This semester I have learned so much from reading different articles from different publications every week and how it pertains to everyday life. I really enjoyed learning about various aspects of the Hospitality Industry, trends, the good and the bad. These articles have encouraged me to continue reading and urge me to want to make a change in the world and help those that need it.

In the articles I read this semester, two key themes were giving back and changes that need to be made in the industry. There are many companies that emerging into the industry and trying to survive by being innovative. Some companies are using this platform to make a substantial difference in the community by donating percentages of sales to food banks and shelters. For example, Love with Food is a company that donates a meal for every box of its subscription service that is sold to food banks across the country. This article gave me great insight into how to help my community and also invites me to explore new ideas about the hospitality industry.

Many schools are adopting a new way of teaching students about various subjects through nature. They are building gardens in their communities to introduce subjects like science, technology and health education. More and more gardens are popping up in various places such a as community parks, schools and detention centers. In this article, there is a garden planted at the New York School for the Deaf. Upstate New York has a rich history in agriculture. The county of Westchester is one of the wealthiest in the country however there are hundreds of thousands of residents that are at risk for hunger. These gardens are a great tool that enables the community to give back to the less fortunate while teaching all that are a part of it about gardening, work skills and teamwork. Food banks across the state and country are implementing their own gardens to help distribute food to those that need it. There are many opportunities for high-populated communities to incorporated gardens in their communities. Many new apartment buildings have rooftop gardens. I feel we can do more to alleviate the gap in fresh and local produce. Instead f having food travel so far, we can be in control of when and where our food comes from.

Pediatricians need to take a more hands on approach to hunger in families especially its children. 16 million children are constantly without enough food. What are our schools doing about this? Are they even realizing this is an occurrence no matter how a child looks? Parents are ashamed to ask for help because they are unable to provide for their children’s basic needs. Overall, I feel that schools need to partner with food banks and local CSAs to help end childhood hunger.

Recently, there have been recalls of organic food. A majority of food has been recalled due to bacterial contamination. This is extremely dangerous for individuals with weakened immune systems. This type of recall is especially alarming because many people are starting to eat healthier. Organic food is one way they do this. This may shift some people’s perspectives of eating healthy and push them back into processed foods because they think it is a safer alternative. Some reasons food is recalled range from minor issues such as misinformation on labels to more major issues as bacterial contamination. It is weird that I wrote about this early on in the semester and again this past couple week’s incidents with Chipotle and Costco having E. Coli outbreaks have been reported.

Veganism gives the illusion that it takes years off your appearance by a few decades. It is being marketed as an image enhancer. This is a benefit for those that want to look better and not necessarily be healthy. Chefs are now creating foods that look similar to meat and dairy that encourage this. More and more restaurants are popping up that are making being vegan something cool. Being vegan isn’t just about the health benefits. It lends to being environmentally and animal friendly. Many people think it is a trend or fad. I think it is here to stay. Many illnesses and diseases can be cured, maintained and prevented by eating healthy. However, there are many challenges people face with trying to eat healthy. Some challenges people face going vegan or eating healthy are having enough time to dedicate to actually preparing food. Everything in moderation is key and trying to balance is what takes time.

With that being said, those of us who eat seafood, particularly salmon will be having a problem sooner than later. Restaurants and fishmongers are unaware that their seafood is being mislabeled therefore their customers are being mislead. Just when you thought it was safe to eat certain foods, you really cant trust where your food comes from unless you kill or catch it yourself. After all of this, I try not to eat seafood when I go out. Even the most known and prestigious restaurants on the high-end spectrum can be duped into purchasing farm-raised products and mislabeling it on their menus. The problem is that it is unclear where in the supply chain the fraud is happening. There needs to be more regulation surrounding this. We deserve to know what we are eating and should be in charge of the choices to makes that decision.

Overall, in the articles I read this semester, I have learned that I need to be more careful of the food I consume, the products I purchase and where I purchase. I ultimately would like to have my own garden and maybe later on in life my own farm so that I can be sure to know where my food comes from. It is important to give back to the community and be mindful of your impact and part you play in the world.