Nourished Planet - Study Guides Chapter 1. A Recipe for a Sustainable Food System
About this Chapter Around the world, a revolution is taking place. Farmers, eaters, businesses, funders, policymakers, and scientists are finding solutions to the problems plaguing our current agri-food system to create a radically different agriculture system. Access to food is one of the most fundamental human rights and though many people remain hungry today, we are making progress on it. At the same time, sustainable agricultural practices are spreading as farmers, eaters, and governments recognize the threats of chemical-dependent, large-scale agriculture. What You Need to Know
Sustainable agricultural systems are able to efficiently and comprehensively meet the food, fuel, and fiber needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of tomorrow. There is a growing realization that the Global North’s way of feeding people—relying heavily on the mechanized, chemical-intensive, mass production of food—isn’t working and that policymakers and donors might be wise to start following the lead of farmers in the Global South. Supporting women farmers and applying techniques like regenerative agriculture and agroforestry are keys to a sustainable, secure, and healthy food system. Economic growth in the agricultural sector is twice as effective at reducing poverty as equivalent growth in other sectors.
Questions to Consider 1. How do we define sustainability in the food system? 2. What are some of the ingredients the book outlines for a more sustainable food and agriculture system? Are they realistic? 3.
Why is soil degradation occurring around the globe?
4.
How are perennial crops being used to drive a “greener revolution?”
5.
What are some of the ways urban agriculture makes cities more resilient?
6.
What is “regenerative agriculture” and what challenges does it aim to tackle?
7.
What dangers does climate change pose to the food system?
8.
What are some of the primary barriers to food access and affordability?
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9.
What are land grabs and who do they hurt?
10.
Why is food price volatility problematic for farmers, businesses, and eaters?
11. What are some examples of how farmers are working to mitigate and adapt to climate change? Find Out More! Video: “Global Citizens for the Future of Food,” BCFN, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UR2JjmGBeA Webinar: “BCFN Webinar: Global Citizens for the Future of Food,” BCFN, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm0NmR2Aln8&list=PLdtmE6jl26WY9k11SK3sscXAj7jksqv6&index=4 J. Glover, “How to Create Resiliency in Food and Agriculture,” Food Tank Summit at George Washington University (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/03/create-resiliency-foodagriculture-food-tank-summit-2017-gwu/ “Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change,” BCFN (2011), http://www.barillacfn.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/11/pp_agricoltura_sostenibile_cambiamento_climatico_eng.pdf “How Change Happens: Inspiring Examples from Urban Food Policy,” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/06/international-panel-of-experts-on-sustainable-food-systemsreport/ “Soil is ‘Key to Sustaining LIfe on Earth,’” Food Tank (2018), https://foodtank.com/news/2018/02/sustainable-soil-initiatives/ “Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Eating Less Meat, CGIAR Report Says,” Food Tank (2016), https://foodtank.com/news/2016/10/reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-eating-lessmeat-cgiar-report-says/ “Using Agroforestry to Save the Planet,” Food Tank (2013), https://foodtank.com/news/2016/05/using-agroforestry-to-save-the-planet/ “The Regeneration Hub: Mapping the Regeneration Movement,” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/03/regeneration-hub-mapping-regeneration-movement/
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Nourished Planet Chapter 1. A Recipe for a Sustainable Food System Introduction Around the world, a revolution is taking place. Farmers, eaters, businesses, funders, policymakers, and scientists are finding solutions to the problems plaguing our current agri-food system to create a radically different agriculture system. A system with more nutritious food that protects natural resources, improves social equality, and creates better markets. Nourished Planet draws on the diverse experience of renowned international experts to plot a map towards this new system to nourish our planet and ourselves. Key Statistics Nearly 40 percent of all land is used for agriculture and livestock. In the past 40 years, 30 percent of all arable land has become unproductive. Agriculture produces approximately one fourth of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There are 2.1 billion obese or overweight people while 815 million are hungry. Women farmers could increase food production by 20 to 30 percent and lift 150 million people out of hunger and food insecurity. Key Messages Sustainable agricultural systems are able to efficiently and comprehensively meet the food, fuel, and fiber needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of tomorrow. There is a growing realization that the Global North’s way of feeding people—relying heavily on the mechanized, chemical-intensive, mass production of food—isn’t working and that policymakers and donors might be wise to start following the lead of farmers in the Global South. Supporting women farmers and applying techniques like regenerative agriculture and agroforestry are keys to a sustainable, secure, and healthy food system. Economic growth in the agricultural sector is twice as effective at reducing poverty as equivalent growth in other sectors.
