Why does my tomato look so perfect, and how much fuel was required for it to travel here from Mexico? What about the truck my tomato hitched a ride on? How much energy was required to build that truck, and wait a minute, how much energy was required to make that fuel? I know a guy down the street who grows tomatoes. Why doesn’t the grocery store around the corner sell his tomatoes? What about the road my tomato travelled on. How many workers are required per year to maintain that road? And how much fuel do they use to get to the highway that they’re paid to maintain? Didn’t I buy this tomato like a month ago? Why does it still look so perfect? And why did that girl at the checkout counter assume I needed a plastic bag for my tomato? She even gave me a puzzled look when I told her I didn’t need one! Did I mention the guy down the street grows tomatoes?

Deconstructing Dinner is a radio show and podcast produced at Kootenay Co-op Radio in Nelson, British Columbia, and hosted by Jon Steinman. Over the last half-year I have listened through the entire archive of the show going back to 2006 — well over 100 hour-long podcasts. So with some confidence I can recommend Deconstructing Dinner as an excellent program that touches on many aspects of food security. The delivery is matter-of-fact, and occasionally incredulous (as it should be). The show’s point of view is clear but transparent, the interviews are well conducted, and the recorded talks are generally good and sometimes great.

The Deconstructing Dinner podcast archive is perhaps the easiest way to become aware of the issue of food security and all its facets. I’d recommend starting with a few episodes to get acquainted (or whichever ones suit your fancy), but then to just go chronologically. (Note, as I neglected to do, the remastered versions of a couple of the earlier episodes.) My listening was mostly done during my daily commute — generally on foot.