Paddock to plate' is part of the fresh food revolution. Eating is no longer just about viewing food on a plate in isolation; it's a holistic experience that extends beyond the table and the kitchen. are increasingly embracing the ethical connection of paddock to plate and palate desiring to know all the production-chain elements of the food on their plates so they can make informed decisions about what they eat. Desiring produce with low food miles, high-end restaurants now offer fruit and vegetables from their own gardens and weekend food markets cater to the consumer who demands organic locally grown produce.
The 'paddock to plate' philosophy incorporates mounting emphasis on taste, nutrition, value, freshness, sustainability and animal welfare. But what about human welfare. As part of the production chain, are consumers concerned about the people who grow, harvest or catch their food and the conditions under which they work?
Since slavery has been officially abolished, enslavement no longer revolves around legal ownership of another human being. In today’s world the chains that hold humans are more often psychological than they are physical. Fearing deportation if complaints are made, migrant workers in the fresh-food supply chains are often subjected to exploitation working long hours for low wages, and sometimes no payment at all. While adherents to religious cults obediently toil for no pay to provide wholesome food sold in restaurants and markets.
This paper argues that ‘the paddock to plate’ movement with its emphasis on taste, low food miles, nutrition, sustainability and animal welfare can co-exist with the ethics of exploitation, child labour, deprivation and punishment for those labouring to meet our demands for ‘wholesome’ food.
You can chat about this presentation with Diana in Zoom
12:00 pm Saturday 18th July
Hi Diana. It's great you brought up this angle. It is so sad. From what you observed, what would you think would be tell-tale signs of such exploitation? Very cheap prices or maybe this is not just a practice of cheaper food stores?