Problems Air, Soil, Water: One of the biggest threats to the food supply is the loss of topsoil. In the past 150 years, roughly half of Earth’s topsoil has been lost. Nearly 40 percent of all land on Earth is used for activities related to agriculture and livestock, and 4.4 billion hectares (roughly 10.8 billion acres, or about 146 times the area of Italy) is suitable for farming. Yet in the past 40 years, 30 percent of the planet’s arable land has become unproductive. Right now, food production accounts for 70 percent of freshwater use. It’s caused 80 percent of deforestation around the globe. And it’s contributing an estimated 25 to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. It’s the human endeavor most affected by higher temperatures,
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flooding, extreme weather events, and other impacts of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report indicated that worldwide wheat yields could drop by 2 percent each decade, and rising temperatures and changing rain patterns could raise food prices by as much as 84 percent by 2050. Today’s food system is like the Titanic: immense, complex, a marvel of engineering, thought to be invincible, but racing to its destruction. Health: There are 2.1 billion obese or overweight people in the world—in developing and industrialized countries alike. At the same time, at least 815 million people around the globe are hungry despite the fact that the world is capable of feeding everyone. Security: Access to food is one of the first and most fundamental of all human rights, and it is essential to the well-being of any society. Unfortunately, adequate food is more accessible to some people than to others. Poor production and consumption practices and the insufficient distribution of food can lead to hunger and even famine. Even as this book was being written, at least four famine situations—in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia—threatened as many as 20 million people. Currently, 10.7 percent of the world’s population is living on less than US$1.90 a day. The World Bank estimates that the 2007–2008 world food price crisis kept or pushed 105 million alreadypoor people below the poverty line in low-income countries. In addition, the world’s population is becoming more urban, and by 2016, 54.5 percent of people—or more than 4 billion—were living in urban and peri-urban areas. This means that the rest of the population, or roughly 3.4 billion people, are living in rural areas. Many of them are poor, and most of them, ironically, are farmers. From a policy standpoint, national subsidies for agriculture often encourage the production of commodity crops on large farms while ignoring the needs of small- and mediumsized farms that grow fruits, vegetables, and more nutritious grains. Innovations/Solutions Air, Soil, Water: Regenerative agriculture involves farming practices that can help mitigate climate change and the adverse impacts of industrial agriculture by rebuilding and restoring degraded soil and improving biodiversity. In contrast to annual crops, perennial crops survive from season to season and have deep root structures that can stabilize soils and hold water. Growing diverse crops rather than relying on a single crop can restore soil nutrients and help farmers, both large and small, build healthier, more productive soils. Cover crops can be planted in between rows of other crops, which improves nutrient cycles and reduces soil compaction and erosion. In agroforestry, trees are grown along with crops, which helps conserve water, prevents soil degradation, and adds nutrients to the soil. Health: The Double Pyramid, developed by the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, is a visual tool eaters can use to calculate the effects of their dietary choices on both the planet’s health and their own. This is elaborated on in Chapter 2. Security: At the individual level, farmers can practice sustainable agricultural methods that do not rely on fossil fuels and high levels of inputs, such as harmful fertilizers. At the community and local levels, greater crop diversity can lessen food insecurity, as monocropping increases the chances of disease and famine. At the national and global levels, policies can help reduce food insecurity through incentives for farmers to grow sustainably, and the expanded use of
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food stamps at farmers’ markets can allow all people the opportunity to buy fresh, local, and healthful food. According to the World Development Report published in 2008 by the World Bank, any percentage-point increase in the GDP generated by the agricultural sector is twice as effective in terms of reducing poverty as equivalent growth in other sectors. Sophia Murphy and Timothy Wise, authors of “Resolving the Food Crisis: Assessing Global Policy Reforms Since 2007,” found that responsible regulation, such as the 2012 Commodity Exchange Act, can prevent speculation from driving food prices higher. Still, the success of regulations depends largely on international cooperation and on how successful lobbyists are in their efforts to undermine the legislation by claiming other factors are to blame for the food price fluctuations. Culture/Equality: Food can be as important to a culture as language. Not only is it a tool for communication, it is also a source of social engagement, the foundation of many religious practices, and a platform for human expression. Understanding the culture of food also means acknowledging the important role of women and youth in creating a more sustainable food system. Although women make up more than half of the world’s population and nearly half of its farmers, their contributions to agriculture are at best largely unnoticed and at worst almost universally ignored. As goes the fate of women, so goes the fate of the world. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, if women farmers had equal access to resources— land, credit, education, extension services—these workers could increase their food production by 20 to 30 percent and lift as many as 150 million people out of hunger and food insecurity. Looking Ahead People in all levels of society and from all backgrounds are finding ways to create a more nutritious food system that protects natural resources, improves social equality, and creates better markets. The research and expert advice used for writing Nourished Planet identifies four objectives that governments and non-government organizations should strive for to promote sustainable agriculture: invest in research and technical support; introduce nutritious diets; foster the use of environmentally friendly practices and appropriate technologies; and provide training in management skills. However, government action is only part of the recipe. Sustainable agriculture also requires consistent contributions from farmers and farmers’ collectives, unions, businesses, funding and donor communities, and eaters themselves. Farmers are on the leading edge of the greatest agricultural transformation of our time. Despite differences in education, geography, religion, and traditions, farmers around the world share a common vision of a sustainable and just food system, and they are the ones who will lead us into a better future.
