We learnt nothing?

Da Vinci’s Masterpiece is yet again given a “tomato soup makeover’ thanks to Riposte Alimentaire.

Even the most evil of ultra-processed soups will not damage a painting protected with bulletproof glass, making this news yet another example of a fictitious gesture for effect.

Asking “What is more important? Art or the right to healthy and sustainable food?” makes no sense, unless art is getting on the way of food. In this case, as you can clearly see, food is getting in the way of art.

Joke aside, the attackers declared healthy and sustainable food as an inalienable right. And in a way, this is true.

Now, no one would stop you from going off grid, growing your veggies or forage. You have the right to it. However that seems a lot of work; the actual demand is a credit card-like device you can use to go to the supermarket (while you post how upset you are about the whole thing on your smartphone).

Thankfully, what this organisation asked for already exists, and works relatively well in countries like France, which has a strong welfare systems. Little thought was spared -it appears- for countries without welfare… or actual food.

There are many, many ways to take action (instead of a selfie) to make sure more people can eat every day. Several boroughs in London have urban patches and food charities aiming to reduce food waste, soup kitchens and food overstock facilities ailing those in need.

There are also plenty of international organisations asking for volunteers to work in god forsaken lands to feed entire towns.

And lastly, there’s us, the innovators, trying to change the system, making better ingredients, making them good and inexpensive and nutritious, trying to make them resilient enough to grow even in space.

Whoever you are, Riposte Alimentaire, I would asked you to take a good look at yourself as an organisation, and think how are you driving change and making the world better. Because being helpless and loud is the territory of toddlers.