Norah MacKendrick’s Better Safe Than Sorry

As the number of COVID-19 cases has increased and concerns have mounted, I took a couple weeks off from A Nourishing Harvest to compile resources for a COVID-19 newsletter and lend some extra support to clients. Though we're still in the thick of this challenge, I'm happy to be working on A Nourishing Harvest again on a regular basis. You'll see the first article in a series about lawn chemicals this week.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a book recommendation with you. Better Safe Than Sorry: How Consumers Navigate Exposure to Everyday Toxics was written by Norah MacKendrick, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University. MacKendrick begins by tracing the history of US government inadequacy when it comes to regulating chemicals used in agriculture, food production, and household goods. I found it empowering to be guided through milestone legislation from the past 100 years, learning how laws and restrictions on the sale and use of toxic chemicals were weakened, circumvented, or inadequate from the start.

MacKendrick notes "a disturbing but familiar pattern in the U.S. retail landscape: a food or product is assumed to be safe, evidence emerges that associates it with health problems, this evidence is disputed, and the product is left on the market, leaving consumers to figure out what to do" (p. 2).

A precautionary principle is the notion that a chemical should be proven safe before it is allowed into widespread production and use. Current US toxics regulations were created with no such principle, allowing new chemicals onto the market without first ensuring their safety.

With a government that prioritizes corporate profit over environmental and human health, the responsibility falls on consumers to discern how to keep their families safe. Consumer advocacy organizations like Environmental Working Group have stepped in to offer consumer guides, such as a National Water Tap Database, Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, and Skin Deep Guide to Cosmetics. 

Through interviews with consumers, MacKendrick finds that most of the burden of responsible consumption falls on women--as does the guilt and fear associated with making the "wrong" choices. MacKendrick also notes a stark difference between the experiences of women of varying socioeconomic status. Low-income women are more likely to lack the time and resources required to buy organic food and research which brands are safest for their families. While middle- and upper-class women are more likely to have the resources to perform precautionary consumption and take satisfaction from it, there are still gender roles play, and the potential for overwhelm and uncertainty.

MacKendrick's book reinforces my understanding that stronger toxics regulations will be much more effective than precautionary consumption to protect human and environmental health. A precautionary principle would be a step towards environmental justice, no longer limiting access to healthy products to those with more money. And though wealth may empower someone to buy the pricier organic apple or organic cotton shirt, the widespread use of toxic agricultural chemicals still compromises the safety of the air they breathe and the water piped into their home. A just system truly benefits everyone.

I've been reflecting on this concept as it relates to our healthcare system and social safety net during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find this COVID-19 article, plus health and herbal resources, here.

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Source

MacKendrick, Norah. Better Safe than Sorry. University of California Press, 2018.