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Nourished Planet - Study Guides Chapter 2. Food for Sustainable Growth
About this Chapter Human health, the environment, and agriculture are closely intertwined. This chapter explores challenges the food system faces in the pursuit of sustainability and the diverse actions being taken to reach that goal. In addition, the chapter discusses the impacts food production has on air, water, soil, and other natural resources. Our food choices and farming practices can protect, and even improve, the environment. What You Need to Know Sustainable agriculture can be defined as food production that makes the best use of nature’s goods and services while not damaging these assets. Sustainable methods promote the health of the environment, economic profitability for farmworkers, and social and economic equality. A successful sustainable food system that meets food needs while promoting public health and protecting the planet is paramount to ensuring a future for everyone. Dietary decisions and personal actions can have a powerful effect on the entire food production system. Eaters can use the Double Pyramid as a tool to make food choices that are healthful and environmentally friendly. Farmers improve agriculture through soil regeneration and reducing their reliance on artificial fertilizers. Investments by funders and donors and research systems must be made to train and educate farmers about more sustainable practices. Questions to Consider 1. How does the Double Pyramid help eaters shape their diets? 2.
What do ecological footprints represent and how are they measured?
3.
In what ways does chemical-dependent, industrial agriculture drive climate change?
4. What are examples of ways agriculture can contribute to mitigating climate change while producing enough food to feed the world? 5.
What are some of the impacts of polluted and unsafe water supplies?
6.
Define “virtual water” and “water privatization.” Why do they matter?
7.
Why does the scale of ongoing soil degradation matter?
8. Why are diverse agricultural systems more resilient to environmental changes and shocks?
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9. What are some practices farmers are adopting that tackle multiple environmental challenges at once? 10.
What can we learn from the countries that are ranked most highly by the FSI?
Find Out More! Video: “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity,” BCFN (2018), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w23SMx3hi8 Video: “The BCFN Foundation Double Food and Environment Pyramid,” BCFN (2016), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIRroHMbrqU “Tackling Climate Change and Fighting Hunger Should Go Hand-in-Hand,” Food Tank (2015), https://foodtank.com/news/2015/12/tackling-climate-change-and-fighting-hunger-should-gohand-in-hand/ “Double Pyramid: Healthy Food for People, Sustainable Food for the Planet,” BCFN (2016), https://www.barillacfn.com/m/publications/pp-double-pyramid-healthy-diet-for-peoplesustainable-for-the-planet.pdf “Researchers Refute Claim That World Needs to Double Food Production,” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/08/2050-food-production/ “BCFN: Protect the Planet and Our Health with a Mediterranean Diet and Local Products,” BCFN Foundation (2016), https://www.barillacfn.com/en/media/bcfn-protect-the-planet -and-ourhealth-with-a-mediterranean-diet-and-local-products/ F. Allievi, M. Antonelli, and K. Dembska, “The Food Sustainability Index: Fostering the Global Shift towards a More Sustainable Food System,” Food Tank (2017). https://foodtank.com/news/2017/05/food-sustainability-index/ “Food Sustainability Index 2017: Global Executive Summary,” BCFN and The Economist Intelligence Unit (2017). http://foodsustainability.eiu.com/wpcontent/uploads/sites/34/2016/09/FoodSustainabilityIndex2017GlobalExecutiveSummary.pdf “Transforming Cities for a More Sustainable Future,” BCFN (n.d.), https://www.barillacfn.com/en/magazine/food-and-sustainability/transforming-cities-for-a-moresustainable-future/
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Nourished Planet Chapter 2. Food for Sustainable Growth Introduction Human health, the environment, and agriculture are closely intertwined. This chapter explores challenges the food system faces in the pursuit of sustainability and the diverse actions being taken to reach that goal. In addition, the chapter discusses the impacts food production has on air, water, soil, and other natural resources. Our food choices and farming practices can protect, and even improve, the environment. Key Statistics Diabetes costs US$825 billion per year and is predicted to affect 700 million people by 2050. Agriculture produces approximately one-fourth of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 70 percent of the planet’s limited freshwater supply is used for agriculture. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), water scarcity will affect half of the world’s population by 2025. 40 percent of all land on Earth is used for activities relating to agriculture and livestock. In the past 40 years, 30 percent of once-arable land has become unproductive. At least 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year worldwide. Key Messages Sustainable agriculture can be defined as food production that makes the best use of nature’s goods and services while not damaging these assets. Sustainable methods promote the health of the environment, economic profitability for farmworkers, and social and economic equality. A successful sustainable food system that meets food needs while promoting public health and protecting the planet is paramount to ensuring a future for everyone. Dietary decisions and personal actions can have a powerful effect on the entire food production system. Eaters can use the Double Pyramid as a tool to make food choices that are healthful and environmentally friendly. Farmers improve agriculture through soil regeneration and reducing their reliance on artificial fertilizers. Investments by funders and donors and research systems must be made to train and educate farmers about more sustainable practices.
