Athens: “The Cupboard” – Network for food-collective action

“The Cupboard”

They keep telling us: we in the ‘western world’, we live in an era of unprecedented prosperity. We have unlimited access to goods that just a few decades ago would have been considered as the privilege of the elite: mobile phones, cars, high speed connection of communication within eurozone, private PCs; an endless range of magnificent gadgets. Our attention is absorbed until their historical task of creating a world of toxic garbage, is accomplished. So that we don’t realize that the things we take for granted, like fresh air or non-toxic food, are the privileges of the elite. This, is more or less, what is called progress.

The time has come to start regaining control of our lives; in the different aspects of our everyday lives, instead of leaving it in the hands of the experts and various corporations, the pharmaceutical industry and scientists (in any case they are presently involved in a dialogue direct with hell, with central issue of which is how much radioactive material we can take without exhibiting side effects). Let’s take control of nutrition back into our hands, instead of letting the quality and fundamental nature of our nutrition be dependent on the profits of industry.

We are bored of consuming promises of health and ecology in the form of the most expensive biological products; waiting for the next food scandal to be burst; wondering about the hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) that is present in the carrots at the supermarket; thinking of the regime of slavery of immigrants collecting strawberries in Manolada; of the poisoning of entire areas with pesticides in order to consume tomatoes in winter (as décor, cause the taste does not exist); of consuming passively and continually portions of poison. In this extreme stage of alienation when considering our food, we rediscover the obvious: the need for collaboration, sharing and mutual aid.

We collaborate directly with producers (ensuring food of a higher quality, saving on the increased cost of all sorts of intermediates, and also helping small producers). We share our knowledge on cultivation and food production. We collect herbs and seeds. We give surplus lemons from our garden and we take surplus apricots from someone else’s garden. We bring potatoes from our village and we collect almonds from the abandoned field outside someone else’s village. In short, we create a net of food distribution and collectivization.

Every Tuesday from 18.00, until 23.00, in Autonomo Steki, Z. Pigis & Isavron, we share our knowledge, products and ideas. We take back control over our food and develop direct contact with producers. We wait for each one of you to enrich our collective.

Network for food-collective action

source: tontoulapi.espivblogs.net