Over the last decade the politics of food has become, well, increasingly political. From Fast Food Nation to Whole Food Nation a lot has changed. So what should we eat, especially on a limited budget? If we can’t shop at Whole Foods (some call it Whole Paycheck) can we still eat well? And what about the rest of the world? Food is connected not only to our own well-being but also to the fate of nations. Bio-fuels, GM crops, food miles and global warming, and the growing gap between the global south and north have all contributed to a sense that what we eat and how we grow our food has an impact far beyond our own backyard.

If it is true that we’ve become more aware of what we eat and where it comes from, what difference does it make?

Today on GRITtv Arun Gupta, a former chef, and a writer and editor at the Indypendent, Marion Nestle the author of What to Eat, and Peter Hoffman, chef and owner of Savoy and Back Forty in New York City sit down at the GRITtv table to discuss the politics of food, why what we eat matters, and how community gardens are changing the urban landscape.

The Garden tells the story of the fight to save a 14 acre community garden in South Central Los Angeles. It's just been shortlisted for an Oscar!

Then, an interview with Rev. Edwin Makue, General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches and Phyllis Bennis, Director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies on the Israeli siege of Gaza. Since the blockade began in 2006 it has become increasingly difficult for journalists and foreign aid workers to reach Gaza. According to Makue, who is on a speaking tour with the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, there are many similarities in Israel's occupation and South African apartheid. The controlled movement of people through check points and a strong Israeli police presence, the ongoing process of land alienation, and the psychological damage of a sixty year occupation have been labeled a form of apartheid by many, including former US President Jimmy Carter. 

So why has it been so difficult to dismantle the Israeli occupation? According to Bennis, fear of being labeled an anti-semite and the equation of criticism of Israel with anti-semitism have made it an increasingly hostile environment for peace activists and those critical of Israeli policy. Will that change under an Obama administration? Bennis says only if we the people make it happen.   

Thanks to the Organic Trade Association for Grocery Store Wars in tonight’s show. "Not long ago in a supermarket not so far away..."