February is a month for love — and for celebrating love with food.
You may not have known about National Tater Tot Day (Feb. 2) or National Fettucine Alfredo Day (Feb. 7), but now you do. There’s a day for banana bread (Feb. 23), plum pudding (Feb. 12), and cream-filled chocolates too (Feb. 14, naturally). While Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day get a lot of attention this month, don’t forget about Chocolate-Covered Nut Day (Feb. 25).
People’s relationship to food is personal, emotional, sensual, cultural, financial and sometimes even political — whether or not our favorite foods land their own day on the calendar. We eat what’s affordable, available, tasty or comforting. And if we can, many of us choose to eat for the planet. What that means is different for everyone, but an Earth-friendly menu always includes a lot less meat and dairy than the current norm.
When it seems like global, national or local environmental change is an uphill battle, changing the way we eat and demanding better access to healthy, sustainable food can help us stay engaged. It gives us a way to marry our love of food with our love of wildlife and the planet. It’s a powerful way to make sure the natural world is healthy for those we’ll share a meal with this Valentine’s Day — and for future generations, too.
In other news: It’s hard to believe, but Food X is nearly two years old. This year we plan to bring guest bloggers, interviews, and new food features to the table. We’ll take a deep dive into how caring about the planet is deeply connected to our ability to eat healthy, sustainable food. And we’ll discuss how revitalizing our farming practices can help support life for many years to come.
Reply to this email to share your thoughts on topics you’d like to read about, people you’d like us to interview, and guest writers and other voices you’d like to hear from in the world of food, farming, and fighting for a healthy, wild planet.
Would someone you love enjoy this newsletter? Forward it! And share Food X on Facebook and Twitter.
Write to me anytime with questions at EarthFriendlyDiet@BiologicalDiversity.org.
For the wild,
Jennifer Molidor, Senior Food Campaigner
Population and Sustainability Program
Center for Biological Diversity
