October 30, 2004

SUSTAINABLE TABLE LAUNCHED
TO HELP FAMLIES EAT HEALTHIER

GRACE (Global Resource Action Center for the Environment) launched a new campaign - Sustainable Table - to help educate consumers on how to shop smarter, eat healthier and enjoy the abundance of fresh, nutritious meat and produce grown by local family farmers. From the benefits of pasture-raised meat to the overuse of antibiotics in factory farms, http://www.sustainabletable.org/ presents all the issues in a clear, easy-to-understand format that makes it easier for consumers to make healthier choices about what their families eat.

"You are what you eat. And more families than ever before want to eat sustainably," said GRACE President Alice Slater. "We launched Sustainable Table togive families more choices about what goes into their bodies and more ways to exercise their purchasing power to support their local communities."

At http://www.sustainabletable.org/home/, consumers can find the popular Eat Well Guide, a free online directory of meat, poultry, dairy and eggs produced using sustainable agriculture. Simply enter a zip code and the Guide will direct you to farms, stores and restaurants close to home that sell sustainable foods. The up-dated Eat Well Guide features a fresh new look with increased functionality and hundreds of new entries. Look for the Guide's official re-launch in early November.

"Most families think they are locked into buying only the mass-produced foods available at supermarkets," noted Slater. "Sustainable Table shows you how to find farmers markets, food cooperatives, community-supported agriculture programs, and stores that carry sustainable foods made by traditional family farmers in your area."

The website features The Meatrix, the most successful online advocacy film in history. Over 6 million online viewers have watched this critically acclaimed, award winning flash-animation film that humorously spoofs The Matrix movies while educating viewers about the issues surrounding factory farming. Offline, the movie has been screened at conferences, film festivals and special events around the world including the Woodstock Film Festival, the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, the 8th Seoul International Labor Film Festival, and the 2004 Farm Aid concert.

Sustainable Table includes a Teacher Resource section for educators interested in developing curricula around healthy eating and sustainable agriculture. The website takes students to working farms that double as educational centers, shows which schools are serving sustainable foods, and profiles successful school garden projects.

Consumers who want to make a difference in their communities can use "I Care" cards that let their local grocers and restaurant owners know that they care about where their food comes from. These cards can be downloaded from the Sustainable Table website, printed out, and left at any store or restaurant to urge local retailers to supply and serve sustainable food.

(Global Resource Action Center for the Environment) works with research, policy and grassroots communities to raise public awareness and promote solutions to preserve the planet for future generations.

GRACE partners with of the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Henry Spira/GRACE Project on Industrial Animal Production fosters interdisciplinary research on industrial animal production and addresses its impact on diet, the environment, and on human and animal health. For more information on all of GRACE's projects, please visit http://www.gracelinks.org/.

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This page was posted on 11/02/04