In this issue, we interview Kelly Kok, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute Taiwan and an interpreter for Goodall who has been making global travels. She shares her views on how to eat healthily and environment-friendly as well as diet tips practiced by Goodall.

Q: Why would Dr. Goodall put out a book related to eating?
A: Dr. Goodall has been devoted to chimpanzee studies for years and realizes that the crisis facing chimpanzees is also the one facing the whole continent of Africa. The root cause behind this problem is the unsustainable lifestyle lived by people in developed or developing countries, which has been spreading around the globe and causing extensive damage to the environment. She finds that a growing number of consumers have no idea where the food they eat comes from, not to mention what the food is made of. In fact, each individual can make a difference in protecting our earth by paying a little attention to what they eat.

Q: What impressed you most about Dr. Goodall?
A: Dr. Goodall is on the road about 300 a year. Despite her tight schedule, she takes every chance to spread her environmental philosophy. In addition to giving lectures around the world, she talks with passengers at airport lounges or on trains about environmental protection. She repeats her ideals day after day and year after year. I admire her tireless efforts at this cause.

Q: In Harvest for Hope, Dr. Goodall encourages vegetarianism because eating vegetables is not only more healthful, but also imposes fewer burdens on the environment. Is she herself a vegetarian too?
A: Yes. When Dr. Goodall stays in Africa where resources are scarce, she is sparing in her use of anything including a cup of water. Actually, she doesn¡¦t eat much. After being beside her for a long period of time, I find her rather like a squirrel. In her pockets there is always leftover food. Sometimes it¡¦s half a pack of sugar (for her next cup of coffee), and sometimes it is several pieces of bread (for her breakfast the following morning).

Q: The organic certification system in Taiwan is not as well-developed as that in some other advanced countries. What kind of food products are better choices?
A: The rule of thumb is to eat foods that are locally grown and in season. Oftentimes we see imported foods labeled ¡§organic¡¨ at supermarkets. This is actually counterproductive. The delivery process of these products wastes a lot of resources, incurs unnecessary environmental costs, and increases carbon dioxide. Besides, foods shipped over a long distance are not as fresh as local foods. Eating foods locally grown and in season not only ensures you fresher taste and lower costs, but also less pesticide use.

Q: What can we do to support the organic food industry?
A: I have come into contact with many organic farmers, and most of them care for the natural environment. The most direct support we could offer them is of course to buy their produce. Once the organic market grows, there will be more organic suppliers.

Q: But what about the higher costs of organic produce? Why should a consumer buy something more expensive than usual?

A: Organic farming uses less intensive methods, avoiding pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. It is therefore more labor intensive. So organic food would certainly be more costly. But what you eat is what you are. The food you put into your body will affect your very own health.

Q: Many of us understand the need to adopt environmental protection practices like bringing your own grocery bags and such. But these practices are truly inconvenient. What¡¦s your perspective?

A: If we understand the threats the earth is facing environmentally, then we would certainly take these ¡§inconveniences¡¨ for granted and change our behavior accordingly.
According to research, if every single person on earth were to consume the same amount of resources as a person in a well-developed country, we would need four to five earths to satisfy everyone¡¦s needs. We don¡¦t even have a new earth, how are we going to find five earths? The most important thing in the 3 R¡¦s ¡V reducing, reusing, and recycling, is reducing. But we are so accustomed to consuming, that it has become a habit. Think of the frequency that we change our cell phones and computers.

Q: You have been promoting environmental education for a long time. How can we encourage children to treasure natural resources and not be wasteful?

A: The coordinator of one of our Roots & Shoots groups noticed that her group members buy their breakfast at breakfast stores to eat at school. Large amounts of disposable cups and plastic bags were used. So the teacher encouraged her students to prepare their breakfast at home, and see if they could reduce the waste that they produced every morning. In the beginning the children still brought in food that their parents bought from convenient stores, which really did not reduce all that much trash. So the teacher had a discussion with the children to try to figure out ways to truly reduce waste. They came up with ideas like making their own sandwiches and drinks. That is the essential idea behind Roots & Shoots ¡V to be able to pinpoint a problem, and then find active ways to address the problem. The kids learn from a very young age that positive action can change the world.
Of course young children should be exposed to nature as much as possible. A child who has been in constant contact with the natural environment understands that the earth is shared by many other life forms other than human beings.