There are many current events happening in Chile, however this one really caught my eye.
The HidroAysen Controversy
Enviornmentalists have recently protested a permit that would allow for the descruction of over 14,000 acres of land, including forests and farmlands, for the flooding of HidroAysen. The idea behind the Hidro plant is to prevent the ongoing problem of blackouts in Santiago, Chile, some 2400 km aways. A powerline would then run from Aysen, Chile (in the patagonia region) to Santiago. Protestors argue that this would "cut through enviornmently sensitive areas". On the flip side the country's "economy is growing at 6% a year and needs an equivalent expansion in electricity generation."
As of today, May 10th, the plans were approved by the Chilean government Commision. It will cost an estimated $7 billion.
Some repurcussions of this approval will be that several farmers and families will loose their land and jobs will be lost, natural landscape would be altered and the fragile ecosystem will be comprimised.
It will be interesting to follow the presidents approval rating after today since he appointed the commissioned.
I have attached a few articles for furthur reading:
http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/wave_tidal_hydro/article253955.ece?WT.mc_id=rechargenews_
http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_18029427
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Tourism and its Economy
In 2007, the World Travel and Tourism Council announced a strong growth in Chilean tourism. The out was great for Chile in that the economy would improve and jobs would be created. According to the WTTC President, Jean-Claude Baumgarten "Chile faces great opportunities to make Travel & Tourism a strategic priority and to develop its own plans to realize the full potential that this industry can bring to job creation and economic development for the country. It must however ensure that it has the infrastructure to meet with the high demand."
The following is a copy of the press release: http://www.wttc.org/eng/Tourism_News/Press_Releases/Press_Releases_2007/Travel_and_Tourism_in_Chile_growing_fast/
However, as the world suffered from the financial crisis of 2008, so did Chiles tourism throughout 2009. The H1N1 epidemic was also the cause of a slowed economy. Many jobs thought to be created with the analysis of 2007 ceased to exist. A another major blow came in early 2010 with a tragic 8.8 earthquake. Not only did the quake cost Chile billions, but the tourists became afraid to travel which led to many cancelations. An article released by mercopress describes the impact: http://en.mercopress.com/2010/03/04/chile-s-tourism-industry-fears-long-term-effects-of-quake-and-aftershocks
Tourism seemed to increase later in 2010 after the world took interest in the Chilean miners rescue. An analysis predicted that the incoming tourism would increase because of the intense media following of the rescue would lead to an increase in interest in Chile as a country. According to the report by Euromonitor International the Bicentennial celebrations and the ‘Chile es tuyo’ campaign helped recover tourism in 2010.
Attached is the full summary of the 2010 analysis from the Euromonitor International:
http://www.euromonitor.com/travel-and-tourism-in-chile/report
The following is a copy of the press release: http://www.wttc.org/eng/Tourism_News/Press_Releases/Press_Releases_2007/Travel_and_Tourism_in_Chile_growing_fast/
However, as the world suffered from the financial crisis of 2008, so did Chiles tourism throughout 2009. The H1N1 epidemic was also the cause of a slowed economy. Many jobs thought to be created with the analysis of 2007 ceased to exist. A another major blow came in early 2010 with a tragic 8.8 earthquake. Not only did the quake cost Chile billions, but the tourists became afraid to travel which led to many cancelations. An article released by mercopress describes the impact: http://en.mercopress.com/2010/03/04/chile-s-tourism-industry-fears-long-term-effects-of-quake-and-aftershocks
Tourism seemed to increase later in 2010 after the world took interest in the Chilean miners rescue. An analysis predicted that the incoming tourism would increase because of the intense media following of the rescue would lead to an increase in interest in Chile as a country. According to the report by Euromonitor International the Bicentennial celebrations and the ‘Chile es tuyo’ campaign helped recover tourism in 2010.
Attached is the full summary of the 2010 analysis from the Euromonitor International:
http://www.euromonitor.com/travel-and-tourism-in-chile/report
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Cueca
The national dance of Chile is called the cueca. It was declared the official dance of Chile in September, 1979. This dance has rich historical roots in both African and Native American cultures. The dance depicts the courting behavior of the rooster and the hen. Characteristic of this dance are stamping and the use of scarves. These scarves, or hankerchiefs, can symbolize the feathers of the bird or the rooster's comb. The man may use the scarf to pull the woman toward him, and she may use it to cover her face in a flirtatious manner. The cueca may be performed in formal attire or a more rural outfit. The formal, ballroom attire for men is based on the traditional dress of the Chilean cowboy. Women wear a straight black skirt with a slit from which can be seen layers and layers of white lace. She wears a white blouse, black bolero jacket, and a hat like her partner's.
