According to Forbes.com, Gary Nabhan, who edited a book, Renewing America's Food Traditions, wants serious eaters everywhere to band together to save the more than 1,000 endangered food species and varieties that Nabhan and company identify in the book.
By Nabhan's definition, endangered foods range from the obscure, the Tennessee Fainting Goat, to the iconic, gumbo. That, my friends, represents a large spread indeed, and that's how Nabhan and company arrived at a list of more than a thousand endangered foods.
Forbes.com reports:
The effort was founded by seven organizations, including Slow Food USA, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, and Chefs Collaborative, which came together in 2004 to help conserve, restore and celebrate North America's unique food traditions. Nabhan compiled his list by working with collaborative members and talking to farmers, fishermen, foragers, herders, chefs, food historians, and folklorists about what foods they've seen dramatically decline over the past few decades.
Why and how do foods become endangered? What can we do about it?
Many reasons. People's eating habits change. Farmers can often maximize yields and make more money by growing fewer crops. Some foods have become endangered because they can't be transported easily. They're too fragile.
Although I do think that the whole notion of endangered foods has become something of an academic exercise, there is no doubt that Nabhan and company have identified a serious problem that serious eaters everywhere should address by seeking out more variety in their diets and keeping iconic American food traditions alive. Goats and gumbo are serious eats, indeed.
The bottom line according to Nabhan: "The real point is that the textures, flavors, and stories behind these foods can really enrich our lives and those of our families."
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