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He fed on plants he found in parks, along the roads… in the middle of New York. Rob Greenfield, environmental activist, wanted to prove that it was possible to live off his picking, and this for a month. Brut went to meet him.
“I just got into my salad bowl”, shows Rob Greenfield, pointing to a patch of wild plants. This activist who campaigns for the protection of the environment has set himself a goal: to eat only plants that he finds in nature, in the wild. A mission not so easy, since he lives in New York. “No grocery stores, no restaurants, not even vegetable gardens! Everything I eat, I have to find in the wild. Whether in city parks, on urban wastelands or in the middle of nature.”
“For me, this is not a survivalist project. I do it to enjoy life, to blossom and feel good. I’ve eaten over 100 different foods found in nature this month and upon opening my eyes I saw that I had barely scratched the surface of anything out there. I really feel more present and more deeply connected with the Earth”he explains.
“Do I make complete meals? Absolutely. I eat mainly wild rice, game or fish, several herbs and spices and all kinds of vegetables and berries.” Since his experience, Rob Greenfield regularly organizes initiations to the art of picking. In particular, he wants to react to the negative impact of the food industry on the planet. “For 10 years, I have thought about our global food system and all the ways it wreaks so much havoc. I want to eat foods that grow in nature, without harming the Earth.”