Problems Health/Diet According to the WHO, the number of people worldwide with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014, and this is predicted to reach 700 million by 2050. The global cost of this disease is approximately US$825 billion per year; the United States alone spends US$105 billion. Diabetes is often the result of a diet that is high in saturated fats and sugar and low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
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Prevention found that farm subsidies in the U.S. are contributing to obesity trends by making unhealthful foods both abundant and inexpensive. Environment: Air Agriculture and related land use contribute at least 31 percent of GHG emissions, higher than both energy (23.6 percent) and transport (18.5 percent). Livestock production, particularly meat, is responsible for roughly 12 percent global GHG emissions, and dairy products contribute an additional 5 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Environment: Water On Earth, only about 0.001 percent of all water is suitable for human use. About 70 percent of that is used for agriculture. According to UNICEF, 768 million people worldwide lacked access to safe drinking water in 2015. The WHO estimates 842,000 diarrheal deaths occur each year globally; of those deaths, 361,000 are children less than 5 years old who die because of unsafe drinking water. Water shortages are being felt worldwide due to population growth, global warming, and changing food preferences. According to the WHO, water scarcity will affect half of the world’s population by 2025. Shortages are expected to expand to the U.S., Continental Europe, and Southern Asia and worsen significantly in areas of Africa and the Indian peninsula. Environment: Soil Nearly 40 percent of all land on Earth is used for activities relating to agriculture and livestock. 20 percent of cultivated land is marginally adapted for agriculture or is threatened by erosion or over-farming. In the past 40 years, 30 percent of once-arable land has become unproductive. In the past 150 years, half of the planet’s top layer of soil has been lost. In the U.S., the average rate of soil erosion on tilled land is 7 tons per acre, per year, decreasing productivity by an estimated US$37.6 billion per year. Causes include deforestation (results in rapid erosion), overgrazing (reduces topsoil depth and causes desertification), and intensive farming (reduces soil fertility). Logging, particularly clear-cutting, is the leading cause of soil erosion worldwide. Food Waste According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, wasted food costs US$680 billion in industrialized countries and US$310 billion in developing countries. Meanwhile, in 2016, 108 million people faced crisis-level food insecurity or worse. As food decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, which is 27-times more potent of a GHG than carbon dioxide. According to the EPA, landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S. Innovations/Solutions Health/Diet The Double Pyramid model, developed by the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation (BCFN), demonstrates the relationship between what consumers grow and eat and the environmental impacts of these foods. It combines a traditional, Mediterranean-based food pyramid with an upside-down environmental pyramid, where foods are placed according to their ecological footprint. This illustrates how the foods with the most nutrients often have the least environmental impact. For example, the ecological footprint of two pounds of fruits and vegetables, low in calories and high in nutrients, is two square meters. By comparison, the ecological footprint of two pounds of red meat, high in cholesterol, is 54 square meters.
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The Double Pyramid can be a powerful tool on many levels. Environmentally and economically, it highlights the urgent need to both reduce the impact agriculture has on the global climate and fundamentally redesign the entire global agricultural system. Socially, the Double Pyramid can raise awareness among consumers and help them make more nutritionally sound, environmentally conscious food choices. Environment: Air Calculating ecological footprints can provide invaluable data to help farmers, consumers, and businesses develop more sustainable food systems. A carbon footprint examines the amount of GHGs released by any given process and is a way to measure how that process impacts our atmosphere. By using the Double pyramid, consumers can make informed choices that change their carbon footprint. For instance, beef production produces more than 20,000 grams of carbon dioxide per kilo of meat. By contrast, a kilo of poultry creates about 4,000 grams while vegetables and seasonal fruit create fewer than 1,000 grams per kilo. Farmers can lower carbon footprints through carbon sequestration and techniques such as cover cropping and agroforestry that can increase the sustainability of food systems. Mainstream adaptations of geoengineering techniques similar to carbon sequestration could mitigate climate change and combat its most harmful effects. Environment: Water The water footprint is a tool that measures how much water is consumed, both directly and indirectly, and polluted during the entire cycle of a food’s production. It considers not only the amount and type of water source used or polluted but also the use of “virtual water,” which indicates that the water is removed from one place through agricultural production and moved elsewhere. This offers a more in-depth understanding of how freshwater resources are used, allowing consumers to alter their consumption habits to be more responsible. Another option for protecting this resource is water privatization. Opponents raise concerns over entrusting management to private entities, including assurances that water supply in poorer areas, where consumption is low, is developed. Supporters of water privatization point to the efficiency of the private sector, which could improve distribution and monitoring systems while lowering costs to consumers. Above all, the most effective monitoring systems are those that manage water with communities’ interests in mind. Environment: Soil Worldwide, local innovation and management of agriculture and natural resources are being promoted and climate-smart farming techniques are being shared to help farmers. Techniques that help keep soil resilient and rich in nutrients include crop rotation, crop diversity, composting, and holistic livestock management. A Growing Culture is building the Library for Food Sovereignty to connect farmers from around the world and enable them to compare ideas and approaches to more sustainably produce food. Food Waste The Paris Agreement on climate change and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals called for a 50 percent global reduction in food waste by 2030. This goal was echoed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the EPA, and several large private companies, including Kellogg and PepsiCo. The Food Date Labeling Act was introduced, but not voted on, in 2016 to standardize food date labeling using terminology that is both accurate and clear to consumers. The 2018 Farm Bill could allow Congress to prioritize the issue of food waste by focusing on four areas:
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food waste reduction, food recovery and redistribution, food waste recycling, and food waste reduction administration. Better storage techniques and equipment, including cold storage, are helping combat food waste in developing countries. In the U.S., organizations are collecting food that otherwise would have been wasted and distributing it to homeless shelters and low-income families. Consumers can store their produce properly, avoid buying more food than they can eat, use leftovers, and trust their senses instead of expiration dates. Looking Ahead Farming is in a period of transition—fortunately, sustainable agricultural practices and methods are beginning to spread across the globe. Some of the conventional and industrial models have resulted in high productivity, but also in unintended consequences including soil erosion, surface water contamination, groundwater pollution, deforestation, and crop vulnerability to disease. The farming of the future aims to increase yields, reduce food scarcity, and decrease the detrimental environmental impacts of farming. By diversifying their cropping systems, farmers can replenish nutrients in the soil even as they reduce the risk of disease and lessen the need for pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Current policies can be changed to more strongly support farmers while discouraging overconsumption and promoting healthier lifestyles among eaters. Policymakers can promote education and training in sustainable farming, and new farmers are encouraged to establish sustainable technologies. Lastly, educational tools such as the Double Pyramid, carbon footprints, and water footprints can help consumers make more eco-friendly and healthy food choices.