The choreography of the cueca consists of circles, moving in semicircles back and forth and turning towards the partner and then away.The dance happens in an imaginary circle, with the man in one half, and the woman in the other. It starts with a promenade where the man invites the woman to join him by offering his arm. This is done while instrumental entry music is played. The couples stand facing each other about three meters apart. Before the song begins, the couple claps their hands in rhythm of the music.
Cueca is danced during major celebrations including Chile's independence day in September. Dancing can occur at family celebrations as well.
Attached is a youtube video of the dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvGURVqOmH
There is another version, more modern version, called Cueca Brava. This dance has become popular in competitions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPDJDfCQ_Gk
The choreography of the cueca consists of circles, moving in semicircles back and forth and turning towards the partner and then away.The dance happens in an imaginary circle, with the man in one half, and the woman in the other. It starts with a promenade where the man invites the woman to join him by offering his arm. This is done while instrumental entry music is played. The couples stand facing each other about three meters apart. Before the song begins, the couple claps their hands in rhythm of the music.
Cueca is danced during major celebrations including Chile's independence day in September. Dancing can occur at family celebrations as well.
Attached is a youtube video of the dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvGURVqOmH
There is another version, more modern version, called Cueca Brava. This dance has become popular in competitions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPDJDfCQ_Gk
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Rapa Nui (Easter Island); Photos, Info, and Controversies
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Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands in the world. Around 1200 years ago a double-hulled canoe filled with seafarers from Polynesia landed on shore and created a sustainable community. Over the centuries the society developed in almost complete isolation. For reasons still unknown they began carving giant statues out of volcanic rock. These monuments, known, as "moai" are some of the most incredible ancient relics ever discovered. The people of Easter Island called themselves the Rapa Nui.
There have been a lot of speculation about UFO's, Atlantis, and an advanced ancient races which has disappeared, has always been a part of the Easter Island debate. Science has made great strides in understanding who made the giant statues of Easter Island and has proven these extreme stories to rest.
Property Conflict on Easter Island
Here is a copy of an article I found from the Santiago Times regarding the conflict over the Moi and Rapa Nui. It discusses properties and how it is affecting many families on the island:
Distribution of land deeds among locals defuses conflict in Chile’s Easter Island
Chile’s Interior Ministry Undersecretary Rodrigo Ubilla announced this week that more than 30 Easter Island title deeds will be delivered to Rapa Nui families within the next 60 days.
The announcement is expected to put an end to two months of demonstrations and conflict on the island that included the take over of several publicly owned buildings by families of Easter Island’s original inhabitants, the Rapa Nui indigenous group.The conflict was initially sparked when President Sebastián Piñera appointed Pedro Edmunds Paoa as provincial governor of Easter Island in March. Edmunds’ appointment caused controversy among the Rapa Nui when it was discovered he planned to sell land plots on the island to non-indigenous people. Edmunds later resigned and was replaced with Carmen Cardinali Paoa.
These events sparked concerns by local inhabitants that non-native people may eventually own much of the island, that land ownership titles be updated and clarified, and limitations imposed to contain the influx of non-natives as residents (and thus avoid its overpopulation and environmental destruction).
On Aug. 6, the government issued a proposal to resolve the conflict, prompting discussions and setting a 60-day deadline for finding possible solutions to land issues, to the protestors’ petition for special status for the island and to their request for immigration restraints.
“The decision to regulate these lands came about, decrees were signed and we shared the news with families,” Ubilla said. “They are very happy about this situation.”
Alberto Tepihi, one of the beneficiaries of new land titles, said he was surprised and cried “when the secretary included my name among the beneficiaries."
Despite the government’s claim that the conflict had ended, some 36 clans are still occupying land, insisting the government has failed to resolve their claims to ancestral lands.
The Hito clan, for example, is still occupying the Hanga Roa Hotel. “The occupation of land will continue because the only achievement of the government was to hasten the delivery of title deeds the Vaitea Fundo area of the island, a situation that has nothing do with the issue of ancestral land,” said Marisol Hito, a spokesperson for the clan.
