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Tomorrow is very big day. Yes, it’s the start of our 15th summer program. But it is also the day that Ghana plays Brazil in the Knockout Round of the World Cup. Since I will be thoroughly distracted—how often does your birth country qualify for the first time ever to play in the biggest sporting event in the world and stun two huge favorites (including the other country of which you are a dual citizen) to move on to the next round? …yes, SINCE I will be thoroughly distracted—in fact, I won’t even be at work—I think I should point out why this fixation is justified from a Food Project point of view. Soccer, it turns, out is a lot like food:
–Soccer, like food, is both universal and local. As the world’s most popular sport, soccer is second only to eating as a widespread activity. While soccer is almost universal, it is also very local; each region has its own style, and the game is always shaped by the local environment. I’ve played pick-up soccer in the mountains of Ecuador, a beach in Ghana, and a park in Uganda. Same game—different flavors.
–Soccer, like food, is essential to life. Or mine, anyway. If anyone lives in the Boston area and wants to join us for farm-soccer (soccer played by farmers and those who love farmers), feel free to contact me: Usually Fridays around 6:30 pm in Lincoln, but it varies with the seasons.
–Perhaps more than any other sport, soccer—like food—is a system. The game unfolds in a complex series of interconnections. One person gets credit for a goal and someone else usually gets credit for an assist, but where does a goal really come from? The real answer comes often comes in dozens of passes and movements far removed from the point at which the ball finally enters the net. Much the same can be said for a piece of food that enters someone’s mouth.
–Soccer is beautiful; Pele called it “the beautiful game.” I think the food our farmers and youth grow is beautiful. Check out our farmer’s market or CSA.
–Soccer, like food, follows fairly simple rules: put the ball in the goal without using your hands. There’s a simplicity to food, too. As my friend Miguel Santiestaban from the New Mexico Acequia Association said, “Without food, you die. Without good food, you also die. Of course, you’re going to die anyway….”
–Understanding the importance of food and sustainable food systems in particular is like being a soccer fan in America during the World Cup: while most people around you aren’t very aware, you are always conscious of this super-important issue which connects you to the rest of the world.
Anyway, 20 million Ghanaians and anyone who loves an underdog will be looking for a “Miracle on Grass” tomorrow; in my most over-confident moments, I’m hoping this game will go into overtime. But if Ghana even puts up a decent fight against the world’s soccer superpower, it will be a joyous ending to an incredible journey. Either way, it will be lovely to see these two teams play; both of their styles should make it very entertaining, and I expect the game, at very least, to end in a great deal of mutual respect and goodwill. That’s one more thing that soccer and food have in common: the ability to bring people of all different nations and backgrounds together.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL
Link to New Mexico Acequia Association
http://www.sric.org/voices/2000/v1n2/waterNM.html
While watching Brazil play yesterday, I realized another similarity between soccer and The Food Project and BLAST.
With the World Cup, national teams usually bring one or two young stars that most likely won’t play in any games, but are recognized as future stars. Teams want these young players to get the experience of the World Cup to help them and the team build for the future. For example, Brazil took a 17 year old Ronaldo in 1994, he didn’t play at all, and yesterday he became the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup (with 4 goals in 1998, 8 in 2002, and 3 so far in 2006).
In the exact same manner, BLAST takes young people to conferences including the Community Food Security Coaltion Conference and the Kellogg Food and Society Conference. These conferences, which we can consider the World Cups of the sustainable food movement, want young people to come to conferences, learn from the veterans, share their unique skills, and build for the future. It’s the same thing as the Brazilian national team using up 2 or the 23 spots on the team for young stars.
In many ways, The Food Project and BLAST are like soccer, and Anim is the Ronaldo of the sustainable food systems movement.