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Nourished Planet - Study Guides Chapter 3. Food for Health
About this Chapter Although individual eaters have the power to make choices about their own health, those choices are influenced and informed by outside forces, including Big Food lobbyists and marketing campaigns. As a result, overweight and obesity are on the rise in every country worldwide, especially among children. Paradoxically, undernutrition is simultaneously the leading cause of child deaths worldwide. This chapter explores the challenges of addressing both sides of this paradox simultaneously. What You Need to Know Hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin - both are degrees of food consumption that are damaging to human health and economic development. If current trends continue, costly food-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease can devour the gains of economic development in emerging economies. While nutrition advocates continue to call for increased access to healthful and affordable foods, they are competing against a multi-trillion-dollar global food and beverage industry, which spends billions each year to shape consumer demand by marketing to children and tens of millions more lobbying for a favorable regulatory environment. Simply knowing certain foods pose health risks is not enough to encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle - the environment needs to change, including what’s accessible and affordable. Questions to Consider 1. Explain the paradox of hunger and obesity. 2.
In what ways are undernutrition and obesity similar?
3. Who are some of the major actors in the global food system who are reinforcing this paradox? 4. What are examples of poor long-term health outcomes that can result from poor childhood nutrition? 5.
Why is nutrition education critical especially for children?
6.
Why is proper nutrition particularly important for the elderly?
7.
Why are traditional measurements of well-being, such as GDP, being rethought?
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8. What are some ways that eaters and advocacy groups can combat the influence of Big Food’s marketing budgets? 9. How can True Cost Accounting frameworks help eaters, producers, and marketers make better decisions? 10. What are some examples of successful strategies for reincorporating negative externalities into the cost of food? Find Out More! “Trillions of Dollars Lost to Health Impacts of Industrial Food Systems,” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/10/ipes-health-costs-industrial-food/ “Food Paradoxes,” BCFN (2018), https://www.barillacfn.com/en/dissemination/ “Globesity: When Obesity Becomes a Global Epidemic,” BCFN (2018). https://www.barillacfn.com/en/magazine/food-and-sustainability/-globesity-obesity-is-a-globalepidemics/ “Food is Killing More Americans than Anything Else. Why Can’t Doctors Stop It?,” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/12/healthy-diet-healthy-life/ S. Bailey and D. Nierenberg, “A Global Reason to Eat Locally,” The Vancouver Sun (17 August 2010), http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/SlowFood_VancouverSun.pdf “What Will it Take to End Global Malnutrition by 2030?,” Food Tank (2016), https://foodtank.com/news/2016/06/what-will-it-take-to-end-global-malnutrition-by-2030/ “Why Schools Should Be on the Frontline in Combating Malnutrition,” Food Tank (2015), https://foodtank.com/news/2015/03/why-schools-should-be-on-the-frontline-in-combatingmalnutrition/ “Is Big Food Really the Next Big Tobacco? New Proposals Want to Hold Food Manufacturers Accountable,” Food Tank (2014), https://foodtank.com/news/2014/03/is-big-food-really-the-nextbig-tobacco-new-proposals-want-to-hold-food-man/
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Nourished Planet Chapter 3. Food for Health Introduction Although individual eaters have the power to make choices about their own health, those choices are influenced and informed by outside forces, including Big Food lobbyists and marketing campaigns. Too often, these forces work together to make healthful foods the less attractive option, particularly for young eaters. As a result, overweight and obesity are on the rise in every country worldwide, especially among children. Paradoxically, undernutrition is simultaneously the leading cause of child deaths worldwide. Overconsumption of cheap, processed food devoid of nutrients plagues eaters in rich and poor countries alike, while at the same time, millions of others suffer from malnutrition because of a lack of food. This chapter explores the challenges of addressing both sides of this paradox simultaneously. Key Statistics Undernutrition is the root cause of 45 percent of all child deaths, or around 3 million children per year. 200 million children under the age of 5 are at risk of not achieving full developmental potential partly due to undernutrition. One in four children ages 2 to 5 is overweight or obese, or nearly 41 million children. The number of overweight adults in the world now outnumbers those who are underweight. U.S. food companies spent less than one half of 1 percent of their marketing dollars to promote fruits and vegetables in 2012. Key Messages Hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin - both are degrees of food consumption that are damaging to human health and economic development. If current trends continue, costly food-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease can devour the gains of economic development in emerging economies. While nutrition advocates continue to call for increased access to healthful and affordable foods, they are competing against a multi-trillion-dollar global food and beverage industry, which spends billions each year to shape consumer demand by marketing to children and tens of millions more lobbying for a favorable regulatory environment. Simply knowing certain foods pose health risks is not enough to encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle - the environment needs to change, including what’s accessible and affordable. Problems Undernutrition Leads to Lifetime of Poor Health
