as I obviously appreciate the high degree of controversy and disparity in opinions around a topic like this; and I'm sure many have varying opinions and insights they could add if they felt compelled and comfortable to do so.

Phew that was a biggie - promise the others won't be this big... but anyone who can get a subject this complex into 500 words deserves a medal!

Thanks for reading and look forward to your comments.

Other articles you may like to read can be found on http://venezuelanalysis.com/.  They provide a huge number of articles that seem to tell both sides of the story.

Why so long between hellos...

Hola from Buenos Aires, Argentina everyone!

I am so sorry it has been so long between posts - So  much has been happening these last few weeks, I've not really had the time nor the brain space to really sit down and catch up and share all I have seen and done!  And let me tell you - there has been A LOT and I'll do my best to share them over the coming days.

Just to give you a quick snapshot, here is a bit about what has been happening along my world food safari to date...

My first two weeks in Venezuela were incredible; thought provoking, challenging, inspiring and not to mention, a lot of fun!  To have been in Venezuela at such a critical time during their presidential elections and to have been given the opportunity to meet with so many community leaders, advisors, rural workers and families directly involved in the Revolution, was amazing and has turned the world and the food system as I know it, completely on its head.  It is going to take a few blog posts to describe the variety and contrast I saw and learnt about in Venezuela on all fronts; political, social and  economical and in the transformation that is occurring across their entire food system.  I took sooooo many notes (as you can imagine) and I am looking forward to sharing it all with you, because I think it certainly provides us with a lot of 'food for thought' when we look at our own food system in Australia and the agenda/priorities/approach the Australian government is taking to secure Australia's food future (particularly with the recent launch of green paper proposing Australia's first ever National Food Plan).

I have just about finished an overview of 'my take' on what is happening in Venezuela on the political front and will be sure to share this shortly.  Other posts will include more of the specific food sovereignty and security initiatives being developed and delivered by the Venezuelan community with 100% government support and investment.  Phenomenal!!

Since leaving Venezuela I have been soaking up all the culture Buenos Aires can throw at me!  Talk about a seriously amazing city; it is stunningly beautiful with its french inspired architecture, it has an historic authenticity and uniqueness that I find really refreshing and interesting, there is always something to do or see and the food...is...DELISH!!  It is also a city that never sleeps and for a while there, I felt like I turned into some kind of nocturnal being that survived on 5-6 hours sleep...during the day! Needless to say I could not sustain this kind of sleeping pattern (or lack their of) for long, but was impressed with my partying efforts none-the-less :-)  I also wanted to be able to see what BA had on offer through the day, so I needed to change my tact! hehe

Other than eating half my body weight in meat, cheese and empanadas (which PS I am not complaining about in the slightest!!! hehe), I will admit I've not seen or done a great deal on the food front. Whilst it has been nice to have a bit of a break to allow myself to just be in and enjoy this beautiful city for all it has to offer, there have been two things that have really struck me here; the lack of obvious overweight/obesity amongst the population and the dominance of domestically produced products available in supermarkets.  This has certainly intrigued me, so I have taken some time to do some reading to find out why (whilst sipping on the ridiculously delicious coffee they have here), and will include this in my blog dedicated to beautiful BA.

I hope all is well in your worlds - thanks everyone for all your great feedback and encouragement for my blogs so far.  Thanks also for your patience between blogs,  I promise I will try and stay on top of these throughout my next leg in the USA, which starts on Friday 10 August.  This is also my beautiful cousin, Alaine's birthday, so sending you lots of hugs and wishes for your special day on Friday lovely lady!!!

Hasta luego mi amigos!!
Adios

Touch down in Caracas, Venezuela

Well, after approximately 48 hours of travelling (including a 12 hour stop over in Buenos Aires) we finally touched down in the buzzing city of Caracas in Venezuela (South America)! Feeling pretty exhausted and slightly overwhelmed by the craziness of this incredibly unique city, but could not be more excited to be here.

We were finally reunited with our bags (they were checked all the way through to Caracas from Sydney, so we were without them in Buenos Aires) and arrived to meet the warm faces of our delegation leader, William and translator, Daviana at Caracas airport.  After a delicous coffee (and this is coming from  a non-coffee drinker) and a chat about the days to come, we jumped in a cab to take  us to our hotel, which William has told us is on the cusp of the divide between the wealthier Venezuelan community and those living in Barrios (large slum areas).  We apparently, however, are not to call these areas Barrios and they are instead referred to as 'communities'.  The current President, Hugo Charvez, is implementing some incredible efforts to improve the conditions in these communities (in addition to the land and agrarian reforms working to establish food sovereignty in Venezuela), through his 'Socialist Revolution'.  Some of these efforts include; building millions of homes for people in 'community' areas, improving access for existing communities in mountainous areas, by significantly lowering the cost of the cable car built to access these areas and providing pensions for elderly citizens (just to name a few).  Some ambitious goals have been set and I will talk about these efforts in more detail over the coming days as I learn more.  Needless to say, we are experiencing the real Venezuela.

