Conventional industrial food production poses significant threats to environmental, societal, and individual health. The organic food movement has emerged in response to the dangers of conventional food production, and is slowly gaining popularity in the public sphere. Organic standards have been relatively successful at providing consumers with a level of transparency in food production that has not been seen in decades. However, lingering cultural fallacies defining organics as ‘yuppy” luxuries of personal preference, rather than a necessities for a sustainable future, are still a highly prevalent in the public sphere. In order for the organic production to compete with conventional industrial practices, a shift in public conceptualization of the true importance of organic food production must be achieved. This paper explores one method of expanding such contextual knowledge within a community, through the distribution of succinct yet informative pamphlets on the value of supporting local, organic food production in Seattle’s University district. To increase the viability of the pamphlet method of communication, descriptions of what a more high tech advocacy project might look like are provided, where the pamphlet is only the first step in a larger advocacy plan. Drawing on results from reader feedback, it is concluded that although the pamphlet was somewhat effective in increasing contextual knowledge on the importance of organic foods, it could be improved in certain structural areas, and would be significantly more effective if combined with a website.
-Mollie
Over and Out
15 years ago
