What the heck does Reality TV have to do with Economic Technology Systems?

Anyone who knows me will say I am not a fan of “Reality TV”, however, I have enjoyed Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The host of the hit reality TV show gained popularity with his first TV show called the “The Naked Chef”. His persona has always been that food should be healthy and in order for it to be healthy it must be prepared as close as possible to its raw state. Furthermore, it should not contain any processed ingredients, sugar flavoring, trans fats, or any other harsh chemicals or additives. On his show Food Revolution he exposes the culture of how people view food today. In one episode during his visit to West Virginia he told the staff of workers in a school cafeteria “I’ve been in South Africa, in the townships, and they’re getting better food than your American kids.” From West Virginia to California he encountered the same problem over and over again. People cannot be forced or persuaded to change their habits. For example, he personally accepted all the risk of changing the menu at a fast food restaurant using the same type of food but made with healthier ingredients that cost roughly the same amount to make, however, the owner would not budge and allow him to try the experiment. After days of negotiating the owner caved and allowed Jamie to prove his point, though Jamie’s changes did not stick at the restaurant. The point that I have taken away from Food Revolution is that lets not try to force culture but make it easier for people to choose a healthier option. This is exactly what we at Economic Technology Systems are doing through creating Localvore. Local farms and other produce/food suppliers will be able to gain more visibility with restaurants and grocery stores in their community and supply the retailers with fresh, locally grown products, that the consumers know where it came from and how it was produced. Selling locally grown and made food at large retailers will make buying locally more convenient and hopefully improve the health of people’s lives and the local economy.