Taste the change
T
he Swedish word ‘livsmedelsindustri’ (food
industry) indicates that this industry involves
manufacturing literally ‘means for living’, so
actually very basic items for our existence. However,
industrial food is increasingly becoming anything
but simple. Buying a TV dinner for our kids is like a
chemical experiment, on a par with, say, buying a
chemistry set. We need to restore food to the place it
used to have in our lives.
The last few decades have seen too much low-
quality-food produced. This has come at a huge cost:
unhealthy processed food, animal cruelty, massive
use of pesticides and fossil fuels and generally
devastatingsocial, healthandenvironmental impacts.
But food is not just about calorie intake; it has a place
in our social lives and our culture and is crucial for our
well-being. Making, cooking and eating food together
and finally, hopefully doing the dishes together (yes,
equal opportunities all the way!) are good for us.
The current economic system pressurises us all to
work more, pay more and take on more both private
and public debt in an endless pursuit of income and
profit. Increasingly, the planet and its people are
in need of an alternative future, in which the non-
monetary aspects of life are valued and given the
time and space they require to play ameaningful role.
In this cookbook, members of the Greens/EFA group
in the European Parliament share local/personal
recipes from throughout Europe: from south to north
and from east to west.
There’s something for everyone, whether or not you
are vegan, have an allergy or have trouble making
ends meet at the end of the month. Europe’s future
must be biodiverse, sustainable and GMO-free
and involving treating animals humanely. For this
to happen, Europe’s farmers and citizens must
reconnect and directly interact with each other.
Together they have in the past overcome dictators,
feudal lords and other oppressors, so they should
find it well within their capacity to take back power
from the food industry as well.
Eating local – even home-grown and organic – food
that you cook yourself is safer and feels good. Since
many recipes use local ingredients, you might not
always find everything, so improvise!
There are many European greens and European
citizens getting involved in the Food Revolution.
Please join us! Just try the recipes here or any other
recipe that has high-quality tasty, locally grown and
organic ingredients and share it by cooking a nice
dinner with some friends.
Be the change you want to see on your plate.
Carl Schlyter,
and many thanks to all
those who contributed to this book:
Jan Philipp Albrecht, Margrete Auken, Sandrine Bélier, Jean-
Jacob Bicep, José Bové, Nikos Chrysogelos, Yves Cochet,
Rebecca Harms, Satu Hassi, Martin Häusling, Isabella Lövin,
Ulrike Lunacek, Bart Staes, Indrek Tarand, Keith Taylor and
Claude Turmes.