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Undernutrition, a form of malnutrition, is the root cause of 45 percent of all child deaths. But in addition to affecting children’s bodies in the short-run by preventing physical growth and motor development, undernutrition also affects directly affects brain development. Because eating poorly at young ages can impair growth and development, it leads to a lifetime of poor health. An estimated 200 million children under the age of 5 years in low- and middle-income countries are at risk of not achieving full developmental potential partly due to undernutrition. Micronutrient deficiency, another form of malnutrition that often accompanies obesity, leads to impaired cognitive development, trouble concentrating, and low energy. By preventing children from reaching their full potential, both forms of malnutrition undermine the strength of societies. Obesity, Overweight, and Micronutrient Deficiency Today’s children may experience a worse quality of life than their parents as a result of poor nutrition, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and lifestyle changes. Obesity is increasing rapidly in developing countries as their prosperity grows. Many of these countries do not have sufficient resources or health system capacities to respond to the impacts of the resulting surge in NCDs. Costly NCDs have the potential to devour the economic development gains that these nations have made. Even minor deficits in nutrition, including the micronutrient deficiency that often accompanies obesity, can be detrimental to thinking skills and behavior. Research has found these deficits to manifest in classrooms and on standardized math and reading tests. Micronutrient deficiency is a condition in which individuals consume enough calories but are not getting the vitamins and minerals they need because the nutritional quality of what they eat is very poor. Advertising Children and adolescents are the targets of billions of dollars worth of intense and specialized food marketing and advertising efforts in every country in the world. Food marketers are interested in young people as consumers because of their spending power, their purchasing influence, and their potential as future adult consumers. The sophisticated marketing techniques of the food and drink industry are successful not only in promoting one product over another but also at increasing total consumption, according to an extensive body of research. In addition, a number of the industry’s largest players have been caught engaging in duplicitous conduct, including funding public health groups while lobbying against the policy actions that those same groups recommend and paying expert academic researchers to downplay the health risks of products in peer-reviewed publications. While food industry leaders claim that self-regulation can lead to healthier outcomes, a 2015 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that, between 2007 and 2013, “no significant improvement in the overall nutritional quality of foods marketed to children has been achieved” by “industry self-regulation.” In 2012, U.S. food companies spent less than one half of one percent of their marketing dollars to promote fruits and vegetables, whereas the total they spent that year on food and beverage marketing to U.S. children was almost US$2 billion. In 2016, the food and beverage industry spent more than $31 million lobbying Congress on issues related to healthcare and nutrition labeling on menus.
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Innovations/Solutions Encouraging good behaviors and lifestyles early in a child’s life. Some of the greatest risk factors for children and adolescents are parental weight (an indicator of food consumption patterns in the home), the intensity of the food marketing they are exposed to, and the types of food being sold where they live. Lifestyles and behaviors acquired at an early, impressionable age, such as dietary preferences, mealtimes throughout the day, portion sizes, and the tendency toward an active or sedentary lifestyle, are decisive factors in creating overall dietary behavior for life. Interventions that address these factors can have systemic benefits by helping children build the foundations for future good health. Schools are especially important reinforcing environments for learning these behaviors. Research has shown that children whose parents model healthy eating behaviors maintain better eating habits into the future. But parents are hard to re-educate. Food education in schools can flip the script by making children the vehicles for taking home the skills they learn and improving their families’ diets. Schools in the U.S. that have banned junk food have seen an increase in student scores on standardized English and science tests. Nutrition education in schools can also teach critical thinking about food marketing so that deceptive messaging can be consciously countered. Recognizing the True Costs of Food Eating poorly can look cheap in the short-run but can result in significant healthcare costs down the road. Eating food that is produced in unsustainable ways can have significant negative impacts on communities that amount to serious costs. The retail price of food rarely accounts for less visible costs such as the costs of pollution, water scarcity, soil degradation, increasing GHG emissions, and poor labor standards, not to mention the health effects of unhealthy and nonnutritious foods. Obese adults spend 42 percent more on direct healthcare costs than adults who are a healthy weight. Overweight adults also cost government-run healthcare programs significantly more than adults of average size, with the greatest cost going toward drugs for obesity-related conditions. Initiatives that help consumers recognize the “true costs” of foods help them make the best possible food choices for their own health, the health of food producers, and the health of the planet. A new global initiative called The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) is working to make these true costs visible. By taking a “true cost accounting” approach, their work is providing governments and businesses with tools they can use to improve decision making. They are releasing a comprehensive new report on the true costs and benefits of food production in 2018. The Food Business Can Do Better As consumers shop and go about their daily lives, Big Food will continue to be a constant influence through its media presence and advertisements. Profit-oriented corporations may not always respond to self-regulation guidelines. Their customers, however, have the power to demand that companies change. Along with the efforts of NGOs and health advocacy
