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Bake your own bread and defy consumerism

Thursday, July 24, 2008
Posted in Sustainability | Tagged Sustainability

Satish Kumar writes, “On July 27, the first Resurgence Slow Sunday will be held. The idea is that, if many people join in simple, symbolic actions at a local level, we can start to make a difference globally. The inspiration came from Mahatma Gandhi, who encouraged local communities in India to spin their own cloth. The purpose wasn’t just the practical act of making cloth - it was also an important act of defiance against oppressive colonialism. Gandhi believed that change was possible, but that you had to ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’.
As Gandhi made spinning a symbol of defiance, we are asking people to bake their own bread as an act of defiance against consumerism.

Why? Because bread is big business. Thirteen manufacturers control the UK bread market, worth more than £3bn a year. Every day they sell nearly 10m loaves, each one having travelled hundreds of miles. Only 4% of bread is baked in small, neighbourhood bakeries, and 86% is mass-produced.

We may face global environmental crises, but we have the power to address them locally. By coming together on July 27 and joining the Resurgence Slow Sunday to bake locally, people will be acting globally. By joining together, we turn the simple act of baking bread into a powerful symbol of defiance against commercialism and a move towards environmentalism.”

Resurgence website: http://www.resurgence.org/

The Guardian – Society (23 July, p.8)