315: Beyond waiting for the exposés, how can consumers truly discern what’s real?

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When we talk about consumer rights, what are we actually talking about?

International consumer movements typically approach rights from four perspectives: the right to safety, the right to information, the right to choose, and the right to be heard.

Today, Foodthink will start with food consumption—something no one can live without—and explore how to fully protect your rights.

1.The right to safety

Can we still buy produce we can trust?

Do you remember the news from last year when Dingdong Maicai was exposed for having multiple highly toxic pesticide residues?

Why does conventional agriculture rely so heavily on pesticides?

What harm have organochlorine pesticides—introduced to agriculture after the Second World War—caused to public health and the natural environment, and how have they been managed through policy and legislation?

Besides pesticides, today’s conventional agriculture also uses various chemical inputs such as herbicides and growth regulators. Can we truly trust food grown this way?

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Another huge threat to public health and food safety is the abuse of antibiotics in industrial farming. Last October, Foodthink organised a book club for *Crisis on the Table*, discussing with readers how chicken became a staple of the American diet, and subsequently, a hazard.

Why has the livestock industry made the use of antibiotics standard practice?

How have antibiotics accelerated the industrialisation and intensification of broiler chicken farming and processing?

What problems are caused by the extensive use of antibiotics?

How exactly does microbial resistance to antibiotics develop?

What are the consequences of infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria?

Most importantly, what are the possibilities for farming that avoids antibiotics and prioritises animal welfare?

●Click the image for more details about the reading club.

II. The right to information

Before you buy, do you really understand the information?

Processed foods undoubtedly play a significant role in modern food consumption. While food technology has extended shelf life and enabled wider distribution, increasingly complex ingredient lists and opaque production processes make it harder for consumers to sift through information and make informed choices.

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Why do we love bubble tea?

Why are we so hooked on sugary fizzy drinks—the so-called ‘fat otaku happy water’? Why is salt added to almost every processed food?

In *Salt Sugar Fat*, Michael Moss delves into how food giants leverage scientific research to engineer addictive junk food, thereby stimulating consumer demand.

Food processing companies exploit more than just human physiological feedback mechanisms; they also capitalise on a general indifference towards corporate social responsibility. Bart Elmore notes in *The Coca-Cola Empire* that the secret to Coca-Cola’s success lies in the consumption of public resources and the shifting of massive environmental externalities onto the public sector, other businesses, and consumers.

Returning to the context of modern-day China, the social responsibility of the catering industry and food delivery platforms may be where our urgent attention is needed.

How much plastic waste is generated by food delivery each year?

What changes must delivery platforms make to reduce plastic?

Who is protecting the labour rights of delivery riders?

And how can their working conditions be improved?

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We believe that companies and platforms have a duty to disclose this information, and that consumers should proactively seek to understand the environmental impact of their purchases in order to make more informed choices.

3. The right to choose

Is there still a wet market near your home?

With the proliferation of e-commerce and online shopping, brick-and-mortar commerce is quietly undergoing a transformation. Have you ever considered that behind this convenience lies the contraction of what was once a diverse retail ecosystem? A prime example of this is the gradual disappearance of the wet market. Using Beijing as a case study, these two articles document how government-led upgrades to wet markets have shaped the transformation of Chinese cities.

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We often only begin to miss things once they have vanished, which is why the ‘vibrant bustle’ of traditional wet markets has garnered so much attention in recent years. Kong Xiao’er’s records of Shanghai’s market stallholders reaffirm that the essence of daily life found in this bustle stems from the real, tangible presence of the vendors themselves.

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Beyond providing convenience for consumers, what other value do these street vendors offer that often goes unnoticed? The following articles explain why the traditional market system is fresher and more diverse than other channels. They also serve as a reminder that the centralisation of supply channels ultimately leads to a homogenisation of choice. As the economies of scale that benefit business centralisation intensify, consumers inevitably suffer a loss in diversity.

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Can centralised supermarkets help us eat better? Let’s look at the American example. While we often mock Americans for having a coarse and poor diet, have we considered why they fill their fridges with so many unhealthy foods? A look inside an American fridge and a guide to shopping in the great North American supermarkets may just help you refine your own stockpiling list.

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IV. The right to be heard

What other possibilities exist for consumption?

However, food is not merely a commodity for exchange. The nutritional, labour, socio-cultural and ecological values inherent in food suggest that there is more than one way to approach the practice of food consumption.

Alternative food consumption models might include participating in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where risks and rewards are shared with the producers; or visiting local farmers’ markets to build relationships with producers and gain a genuine understanding of agricultural production.

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You can also take it a step further by joining a consumer cooperative: by uniting with like-minded consumers on a basis of equality and mutual support, you can encourage producers to grow crops that meet consumer needs, driving a shift in farming practices at the source.

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If consumers begin to uphold and exercise their rights to safety, information, choice, and expression, truly rational food consumption can become a win-win for everyone:

Consumers receive safe, healthy, and delicious food;

Farmers can work with nature independently and with peace of mind, receiving fair remuneration;

The environment remains unpolluted and natural resources are protected, ensuring a sustainable food supply for humanity.

If this is the world you want to see, why not start taking action with your next meal?

Editor: Foodthink

Published by Foodthink