The privilege of trendy food

Nowadays you can’t turn around without finding kale on a menu, or on shirt (see Beyonce’s new video). But there can be a dark side to the sudden popularity of certain foods, especially those with deep traditions.

Colonizing native foods

Quinoa is supposed to be a protein-packed superfood, but the popularity has had a dark side for Bolivia.

A staple of indigenous Bolivians, quinoa’s recent popularity has led to such problems as soil erosion and depletion of nutrients from a spike in farming to meet demand. Quinoa’s rising cost means it’s now out of reach for locals, who buy less nutritious substitutes.

Overharvesting the Appalachians

If you’re taking ginseng pills for an energy boost, you’re not alone. The herb has soared in popularity — damaging traditional Appalachian foraging.

Ginseng grows wild in the Appalachian mountains, but overharvesting has threatened wild ginseng. It’s also led to poaching, impacting mountain residents who’ve been harvesting the herb for generations.

What about the farmers?

Coconut water is supposed to deliver electrolytes and essential vitamins. But now that this former waste product is commanding high prices, the rewards aren’t trickling down to farmers.

And while the drink is marketed as a health food, it’s always not straight from an island — two of the top coconut water brands are owned by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

Soy takes over the Amazon

Everyone loves soy — from vegetarians looking for a meat substitute to farmers needing a cheap option for animal feed. But it’s not such great news for the Amazon.

Companies growing soybeans, like Cargill, are cutting down Amazon forests to grow more soy. The impacts of deforestation affect more than just local communities, contributing to climate change and biodiversity.

Would you eat trendy foods if you knew they were hurting local communities?