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organizations to regulate Big Food on the government level, change for a better, healthier food system is possible. Businesses in the food sector, especially restaurants, can be very responsive to consumer voices. For example, McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A have pledged to become antibiotic-free and, because of concerns about antibiotic resistance, Tyson will eliminate the use of human antibiotics in chicken feed by the end of 2017. Major grocery chains have committed to sourcing organic food. Costco became the largest organic grocer in the United States in 2015 and Kroger topped US$11 billion in sales of natural and organic foods in the same year. By their sheer force and size, these companies can change the way the food system works. Sometimes, holding Big Food accountable means suing corporate food actors on behalf of consumers. There are a number of effective food-focused consumer watchdog organizations around the world who have track records of winning major concessions. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed lawsuits in 2016 against PepsiCo and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); won a concession in an ongoing lawsuit against the FDA; settled a lawsuit against Vitaminwater and its parent, Coca-Cola; won a campaign to get Mars to remove dyes from M&M’s candies; and filed regulatory petitions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Looking Ahead The scales have tipped in recent decades from hunger toward obesity, such that the number of obese people worldwide now outnumbers the population of the hungry and malnourished. The surge in obesity can be attributed, in great part, to the billions of dollars spent by Big Food on heavily targeted advertising and lobbying. Recognizing the costs of this surge is a crucial first step to marshalling the public support needed to combat it. As studies and experts from around the globe have found, the foundation for a long and healthy life must be built at an early age. Instilling healthful habits and a skepticism of food marketing in children and adolescents are shared responsibilities, and schools carry much of that responsibility. School administrations are learning that they cannot change this system one at a time, and instead are starting to work together. Through the empowering coordinating work of growing nationwide and international NGOs, schools are rethinking their curriculum, building school gardens, and teaching children the skills they need. And the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, developed in 2017, include the goal of eliminating hunger entirely by 2030. Importantly, they include micronutrient deficiencies and other forms of “hidden hunger” in their approach. This focus is mobilizing new resources to support this critical work by facilitating both cash and in-kind food assistance, promoting southsouth cooperation, and supporting improved emergency relief operations.
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Nourished Planet - Study Guides Chapter 4. Food for Culture
About this Chapter Most of us no longer grow our own food, and, increasingly, many of us don’t even cook it ourselves. As a result, we’re losing culture and conviviality associated with food and we’re losing diversity in terms of the foods and crops available to us. Eaters need to rethink our relationship with food and the ways it can support health, social justice, and sustainability. In other words, we need to learn from the adage: “Tell me how you eat and what you eat, and I’ll tell you who you are.” What You Need to Know A majority of Earth’s crop genetic resources are already extinct, including thousands of varieties that were carefully bred over centuries by farmers and seed breeders to be locally-adapted, pest- and drought-resistant, nutritionally-dense, and storable in their local climates. Proponents of healthy traditional diets like the Mediterranean Diet are failing to transmit their traditions to new generations, in part because they are up against billions of dollars of sophisticated advertising from multinational food corporations. Traditional power structures in the food system often ignore or undervalue the roles of youth and women in agriculture. Making all aspects of the food system—from farming and processing to research and policymaking—more attractive career options for young people is crucial to a sustainable future food system. It is increasingly clear that we must democratize the food system. Questions to Consider 1. What are some of the reasons that the majority of crop genetic resources are endangered or extinct? 2. What are examples of work being done to preserve and promote endangered or orphaned food crops? 3.
What are some of the reasons that eaters are increasingly rethinking eating meat?
4.
In what ways are women disenfranchised in the good system?
5.
Why would better supporting women in agriculture improve food security?
6. Why is making career options in the food system more attractive for young people important?
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7.
What are the benefits of sharing meals in convivial environments?
8.
What are the primary features of the Mediterranean diet?
9. What are some of the reasons that healthy, sustainable diets like the Mediterranean diet are decreasing in popularity in some regions? What are the implications of this decline? 10.
What would be some steps toward democratizing the food system?