He did not rule out a hunger strike by families to press for further solutions.
In related news, the board of the Association of Archaeologists in Chile called on the authorities to meet the demands of the Rapa Nui people regarding the land issue.
Andrea Seelenfreund Hirch, an archaeologist at the Universidad de Chile and professor at the University Academy of Christian Humanism, said, “At this stage Chile needs new regulations in its treatment of the Easter Island community and its heritage.”
Meanwhile, Leviant Araki, the Rapa Nui Parliament’s president, called for the withdrawal of the contingent of Special Forces (armed police) on the island.
“These first 36 titles will later be joined by others,” said Raúl Celis, governor of the Valparaiso Region (V), which includes Easter Island. “If the government fulfils its part, hopefully the clans will suspend the land occupations.
By Dominique Farrell – Santiago Times
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/09/16/distribution-of-land-deeds-among-locals-defuses-conflict-in-chile-s-easter-island
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Languages of Chile
The official language of Chile is Spanish ( castellano as Chileans call it), which is spoken by practically all the country's inhabitants. In the northern region about twenty thousand indigenous people also speak Aymará, while most of Chile's Mapuche population speak or at least understand their ancestral language, Mapudungu. In Eastern Island the two thousand native inhabitants speak their own language of Polynesian origin. Chileans of foreign ancestry do sometime also speak their mother tongue but do so almost exclusively in the intimacy of their home.
One of the most spectacular expressions of the existing cultural homogeneity is the relative absence of recognizable regional accents, despite the country's extreme geographic length. For instance, the differences in accent between middle-class Chileans from Antofagasta, Santiago, Valdivia, and Punta Arenas are almost inaudible. The national coverage of many Santiago-based radio and television stations also helps to homogenize Chilean Spanish. In contrast, there are in Chile very sharp accent distinctions among the different social classes.
Chilean Spanish is quite characteristic and is immediately identified in other Latin American countries for its distinctive "melody." Chileans generally speak very fast and terminal consonants are often not even spoken. They also often add the suffix –"ito" or –"ita" (meaning "little") to the end of words. In addition, Chilean speech contains many words adopted from the Mapuche language as well as much chilenismos (Chilean slang).
One of the most spectacular expressions of the existing cultural homogeneity is the relative absence of recognizable regional accents, despite the country's extreme geographic length. For instance, the differences in accent between middle-class Chileans from Antofagasta, Santiago, Valdivia, and Punta Arenas are almost inaudible. The national coverage of many Santiago-based radio and television stations also helps to homogenize Chilean Spanish. In contrast, there are in Chile very sharp accent distinctions among the different social classes.
Chilean Spanish is quite characteristic and is immediately identified in other Latin American countries for its distinctive "melody." Chileans generally speak very fast and terminal consonants are often not even spoken. They also often add the suffix –"ito" or –"ita" (meaning "little") to the end of words. In addition, Chilean speech contains many words adopted from the Mapuche language as well as much chilenismos (Chilean slang).
Monday, April 18, 2011
Castes, Classes and Social Stratification
Chile is, on the one hand, the most modern country in Latin America and has relatively low levels of poverty. On the other hand Chile shows the second worst distribution of wealth in the region (after Brazil). So while the richest 10 percent of the population obtains 46.1 percent of the national income, the poorest 10 percent has only 1.4 percent of the national income.
While color does not constitute the main source of social discrimination in Chile, class does. In contrast to many other Latin American countries, most Chileans constantly think and act in terms of traditional class divisions (largely expressed as lower, middle, and upper). Entrance to a university is based on the points one obtains at a single national academic test. Even though someone from a lower class can get into a university and go on to get a good job does not automatically guarantee social acceptance among the middle and upper classes. The same is true for people from lower class origins who have made money and live in middle- or upper-class neighborhoods. They are often disdainfully called rotos con plata ("vulgar people with money"). Generally, it can be stated that most Chileans of European roots belong to the upper and middle classes, while most Chileans of mestizo and indigenous backgrounds belong to the lower classes.
In larger cities, classes are spatially segregated. Upper, middle, and lower classes live largely isolated from each other in very distinctive neighborhoods and city sections. Also, primary and secondary schools express social stratification. Chileans automatically categorize a person socially based only on the comuna (municipal division within the city) where the person lives and the name of the school he or she has attended.
