Cute, but not sweet

The biggest problem in my country (Slovenia) and I think also across European union is the quality of vegetables. Sure it looks very healthy, rich, the colours are just fascinating, every single piece of vegetable is intact (insects, pathogens). But when you start eating, the wh*** magic desapeares. The taste of potato is like the taste of paper, cucambers taste like fresh cut green grass and of course the distinctive metal taste of tomatoes.

For someone, these analogies can be funny, but it is firs evidence that something is just not right.

Before I came here, I lived in Serbia, the largest country in former Yugoslavia. In the last 50 years, from komunism to socialism and beyond there was a constant degradation of economy and production. `80 an `90 were the two darkest decades for our country. Economy collapsed and we were left only with goods and food that our country could make by itself. Fruits and vegetables, meat and milk were from rural regions of the country.

Inflation, poverty, absence of foreign goods forced people to by on markets, from peasants in villages.. And the fact is, that even during WWll when cities were empty and ruined, people in vilages were living just good with lots of food. Even the ocupational forces of Germany were bying goods from the Serbian peasant. Our people who lived i rural regions have never been hungry. People in cities, suffered the most.

And after long years of political changes finally the EU opened its door to "third" countries of European continent, and ofered technology, education, and also food.

The point is, that today when market dictates the way of life trough various products that make our lives possible today, the touch with nature and natural sources is almost lost.

The domestic, or "made in Serbia" fruits and vegetables, from time of my childhood were so tasty and the flavour was incredible. Today, when you have different sorts of every single vegetable, or fruit in one store, it looks good but did we really achieve our goal, to kill hunger?

Vegetables and fruits are today "on steroides". We have variety of chemicals for killing insects, rodents, for preventing the spread of various fungi and bacteria. And then, there are nutrients, usually non-natural ones. Constant use of those things, leads to acc**ulation of toxic substances in the soil. That can have a huge impact on soil and ecosistems conected in it. Plants can absorbe certain elements and substances, and that can affect us as the consumers of those plats.

That kind of agriculture and growing is more efficient, it makes more money and it is faster than traditional. But The consecquences are not yet known. Genetically altered plants are reality. Both genetical engineering and overuse of toxic substances can lead to deterioration and dessapearence of certain plant species. The simple change in genetical code can lead to changes on much higher level.

The natural food is definitely the bast choice. Today in stores are more and more goods with notification "organic" or "natural", without any pesticides, fertilizers used during growth.

Do you think that changes we are making now in nature in its ways, processes and paste is good for us, that it will reduce hunger and save the humanity? Well, think again.