Zoe’s article, A Culture of Chocolate showcased a thoughtful, personal contemplation of their cultural identity and its relationship to the world food system. Zoe’s expression of guilt from eating a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate resonated with my own culpability in purchasing a highly controversial food product: Sabra hummus. Being Palestinian, I feel a deep responsibility to advocate for Palestinian justice and rights campaigns, yet little did I know that the hummus I ate was financially supporting a Israeli military infantry accountable for the killing of well over 1,000 Palestinians. 

A line of hummus products from the Sabra Brand.         Image belongs to: https://sabra.com/content/new-sabra-logo.html

Not only is the Sabra Hummus company supporting a cruel military brigade, but also half of its company is owned by PepsiCo. Being a global food giant, PepsiCo has garnered plenty of undesired attention for its human rights violations regarding the unemployment of 162 PepsiCo workers in a West Bengal warehouse, attributable to the workers attempting to join a union. With this newfound knowledge relative to the unethical standards the Sabra brand follows, I have become self-critical and a guilty consumer similar to Zoe’s feelings concerning the chocolate she ate. Looking beyond immoral company standards, it’s also crucial to view the already vulnerable position the Middle East finds itself in relation to food production on account of their scarce water supply, limited access to arable land, and fluctuations in international commodity markets as a consequence of their high dependence on imported grains and other food items.

The non-arable farm land covering the majority of the Middle Eastern region.  Image belongs to: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/04/middle-east-front-lines-climate-change-mena/

In 2016 it was reported that the Sabra brand generated an estimate of $800 million and was projected to become a  one billion dollar brand. This US based company producing a Middle Eastern staple condiment is going to reap the extravagant rewards, meanwhile Middle Easterners continue to live in a society plunging within the depths of food insecurity. As an Arab American, I feel alarmed.