Speech is another important marker of social stratification. Upper-class Chileans exaggerate their particular way of speaking to indicate their social predominance. On the other end of the social ladder, lower-class Chileans speak in a very idiosyncratic way. Chileans are so speech-conscious that even the slightest difference in pronunciation of some consonants immediately "betrays" social background.
While color does not constitute the main source of social discrimination in Chile, class does. In contrast to many other Latin American countries, most Chileans constantly think and act in terms of traditional class divisions (largely expressed as lower, middle, and upper). Entrance to a university is based on the points one obtains at a single national academic test. Even though someone from a lower class can get into a university and go on to get a good job does not automatically guarantee social acceptance among the middle and upper classes. The same is true for people from lower class origins who have made money and live in middle- or upper-class neighborhoods. They are often disdainfully called rotos con plata ("vulgar people with money"). Generally, it can be stated that most Chileans of European roots belong to the upper and middle classes, while most Chileans of mestizo and indigenous backgrounds belong to the lower classes.
In larger cities, classes are spatially segregated. Upper, middle, and lower classes live largely isolated from each other in very distinctive neighborhoods and city sections. Also, primary and secondary schools express social stratification. Chileans automatically categorize a person socially based only on the comuna (municipal division within the city) where the person lives and the name of the school he or she has attended.
Speech is another important marker of social stratification. Upper-class Chileans exaggerate their particular way of speaking to indicate their social predominance. On the other end of the social ladder, lower-class Chileans speak in a very idiosyncratic way. Chileans are so speech-conscious that even the slightest difference in pronunciation of some consonants immediately "betrays" social background.
Ceremonial Foods
During the celebrations of Independence Day (18 September) Chileans eat a large variety of traditional food. As a snack or the first course of a large meal, Chileans normally eat empanadas. This pastry of Spanish origin is stuffed with meat, cheese, or seafood, as well as onion, raisins, and olives. Another popular starter is humitas, which contains a paste of white corn, fried onions, and basil, wrapped in corn husks and cooked in boiling water. A classic second dish is pastel de choclo ( choclo is the Mapuche word for corn). It is a white corn and beef casserole topped with sugar and mostly cooked in traditional black ceramic dishes, handmade in the small town of Pomaire. Also on Independence Day, large parrilladas (barbecues) are organized across the country. Large quantities of wine, chicha (fermented apple brew), and pisco (grape brandy) accompany the celebrations.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Araucanian
The Araucanian culture are suggested, by archaeological evidence, to exist starting around 500 B . C . in the territory of present-day Chile. The aboriginal Araucanians were hunters and gatherers and practiced horticulture and incipient agriculture. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Araucanians were divided into three geographically contiguous ethnic groups: the Picunche in the north, the Mapuche in the central-south, and the Huilliche in the southern section.
One of the greatest resistance of indiginous people from the colonizers and other indiginous people of Chile were the Araucanians. The Inca's had conquored the Picunche and the Mapuche, but could not penetrate the Huilliche. The spanish, in numbers, were able to conquor from the land from the Araucanians down to Rio Bio-Bio and beyond during the last major rebellion of 1880-1882. Unfortunaley, the survivors of the last resistance were forced into reservations in Chile and arrested or confined into remote areas in Argentina.
Araucanians on a reservation circa 1900
One of the greatest resistance of indiginous people from the colonizers and other indiginous people of Chile were the Araucanians. The Inca's had conquored the Picunche and the Mapuche, but could not penetrate the Huilliche. The spanish, in numbers, were able to conquor from the land from the Araucanians down to Rio Bio-Bio and beyond during the last major rebellion of 1880-1882. Unfortunaley, the survivors of the last resistance were forced into reservations in Chile and arrested or confined into remote areas in Argentina.
Araucanians on a reservation circa 1900
Food Industry: Agricultural and Fast Food Impact
Chiles Agricultural Info
This article I found has an amazing amount of information regarding the Chilean food industry and agriculture. Here are some stats from the website which I have also listed below.
Fast Food in Chile
In several recent articles published there have been agreance that fast food chains are on the rise in Chile. According to the Santiago Times US "ARESTA Restaurant Administrator, which operates the popoular US brands Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and T.G.I. Friday’s, this week announced an upcoming expansion in Chile."
