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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
November 7, 2007
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| October 21, 2007 |
Advocating the Slow Life: Yoshioka Atsushi and Café Slow |
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| Yoshioka Atsushi explains the concept of slow life and slow food to participants |
There’s a reason there are no Starbucks in Italy, says Yoshioka Atsushi, founder of Tokyo’s Café Slow and Sloth Club member: the concept of slow food originated there, Italians appreciate the slow life, and the government has set up a system to protect local businesses so that they aren’t pushed out of the market by large international chains. In fact, Italy has been at the forefront of advocating the slow life, epitomized by the notion of “Slow Food,” a term that is a cynical dig at mainstream American culture. What, then, does the slow life entail? According to Mr Yoshioka, who joined Peace Boat from Cochin, India to Aqaba, Jordan, it’s opposite to the kind of life most of us in industrialized nations lead today: ‘Slow life is all about not being a slave to convenience and efficiency. Our current life is one of immediate gratification, but with this comes a high level of stress and disconnectedness,’ he believes. |
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| The logo of the Sloth Club which represents living slowly, simply and taking care of ourselves and the environment. |
The way we, in industrialized nations, live also has far wider repercussions as our desire to have things quickly and cheaply affects those who produce the goods that we buy. Our need for fast, cheap coffee for example, is resulting in the exploitation of farmers along the “coffee belt” which circles the earth, encompassing 70 coffee-producing countries mostly in the Global South such as Guatemala and Ethiopia. We benefit from their labor because it is bought cheaply with profits going to the coffee company, not the producer, resulting in unfair trade. Many developing countries, such as Uganda, depend on income from coffee production and export but are at the mercy of the market, so coffee actually becomes a cause of poverty in these countries. For instance, when the price of coffee drops, the farmers lose money and can no longer pay school tuition for their children. Even if the price of coffee is stable, only 2 percent of the price of the end product makes it back to the farmer. As the price of coffee decreases, and the profits of companies such as Starbucks (where less than one percent of coffee is fair trade) increase, those who work on coffee plantations are struggling on minimum wage. ‘When a small population earns a lot, far more are suffering,’ explained Mr Yoshioka. |
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| Café Slow which is the embodiment of the ideals advocated by the slow life and slow food movements |
However, there is hope. In Europe, where 40 percent of the world’s coffee is consumed, a fair trade movement has begun in which the producers have been given a guaranteed price for their coffee from buyers. This is advantageous in that the farmers are no longer at the mercy of market fluctuation and can be independent from the buyer’s side. This allows them to become more self-sufficient, practice sustainable agriculture and build an independent industry in their home country. Although many people feel hopeless when thinking about the bigger picture, Mr Yoshioka emphasizes that it is only through each individual making a small difference that a big change can come about. By choosing to buy fair trade products, use eco-friendly products, eat organic food, carry a handkerchief instead of using tissues, and carry a flask instead of buying bottled or canned beverages, you are making a significant difference.
Mr Yoshioka has materialized his vision with Café Slow, which as the name suggests, is built upon the philosophy of slow food and the slow life. It was borne out of the Sloth Club (named after the sloth, which lives as one with the natural environment) which was established in 1999 by a small group of workers and students and now boasts hundreds of members worldwide. Their motto is “Save energy, maintain peace and encourage recycling.” Café Slow is based on seven principles reflecting the following ideals:
Support organic coffee growers in poor regions and help them to build sustainable communities
Promote fair trade between producers and consumers, urban and rural areas, the “Third” and “First” worlds with an emphasis on connection
Allow patrons to eat slowly in a relaxed atmosphere
The use of alternative currency systems that don’t create interest but build a fair and active community-based economic bloc
Use the cafes as community learning centers to exchange information on issues such as the environment and globalization, as well as a venue for live performances, films and exhibitions
Establish businesses that help restore beauty, joy and peacefulness to our society
Practice a lifestyle based on the re-connection of nature and humanity, humans to humans
Another unique feature of Café Slow is that it holds events in the dark with only the soft glow of candles to see by. According to Mr Yoshioka, ‘In the darkness, you can open your heart. In artificial light, you tend not to open your heart.’ Finally, Mr Yoshioka believes that, in today’s fast-paced world where many people are stuck on a hamster wheel of working and consuming, ‘What’s important is to value our lives more – to share, concentrate on sharing.’ Through changing our own behavior such as saving resources, slowing down and sharing with others, we can change the world. |
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