Food is medicine

The United States has the most expensive health care in the OECD. In 2023 per person health costs were $US13,432, with the comparable country average at $US7,393.[1] Despite spending nearly twice the OECD average on health care, the United States performs poorly on avoidable mortality, chronic disease burden, and healthy life expectancy, indicating weak value … Continue reading Food is medicine

From consumers to citizens

I was born in 1956, a year after Victor Lebow proclaimed the gospel of consumption. Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption.… We need things consumed, burned … Continue reading From consumers to citizens

Kai communities

The industrial food system is causing climate chaos and biodiversity loss, but most of us still support it. Just witness the multitudes that frequent corporate fast food outlets, or the millions of dollars spent in supermarkets every day. Profit rather than nutrition drives the food system. Being a conscious consumer As I have gotten older … Continue reading Kai communities

Regenerating Food Systems

This is the first of a series of posts on the food system. Shifting from the current industrial food system to a regenerative food system will provide multiple benefits. In this post I attempt to provide an overview of the massive value proposition of regenerative food systems and set the scene for future posts. What … Continue reading Regenerating Food Systems

Could WHANGĀREI be a Biophilic City?

Biophilia is our attraction to other forms of life manifested in a desire to commune with nature. The energy we put into our pets, our gardens, and the recreational activities that immerse us in nature are the places where this deep human need is met. Plants add huge value aesthetically and contribute to our well-being … Continue reading Could WHANGĀREI be a Biophilic City?