Here is another article from Global Post regarding fast food and Chilean health concerns:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/chile/100527/obesity-fast-food
"SANTIAGO, Chile — Gone are the days when McDonald’s fliers boasting of well-balanced meals of cheeseburgers and French fries landed on Chilean doorsteps. Now there is talk of taxing junk food and putting warnings on fatty foods to combat Chile’s exploding obesity rates.
Needing to finance reconstruction from the February earthquake, Health Minister Jaime Manalich recently suggested an unpopular idea: taxing junk food. Like raising taxes on tobacco, he said, it would bring in revenues and attack a public health problem at the same time.
Sixty-two percent of the Chilean population is overweight or obese. Almost 22 percent of first-grade students are obese and 25 percent of all adults, according to figures from the Health Ministry.
But the reaction from the food industry, restaurants and fast-food joints was swift and unanimous: no one is being forced to eat unhealthy foods, and unlike tobacco, they aren’t addictive. Manalich took a step back.
“The tax would have no effect anyways,” said Nelba Villagran, president of the Nutritionists Association. “It’s impossible to determine what is junk and we would run the risk of being unfair with some industries. Food isn’t intrinsically bad; what’s bad is how it is composed and combined.”
OBESITY IN THE AMERICAS
Mexico City: 31 percent
Santiago, Chile: 26.6 percent
Barquisimeto, Venezuela: 25.1 percent
Lima, Peru: 22.3 percent
Buenos Aires, Argentina: 19.7 percent
Bogota, Colombia: 18 percent
Quito, Ecuador: 16.3 percent
Source: American Journal of Medicine (January 2008)
Many blame the arrival of international fast-food chains and their aggressive advertising for what President Sebastian Pinera called a “rising epidemic” in his State of the Union address. Companies like McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King and Domino’s Pizza, among many others, staked a place in the Chilean market as soon as the 17-year military dictatorship ended in 1990.
However, Chileans' changing eating habits appear to be more of a problem than the proliferation of McDonald's. Along with the fast-food outlets came major supermarkets with a greater variety of cheap processed foods. And higher incomes meant more money to spend.
Hamburgers and pizzas — completely absent from Chilean tables — quickly became routine weekend meals. Babies who were once given fresh fruit and natural juices are now eating yogurts, processed puddings and other high-calorie desserts.
Chileans are eating more pork, meat, roasted chicken, fries, sodas and products high in sugar, while salads and legumes retreat from the dinner table and the price of fish makes it largely prohibitive.
National surveys over the past decade conclude that obesity is greater in low-income groups and twice as frequent among adults with only a high-school education. Daily intake of fruits and vegetables in low-income households is only half of what wealthier families consume.
“Cars, television, domestic appliances and transportation services closer to home are making them more sedentary. Modern life is giving people less time to cook and exercise,” said Dr. Tito Pizarro, head of the food and nutrition department at the Health Ministry.
Health surveys show that about 90 percent of Chileans lead sedentary lives, and in all age and income groups, obesity is more common among women than men.
In March, a bill that would warn consumers of foods high in fat, sugar, sodium or other harmful ingredients through explicit labels passed a major hurdle in Congress. If approved, these items would not be sold, distributed, advertised or promoted in the school system.
Companies would not be able to use toys or gadgets to lure children under 12 into buying unhealthy foods, and schools would have to include nutrition and eating habits in their curricula and require at least six hours a week of physical education.
Another bill introduced in Congress in June 2008 would require schools to have a “healthy food stand” to give students an alternative source of snacks or lunches. That bill has made no progress.
The government set a goal in 2000 of lowering obesity among first-graders from 16 percent to 12 percent by this year. But 10 years later, obesity in 6-year olds has shot up to nearly 22 percent. So what happened?
According to Pizarro, schools are more concerned about preparing students to perform well in national exams than about fomenting physical activity. Meanwhile they continue to sell cookies, chips and sodas. Moreover, he said, “the school environment doesn’t encourage a healthy lifestyle, with school authorities more worried about not having kids running around in order to avoid accidents, and kids using recess time to eat more than to play.”
In May, the Health and Education Ministries announced a plan that would offer economic incentives and equipment to schools that increase physical education to six hours and stop providing or selling junk food to students. However, a similar plan begun in 2006 had virtually no effect on children’s eating habits.
