Going to Market

For anyone who has ever experienced the chaos at large-scale outdoor markets, such as Pike Place in Seattle, they have witnessed the power that food, a simple life-necessity, has to bring people together. Crowded walkways, buzzing voices, and flavorful wafts of diverse treats are what the market experience is all about. Its about people-watching, food-scouting, and life-enriching.  

Walking along the crowded sidewalks of Pike Place is a uniquely invigorating experience, as it combines both the social and dietary aspects of living. Food is an amazing substance, as it has the power to attract a large-scale audience. Bursting with fresh produce, coffee shops, bakeries, seafood cafes, florists, ethnic delicacies, and a picturesque view of Puget Sound, the outdoor market on Pike Place is a place for tourists and locals alike. With so much to see and taste, the market is vibrant with energy from both the sellers and passer-byes.  

There are two simple realizations one makes when at a market of this caliber. One, food is magnetic. It attracts people from all over with its enticing flavors and textures. However, it can also repel depending on how different personal senses receive the food and its atmosphere.  For example, this can be the case for many when they walk past the raw seafood booth of the market. Two, food is abundant, at least to those who have the means of accessing it. That is the ironic thing. There is more than enough food being produced on this planet to feed all of its inhabitants. However, instead our world is coincidently battling both obesity and starvation. Why is it that here is Seattle we have an abundant cornucopia of fresh, healthy food but in places such as Sub-Saharan Africa, food is a scarcity and in overwhelmingly-high demand?

Economics, agricultural opportunities, and social structure all play intricate roles in creating this abrupt clashing of circumstances. But at the same time, with all of the advancements made in agricultural technology by developing nations, why are food products not being distributed in an equal manner to all of the world’s people? Obviously, none of these questions are meant to be answered or should have an answer at this stage in our society's development.  Strolling the streets of the luscious Seattle downtown area just gave me a little food for thought...

Photo Credit: http://www.law.seattleu.edu/llsa/nllsac/pike_place_market.jpg