It's a city full of character, noise, bussell and smells so completely different to the world I live in.  I must say it is quite refreshingly different, but it is certainly a place to keep your witts about you (don't worry mum and dad we are being very careful!).  There is a significant amount of poverty in the area and whilst I don't feel threatened or intimidated walking around, we have been advised not to take our valuables out and about with us - hence not all that many photos just yet!

There is hardly any english spoken in Caracas and my sense this is going to be the case across Venezuela.  So needless to say we are all very thankful to have William and Daviana who are native spanish speakers.  Courtney and I are trying as best we can to brush up on our espanol pronto, as I'm sure everyone is getting very sick of the 'blank faces.... followed by "lo siento, no entiendo.... hablo muy poco espanol...." generally followed by more blank faces!!  Although I am sure we will get better as the weeks go on (I certainly hope so!!), I am seriously reconsidering doing the intensive spanish course in Argentina, particularly in preparation for the Camino in Spain.  (Side note:  If I could give anyone considering travelling to South America, hook yourself up with some basic spanish conversation skills - it will make your life SO much easier!)

The food so far is delicous and made from simple ingredients; corn, cheese (SO much cheese), eggs and various meats, but it is all incredibly rich!  There are some fresh fruit and vegetables sold by street vendors, but I must admit I had expected to see more.  My guess is that this is all still evolving with the new food production and distribution system being established here (more to come on this later).

Not surprisingly we have sampled all the 'typical' and unique Venzuelan dishes such as 'Cachapas'; which are essentially two (large) corn style pancakes with a thick (and when I say thick, I'm talking 1-1.5cm thick) of soft cheese melted in the middle,  which is also the same size as the pancake in circumference. The other dish found widely are 'Arepas'; which are sort of like a tortilla burger that are either jammed packed with either cheese, or meat or meat AND cheese.... are we sensing a theme here people?  Hehe... they are insanely filling and completely delicious and I have already sampled multiple :-)  will try and get some pix of these over the coming days.

Last night we met the majority of the other delegates and I have to say we have some pretty amazing people on the trip, from all different backgrounds and perspectives, which has already brought a real richness to the experienence.  I am looking forward to hopefully sharing more about some of the incredible things they are either involved in or initiating too.

It is day two of the delegation and I cannot tell you how much we have done, seen and learnt in such a short period of time.  We have received a number of presentations from some really prominant individuals and organisations who are coordinating the 'Socialist Agricultural Movement' over here, and today we visited one of the 21,000 urban organic agricultural projects which are up and running in Venezuela.  The Socialist Revolution which is being drivin by Charvez here, whereby the government is supporting and giving power back to the Venezuelan community is, quite frankly, unprecidented from what I can tell. I am finding myself learning so much more than just food system transformation, I am seeing first hand a country transitioning (and all the challenges which come with it) from a capitalist to socialist society and economy.

We actually could not be here at a more exciting time, as the presidential election is in full swing.  There is propaganda everywhere; for both Hugo Charvez and his opposition, Henrique Capriles, who defines himself as a 'centre-left follower of the business-friendly by socially-conscious Brazilian economic model'.  I have to say, there is an overwhelming amount of support for Charvez and his Socialist Revolution and infact, most people here are not even entertaining the idea that Charvez won't be re-elected in October.

I have to admit, there is just so much information to digest and because I am being introduced to some political and economic concepts which are completely foreign to me, I am feeling a little overwhelmed as to how I'll write about it all.  It may take me a little longer than expected, particularly with the jammed packed days we are having (generally 8am - 8pm on the road), but I'll get as much as I can up over the coming days (and weeks) and it would be great to get some of your thoughts on what is happening here.

I'm thinking the next blog entry will be an overview of what is happening here in Venezuela on a political scale, to put the transformation of the food system into a bit more context.  I must say, whilst Australia, and many other capitalist economies around the world are less likely to transition into the kind of socialist economy seen here in Venezuela, I think there are some really key learnings coming from the experiences here.  Particularly in regards to the government support and priortisation of food and agriculture.  Something, I think our food system (as well as other food systems around the world) could learn and benefit from.  Food for thought to say the least.

Anyway I could write for ages, but I'll leave it here.  Thanks for reading and I look forward to any feedback or comments you might have.