As the sun sets on Human Rights day I cannot help to think about what our rights here in South Africa are. One of them is the right of a healthy environment which includes housing, health care, FOOD, water and social security.
As a sourdough baker I have to look reality in the eye and ask,
“Does our industry contribute to social justice or injustice?”
We are extremely privileged to have access to excellent ingredients, electricity (when you properly plan around loadshedding 🙄) and space where we can bake or run a production line and produce real bread without any chemicals, (yes you read right) preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilisers, added minerals, refined sugar and what not, and use environmental friendly packaging.
We know that refined white bread can contribute to obesity, cardio vascular issues and diabetes and this doesn’t promote our right to a healthy environment.
Unfortunately refined white bread is one of our staples in SA. So many people are hungry, unemployed or receive minimal income per month that needs to provide for a lot. To make things cheaper you have to push volumes, fast and efficient and unfortunately optimal nutrition moves to the bottom of the line.
I don't believe that big brands are deliberately trying to harm people with their products. And I am certainly not here to vilify anyone or any brand. That will not help anyone. This is an extremely complex situation.
What I do know and what Grace and Crumbs is about, is asking questions about what we put in our mouths, where it comes from and how it nourishes our bodies and minds. Raising awareness and taking small and consistent steps (or disruptions like Vanessa Kimbell calls it) can and will challenge the system.
"Our daily bread should help, not harm our health. However industrial bread producers are stuck between a rock and a hard place; while they are under attack from all sides, their margins are too tight to innovate new products and processes. Improving industrial bread will have a positive impact on population health." - Vanessa Kimbell
Sourdough bread is currently still a niche product that’s really not affordable for someone that’s dependable on minimum wage or state grants.
So how do we go about it then?
At Grace and Crumbs we teach, we empower people to realise why they are feeling tired, bloated and sick.
We make sourdough baking easy and affordable for them and help them to make better choices when it comes to ingredients. Sourdough baking isn’t for the elite and I believe that everyone should have access to it.
Are you willing to explore this terrain and help your household?
We are so lucky to have incredible farmers that are invested in giving South Africa a chance, giving the soil what it needs to produce high quality organic grains, fruit and vegetables. Farmers that are invested in our people and land.
I am so lucky to work with brands like @gideonmilling, @champagnevalley @foragemarketgardens. It's astonishing to see how they keep their pricing at an incredible rate. With small, consistent steps it really does make it accessible and affordable for people to use.
So next time before you take a bite of something, ask yourself:
“Where does this come from?”
If you like to partner with Grace and Crumbs or sponsor some of my free workshops where we empower young people that life has been unfair to, please DM me or pop me a mail at orders@graceandcrumbs.co.za