That year, the Health Ministry launched “EGO-Chile,” a national strategy that included publicity campaigns on eating right and exercising as well as a pilot project in 1,000 schools aimed at improving eating habits and increasing exercise among children.
However, a recent University of Chile study found that obesity rates in those schools had risen almost 3 percent, the same amount as national obesity rates.
“EGO-Schools is not enough. People generally know what food is bad for them, but obesity is not going to drop as long as parents keep feeding their children the same awful food and sending them to school with the same snacks high in sugar and saturated fats,” Villagran said. “We’re playing by double standards: even in hospitals and doctors’ waiting rooms you’ll find vending machines that sell only junk food.”"
This article I found has an amazing amount of information regarding the Chilean food industry and agriculture. Here are some stats from the website which I have also listed below.
- Chile’s food industry, which includes fruit, salmon, wine, processed foods, meats, and seafood products, is one of the most dynamic sectors of the Chilean economy. It represents around 24% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and it is the second most important exporting sector.
- The Chilean food industry employs more than 1 million people, representing around 20% of the country’s workforce. It is expected that by the year 2030, the GDP generated by the food sector will account for more than 35% of Chile’s GDP and 1 out of 3 workers will have jobs within the sector.
- Chile is ranked 17th amongst the world’s leading food exporting countries. Its food exports have grown at an average annual rate of approximately 10% over the past 10 years, making it the world’s fastest growing food exporter. If this rate of growth continues, by 2010, Chile will be among the top ten food exporters in the world.
- Chile supplies more than 150 countries around the globe with fresh and processed foods and beverages
Fast Food in Chile
In several recent articles published there have been agreance that fast food chains are on the rise in Chile. According to the Santiago Times US "ARESTA Restaurant Administrator, which operates the popoular US brands Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and T.G.I. Friday’s, this week announced an upcoming expansion in Chile."
Here is another article from Global Post regarding fast food and Chilean health concerns:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/chile/100527/obesity-fast-food
"SANTIAGO, Chile — Gone are the days when McDonald’s fliers boasting of well-balanced meals of cheeseburgers and French fries landed on Chilean doorsteps. Now there is talk of taxing junk food and putting warnings on fatty foods to combat Chile’s exploding obesity rates.
Needing to finance reconstruction from the February earthquake, Health Minister Jaime Manalich recently suggested an unpopular idea: taxing junk food. Like raising taxes on tobacco, he said, it would bring in revenues and attack a public health problem at the same time.
Sixty-two percent of the Chilean population is overweight or obese. Almost 22 percent of first-grade students are obese and 25 percent of all adults, according to figures from the Health Ministry.
But the reaction from the food industry, restaurants and fast-food joints was swift and unanimous: no one is being forced to eat unhealthy foods, and unlike tobacco, they aren’t addictive. Manalich took a step back.
“The tax would have no effect anyways,” said Nelba Villagran, president of the Nutritionists Association. “It’s impossible to determine what is junk and we would run the risk of being unfair with some industries. Food isn’t intrinsically bad; what’s bad is how it is composed and combined.”
OBESITY IN THE AMERICAS
Mexico City: 31 percent
Santiago, Chile: 26.6 percent
Barquisimeto, Venezuela: 25.1 percent
Lima, Peru: 22.3 percent
Buenos Aires, Argentina: 19.7 percent
Bogota, Colombia: 18 percent
Quito, Ecuador: 16.3 percent
Source: American Journal of Medicine (January 2008)
Many blame the arrival of international fast-food chains and their aggressive advertising for what President Sebastian Pinera called a “rising epidemic” in his State of the Union address. Companies like McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King and Domino’s Pizza, among many others, staked a place in the Chilean market as soon as the 17-year military dictatorship ended in 1990.
Hamburgers and pizzas — completely absent from Chilean tables — quickly became routine weekend meals. Babies who were once given fresh fruit and natural juices are now eating yogurts, processed puddings and other high-calorie desserts.
Chileans are eating more pork, meat, roasted chicken, fries, sodas and products high in sugar, while salads and legumes retreat from the dinner table and the price of fish makes it largely prohibitive.
