Food For Thought: Not Just Nourishment

Some thoughts on food and war

The soil in Ukraine is rather unusual. The Ukrainian word for it is chornozem, which translates to something like “black earth”. It’s pretty fertile stuff, with a high percentage of organic matter and lots of phosphoric acid and other properties that make it perfect for grain and oilseeds. It’s makes stuff grow, including Ukraine’s iconic sunflowers.

But in Ukraine, it is often said that the soil is fertile because of the blood spilled throughout history. Ukraine, like much of the land along the Eurasian steppe, has long been a battleground for superpowers. And you needn’t be a student of history to know why - even a half decent player of RISK can see the geopolitical importance of a place like Ukraine: its strategic position and its resource potential are immense.

The bond between Canada and Ukraine is a deep one. Thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians settled in Canada in the late 1800s and early 1900s, seeking freedom and land they could call their own. Our west needed settlers lest the Americans get ideas. The soil on Canada’s prairies? Also chornozem. I suspect the Ukrainians would have come anyway, but it must have seemed divine providence.

So when social media and the TV news bring images of war to us here, people take this stuff personally. They take it personally because there are thousands of Canadians who have family and friends in Ukraine, and even more with business, cultural, and religious connections. And I know that because I am one of them.

But the storm of political news brings with it equal and sometimes even more startling news about the humanitarian disaster unfolding. Millions of people are on the move or in hiding, and my practical and logistical side always notes the human toll of such things. And because I’m me, one of the things I think about is food.

We all know that food has many layers, many meanings. So for the last few days my thoughts have turned to the meaning of food in war.

Food as nourishment

We all need to eat. And in the chaos of war the ability to do basic things like cook may be impossible. You may not have a safe place to live, or no power or gas. There may be nowhere to shop and if a market is open there may be little to buy. We complain when we can’t find our favourite cereal on the shelves. What if you had no cash or your currency was worthless? The longer conflicts drag on the worse the situations become and war bring along with it one of the other horsemen of the apocalypse: famine. There are stories from World War 2 of Dutch people eating tulip bulbs when food ran out (a fascinating story in its own right), and there are stories around the world far worse than that. What would you eat if war came to you? When you and your children are hungry very little else matters.

Food as a weapon

Food can be a weapon of war. Food can be withheld, food can be destroyed, and it can even be poisoned or tainted. And if you wonder why even the oldest Ukrainians are mixing Molotov cocktails in their apartment kitchens, look up the word Holodomor. The Holodomor was a campaign of murder by starvation. Millions of Ukrainians died as a direct result of famine caused by Soviet malice, economic incompetence, and political repression. And it didn’t happen centuries ago - it happened in the 1930s and is still a living memory for some. I cannot begin to do the Holodomor justice in this space, but I would encourage you to learn more about it and include it in the context in which you see current events.

Food as a symbol

Taking Russian vodka off Western shelves may seem like a no-brainer. It’s a gesture of displeasure with Russia and solidarity with Ukraine, but it’s symbolic more than anything. It’s one of those gestures politicians like to make when they are under pressure to DO SOMETHING but have little power to effect real change. But it is a reminder that in a global economy our products don’t just come from a store, but from real places and that we aren’t merely consumers: the way we spend our money is a choice that brings power both economically and ethically. So put your money where your mind is and pressure your officials to step beyond symbolism and take action against goods (oil and gas, ahem) that profit Russia’s war machine. And don’t pour your Russian Standard down the sink: make yourself a Moscow Kyiv Mule and pick up a book about Ukrainian history.

Food as comfort and hope

Estimates are, at the time of this writing, that nearly half a million people have fled Ukraine. That’s a massive number and it is getting larger by the hour. Such mass movement of people threatens to overwhelm even the countries that welcome them with open arms, countries that have their own bad history with Russia. But there are, as there usually are in such situations, hard-working people and organizations doing grunt work with little fanfare. And one of the things that people need, more than almost anything, is food.

I’m a huge fan of World Central Kitchen. WCK is a relatively-new NGO, but it bring the “get it done” ethos of the kitchen to the front-lines of humanitarian crises around the world. A proper meal is not only nourishment, but also a source of dignity and hope to someone who has walked for hours or days and has nowhere to go. It may be the only good thing that’s happened to them in a long while. WCK has been feeding people crossing the border from Ukraine into Poland for several days already, and has recently added operations in Moldova and others. They are always raising money, but consider becoming a volunteer, even if this particular operation is too far for you. You never know when troubles will strike close to home. You can follow their work around the world on Instagram at @wckitchen.

It’s weighty stuff to consider the impact of war when we’re all trying to get through the day with whatever version of normal we have carved out over the last couple of years. But it is important that we not turn away from the human toll of conflicts. Wars are not just about dates, battles, generals, and presidents. They are about real people, just like us.

It is said that the bloom of a sunflower will follow the sun across the sky each day, making it a symbol of loyalty and it’s bright colour a symbol of optimism. So pay attention to the news, give generously where you can, and plant sunflowers in your garden this spring.