An Olympian Task: Safe, Sustainable Food
Britain's organic foods watchdog calls for local, organic, and ethical edibles at the 2012 Olympics
World-class athletes are usually a pretty particular bunch when it comes to food: It makes little sense to spend your life training for elite performance and then fuel up with less-than-perfect nutrition. But given China's recent history of food-tainting scandals, it's safe to assume that many athletes' usual high nutrition standards were taking a back seat to simple matters of food safety. Chinese officials went to great lengths to reassure Olympic delegates of their commitment to food-supply purity, and so far there've been no reports of food-related problems.
Looking ahead to 2012, Britain's Soil Association -- the UK's leading organic-food organization -- has called for food-sustainability targets for the London Summer Games. Some of the SA proposals (such as a recommendation that "65% of the food sold should be vegetarian or vegan, with meat used sparingly in meat-based dishes") may not sit well with athletes or their trainers who have very specific nutritional goals in mind.
But others make a world of sense. Our favorites:
- 75% unprocessed, 50% local, and 30% organic food
- Exclusive use of Marine Stewardship Council-certified seafood sources
- Fair-trade certified tea, coffee, and chocolate
- Minimal food packaging, with all waste reused, recycled, or composted
With any luck, the sustainable-food message will carry beyond the few weeks the Olympics are in town: The Soil Association is encouraging organizers to commit to creating 2,012 new food-growing spaces across London, including micro-farms, allotments, and roof gardens.
Anita Crotty
Anita Crotty is co-author of Married... with Dinner, an award-winning food blog that chronicles the continuing adventures of "a couple of San Francisco food dorks." Anita and her husband Cameron are both professional writers, amateur cooks, and avid diners.read full bio.
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