National surveys over the past decade conclude that obesity is greater in low-income groups and twice as frequent among adults with only a high-school education. Daily intake of fruits and vegetables in low-income households is only half of what wealthier families consume.
“Cars, television, domestic appliances and transportation services closer to home are making them more sedentary. Modern life is giving people less time to cook and exercise,” said Dr. Tito Pizarro, head of the food and nutrition department at the Health Ministry.
Health surveys show that about 90 percent of Chileans lead sedentary lives, and in all age and income groups, obesity is more common among women than men.
In March, a bill that would warn consumers of foods high in fat, sugar, sodium or other harmful ingredients through explicit labels passed a major hurdle in Congress. If approved, these items would not be sold, distributed, advertised or promoted in the school system.
Companies would not be able to use toys or gadgets to lure children under 12 into buying unhealthy foods, and schools would have to include nutrition and eating habits in their curricula and require at least six hours a week of physical education.
Another bill introduced in Congress in June 2008 would require schools to have a “healthy food stand” to give students an alternative source of snacks or lunches. That bill has made no progress.
The government set a goal in 2000 of lowering obesity among first-graders from 16 percent to 12 percent by this year. But 10 years later, obesity in 6-year olds has shot up to nearly 22 percent. So what happened?
According to Pizarro, schools are more concerned about preparing students to perform well in national exams than about fomenting physical activity. Meanwhile they continue to sell cookies, chips and sodas. Moreover, he said, “the school environment doesn’t encourage a healthy lifestyle, with school authorities more worried about not having kids running around in order to avoid accidents, and kids using recess time to eat more than to play.”
That year, the Health Ministry launched “EGO-Chile,” a national strategy that included publicity campaigns on eating right and exercising as well as a pilot project in 1,000 schools aimed at improving eating habits and increasing exercise among children.
However, a recent University of Chile study found that obesity rates in those schools had risen almost 3 percent, the same amount as national obesity rates.
“EGO-Schools is not enough. People generally know what food is bad for them, but obesity is not going to drop as long as parents keep feeding their children the same awful food and sending them to school with the same snacks high in sugar and saturated fats,” Villagran said. “We’re playing by double standards: even in hospitals and doctors’ waiting rooms you’ll find vending machines that sell only junk food.”"
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Food and Drink
Food
One of my favorite things to learn about when studying or traveling to another country is their culinary traditions and influences. Chilean's usually eat 4 meals a day starting with a light breakfast of coffee or tea and toast. The countries typical meal almost always consists of an abundance of meat. Beef and chicken, rice and potatoes and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are staples. Chile also has a coastline of 4,270 km (2,647 miles) which adds a very diverse seafood menu. While many people assume the chili is used in chilean cuisine, it is not common spice used. More common herbs and spices are cumin, salt, garlic with basil and cilantro.
Here a few of Chile's most traditional dishes:
- Pastel de Choclo: corn casserole with meat stuffing
- Empanadas: pastry filled with meat, cheese or mussels
- Cazuela: homemade stew with beef, chicken, corn, rice and potatoes
- Asado: barbecue of beef, pork or chicken
- Reineta, Congrio, Corvina: the most typical fish
- Locos: a rare type of mollusks
- Jaiva: shrimp, crab
- Centolla: king crab with tender meat of reddish color
Mealtimes are an important part of family life. Families almost always eat together at home, only going to a restaurant on a special occasion. Mothers prepare a light breakfast of toast and milk for their children. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and two main dishes are often served. The first dish might be a salad with seafood. The other dish might be cazuela de ave , a thick stew of chicken, potatoes, rice, green peppers, and, occasionally, onions. Chancho en Piedra (Chili and Tomato Spread) is often served with bread as an accompaniment to meals, or may be eaten by students as a snack. In small towns, businesses close for almost three hours so people can go home and eat lunch with their families and take a siesta (nap).
Since about 90% of Chileans are Roman Catholic, Christmas is a major holiday that has a few traditional items served during that time. Pan de pascua , a Christmas cake made with fruits and nuts that comes from the German influence in Chile and also, the tradition of drinking cola de mono (Chilean eggnog) is served at most homes while entertaining family and friends.
