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The Netherlands is a net exporter of food and it does this by producing what people want to eat. See https://aboutthenetherlands.com/why-does-the-netherlands-e

The Netherlands is a net exporter of food and it does this by producing what people want to eat. See https://aboutthenetherlands.com/why-does-the-netherlands-export-so-much-food/ https://aboutthenetherlands.com/why-does-the-netherlands-exp... Why should we have to change what we eat? Surely taking that choice away takes away part of what we are, reduces our autonomy. Why switch to seaweed when we can already produce what we already know we want?

belorn 5y ago
My point is primarily that we are not going to run out of edible food. I have no intention to try force anyone to change their culture. Here in Sweden we eat fermented fish. Other countries eat ferment cabbage, beans, goat stomachs, or other fermented things which in my culture we would be weird to eat. I think fermented seaweed is also a thing somewhere. There are things that could force a culture change, such as famine, war, social status signals, media, and religion to mention a few examples. Humans are social creatures, and culture is a social phenomenon, so the cause for a cultural change would likely be social in nature. I guess a societal collapse could also trigger a change in culture, or a cultural change could prevent a societal collapse. I guess it depend on how one want to perceive it, and what meaning people put into the word "societal collapse".
tarsinge 5y ago
I don’t see that convincing, a huge part of what we eat currently is the result of marketing (sugar, meat, dairy…), very anecdotical for defining oneself and the future of human society.
adolph 5y ago
"Net exporter" in terms of calories and protein or "net exporter" in terms of currency? The Netherlands ag economy is focused on high value crops. But you can't eat tulips. One-third of the world's exports of chilis, tomatoes, and cucumbers goes through the country. The Netherlands also exports one-fifteenth of the world's apples. Aside from that, a significant portion of Dutch agricultural exports consists of fresh-cut plants, flowers, and flower bulbs, with the Netherlands exporting two-thirds of the world's total. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands
slackfan 5y ago
Apropos of nothing, the Soviet Union was also a net-exporter of wheat during the Holodomor. There's a lot of ways to be a net exporter.
karen_account 5y ago
Someone trying to tell you what to do, Karen? Not on my watch.
caskstrength 5y ago
I can assure you that nobody actually _wants_ to eat tasteless dutch tomatoes.
- kwhitefoot 5y ago
  I can agree with that!

belorn 5y ago

My point is primarily that we are not going to run out of edible food. I have no intention to try force anyone to change their culture. Here in Sweden we eat fermented fish. Other countries eat ferment cabbage, beans, goat stomachs, or other fermented things which in my culture we would be weird to eat. I think fermented seaweed is also a thing somewhere. There are things that could force a culture change, such as famine, war, social status signals, media, and religion to mention a few examples. Humans are social creatures, and culture is a social phenomenon, so the cause for a cultural change would likely be social in nature. I guess a societal collapse could also trigger a change in culture, or a cultural change could prevent a societal collapse. I guess it depend on how one want to perceive it, and what meaning people put into the word "societal collapse".

tarsinge 5y ago

I don’t see that convincing, a huge part of what we eat currently is the result of marketing (sugar, meat, dairy…), very anecdotical for defining oneself and the future of human society.

adolph 5y ago

"Net exporter" in terms of calories and protein or "net exporter" in terms of currency? The Netherlands ag economy is focused on high value crops. But you can't eat tulips. One-third of the world's exports of chilis, tomatoes, and cucumbers goes through the country. The Netherlands also exports one-fifteenth of the world's apples. Aside from that, a significant portion of Dutch agricultural exports consists of fresh-cut plants, flowers, and flower bulbs, with the Netherlands exporting two-thirds of the world's total. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands

slackfan 5y ago

Apropos of nothing, the Soviet Union was also a net-exporter of wheat during the Holodomor. There's a lot of ways to be a net exporter.

karen_account 5y ago

Someone trying to tell you what to do, Karen? Not on my watch.

caskstrength 5y ago

I can assure you that nobody actually _wants_ to eat tasteless dutch tomatoes.

kwhitefoot 5y ago
I can agree with that!