Wine and Pisco
Chilean wine has become a very popular export in recent years. However, Chileans have been enjoying their vineyards for more than 400 years. The spanish missionaries brought the first vines over from europe in order to produce wine for catholic ceremonies and masses. Most people drink wine with lunch and dinner on a regular basis now and the exporting has grown substantially. The most common grapes grown in the Chilean region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carmenere. Wine tasting has become a newer tourist attraction as the vineyard business rises.
Another popular alcoholic drink in Chile is the famous Pisco Sours. Pisco is a strong, colorless brandy and when combined with sweet and sour mixture it can be quite enjoyable and refreshing.
One of my favorite things to learn about when studying or traveling to another country is their culinary traditions and influences. Chilean's usually eat 4 meals a day starting with a light breakfast of coffee or tea and toast. The countries typical meal almost always consists of an abundance of meat. Beef and chicken, rice and potatoes and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are staples. Chile also has a coastline of 4,270 km (2,647 miles) which adds a very diverse seafood menu. While many people assume the chili is used in chilean cuisine, it is not common spice used. More common herbs and spices are cumin, salt, garlic with basil and cilantro.
Here a few of Chile's most traditional dishes:
- Pastel de Choclo: corn casserole with meat stuffing
- Empanadas: pastry filled with meat, cheese or mussels
- Cazuela: homemade stew with beef, chicken, corn, rice and potatoes
- Asado: barbecue of beef, pork or chicken
- Reineta, Congrio, Corvina: the most typical fish
- Locos: a rare type of mollusks
- Jaiva: shrimp, crab
- Centolla: king crab with tender meat of reddish color
Mealtimes are an important part of family life. Families almost always eat together at home, only going to a restaurant on a special occasion. Mothers prepare a light breakfast of toast and milk for their children. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and two main dishes are often served. The first dish might be a salad with seafood. The other dish might be cazuela de ave , a thick stew of chicken, potatoes, rice, green peppers, and, occasionally, onions. Chancho en Piedra (Chili and Tomato Spread) is often served with bread as an accompaniment to meals, or may be eaten by students as a snack. In small towns, businesses close for almost three hours so people can go home and eat lunch with their families and take a siesta (nap).
Since about 90% of Chileans are Roman Catholic, Christmas is a major holiday that has a few traditional items served during that time. Pan de pascua , a Christmas cake made with fruits and nuts that comes from the German influence in Chile and also, the tradition of drinking cola de mono (Chilean eggnog) is served at most homes while entertaining family and friends.
Wine and Pisco
Chilean wine has become a very popular export in recent years. However, Chileans have been enjoying their vineyards for more than 400 years. The spanish missionaries brought the first vines over from europe in order to produce wine for catholic ceremonies and masses. Most people drink wine with lunch and dinner on a regular basis now and the exporting has grown substantially. The most common grapes grown in the Chilean region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Carmenere. Wine tasting has become a newer tourist attraction as the vineyard business rises.
Another popular alcoholic drink in Chile is the famous Pisco Sours. Pisco is a strong, colorless brandy and when combined with sweet and sour mixture it can be quite enjoyable and refreshing.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The diverse landscapes of Chile
Torres del Paine and Grey Glacier, Patagonia, Chile
A vineyard and the desert of Central Valley
Sustainable farm fields and Sheep Farming
Slavery
Indiginous slavery was relatively small compared to that of other countries such as Brazil. The Spanish that settled in Chile's Central Valley did not find any substantial amounts of gold or silver to exploit, and therefore saw no need for enslaving indigenous laborers. Spanish settlers were more interested in the positive agricultural aspect of the Chilean landscape. Since this area was closer to the Old Worlds seasons and far different from the northern semitropical regions, it required far less workers. Also, relatively few enslaved Africans were brought into Chile throughout the colonialization process.
Chile established its independence in 1818 and abolished slavery in 1823.
Chile established its independence in 1818 and abolished slavery in 1823.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Some main facts about Chile
- The capitol is Santiago
- Borders Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.
- Has a population of over 16 million
- Official language is Spanish
- Governement = Democratic
- Religion is primarily Catholic
- Their independence from Spain is September 18, 1810
- Major exports are: copper, fruit, fish, paper, chemicals and wine
- Major imports are: petroleum, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles and natural gases
- The climate is temperate with the north being desert, the central area is mediteranean and the south is cool/damp
- 88% of the population live in urban areas
- 77 is the average lifespan
- Current Enviornmental Issues: widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emmissions; water pollution from raw sewage.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
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