Find Out More! Video: “Family Farmers + You = A Well Nourished World,” Food Tank (2014), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQd6LpBVxIk&list=PLMI4Q7sXhvmb4oHqUSeS9mPaNvbrr JKqR Video: “Funding Female Farmers for a Less Hungry World by Food Tank and GFAR,” Food Tank (2014). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTlvri4RIg8&list=PLMI4Q7sXhvmb4oHqUSeS9mPaNvbrrJK qR&index=1 Video: “Biocultural Diversity Combats Climate Change,” Food Tank (2014), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qnEcVfYMDo Webinar: “BCFN Webinar: Agriculture in our Future: The Voice of Youth,” BCFN (2017). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyBJcnim_FI&index=1&list=PLdtmE6jl26WY9k11SK3sscXAj7jksqv6 “Biodiversity for Resilience Against Natural Disasters,” Food Tank (2018), https://foodtank.com/news/2018/01/biodiversity-resilience-natural-disasters/ “Saving Wild Relatives of Crops Means Preserving Options for the Future,” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/11/crop-trust-wild-relatives/ “Youth, Innovation, and the Sustainable Development Goals,” Food Tank (2016), https://foodtank.com/news/2016/01/youth-innovation-and-the-sustainable-development-goals/ “Lindsey Shute: ‘Agriculture Is the Wealth of the Nation,’” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/03/lindsey-shute-interview/ “Less and Better Meat is Key for a Healthier Planet,” Food Tank (2017), https://foodtank.com/news/2017/10/less-better-meat-healthier-planet/
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Nourished Planet Chapter 4. Food for Culture Introduction Many forces determine what and how we eat, how much we eat, where we eat, and what we can get access to and afford, and often these forces compete. Most of us no longer grow our own food, and, increasingly, many of us don’t even cook it ourselves. As a result, we’re losing culture and conviviality associated with food and we’re losing diversity in terms of the foods and crops available to us. Eaters need to rethink our relationship with food and the ways it can support health, social justice, and sustainability. In other words, we need to learn from the adage: “Tell me how you eat and what you eat, and I’ll tell you who you are.” Key Statistics Approximately 75 percent of Earth’s crop plant genetic resources are now extinct, and up to 100,000 plant varieties are currently endangered worldwide. Western consumers expect food to be inexpensive, spending just 4 to 10 percent of their incomes on food, rather than the 50 percent spent by people in some developing economies. In the past 10 years, more than 81 million acres around the world has been sold to foreign investors. More than 60 percent of the crops grown on foreign-owned acres are exported instead of used by local communities, two-thirds of which face food scarcity problems. In both the United States and sub-Saharan Africa, the average farmer is roughly 57.3 years old. If women had the same access to resources as men, they could raise current yields by 20 to 30 percent and lift as many as 200 million people out of hunger. Key Messages A majority of Earth’s crop genetic resources are already extinct, including thousands of varieties that were carefully bred over centuries by farmers and seed breeders to be locally-adapted, pest- and drought-resistant, nutritionally-dense, and storable in their local climates. Proponents of healthy traditional diets like the Mediterranean Diet are failing to transmit their traditions to new generations, in part because they are up against billions of dollars of sophisticated advertising from multinational food corporations. Traditional power structures in the food system often ignore or undervalue the roles of youth and women in agriculture. Making all aspects of the food system—from farming and processing to research and policymaking—more attractive career options for young people is crucial to a sustainable future food system. It is increasingly clear that we must democratize the food system. Problems
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Loss of Agrobiodiversity A majority of Earth’s crop genetic resources are already extinct and up to 100,000 crop varieties are currently endangered worldwide. Each of these varieties has been carefully bred over centuries by farmers and seed breeders to be locally-adapted, pest- and drought-resistant, nutritionally-dense, and storable in their local climates. This lack of diversity limits the options available to eaters, resulting in the erosion of traditional diets and cuisines, which are often much healthier than modern diets. As diets continue to homogenize globally, increasingly displacing fresh vegetables, grains, and meats with fast foods and processed “junk” foods, health problems associated with obesity and micronutrient deficiencies are increasing. Unfortunately, most investments in agriculture from research institutions and the funding and donor communities are for commodity crops such as wheat, rice, and maize rather than for more nutritious foods or indigenous and forgotten crops. The Loss of Culinary Tradition It’s difficult for proponents of healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean Diet, to transmit their traditions to new generations, in part because they are up against billions of dollars of sophisticated advertising from multinational food corporations. The Mediterranean Diet follows a model similar to many of the healthiest diets on the planet: plant-based foods are the centerpiece of the plate, fresh vegetables are always present, whole grains are preferred over other forms of carbohydrates, sugars are minimized, healthy fats are incorporated liberally, and meats are a minor component of any meal. There are also cultural components of the Mediterranean Diet, including maintaining conviviality through the sharing of meals as well as focusing on seasonality and locally-grown foods. Power in the Food System Access to food and nutrition is a function of power. Those with the most power—typically men— tend to eat first and more compared with those with less power. Certain foods have always been recognized in terms of prestige and exclusiveness, especially for reasons linked to high cost and insufficient availability. However, it’s not only food that signifies power, but also land. The phenomenon of land grabbing has occurred for centuries. But today, because of climate change, migration, and other issues, the stakes are much higher. The land grabs occurring today are taking valuable land and natural resources from farmers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Land grabs are defined by the International Land Coalition as land “deals that happen without the free, prior, and informed consent of communities that often result in farmers being forced from their homes and families left hungry.” Traditional power structures in the food system often ignore or undervalue the roles of women and youth in agriculture. At the same time, farmers are aging around the globe—the average is 57 years old; and research shows that if women farmers had the same access to resources as men, they could potentially lift as many as 200 million people out of hunger. Innovations/Solutions
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Going Forward by Going Back Although globalization and the homogenization of cultures are leading to the loss of foods, consumers—especially young consumers—are increasingly interested in local and regional foods and concerned about their health and transparency in the food system. Rediscovering forgotten foods is now more important than ever: Foods such as jackfruit and breadfruit, which are even being used as replacements for meat, are growing in popularity in Africa and Asia. It’s projects like those that promote these alternatives that will help increase recognition of, demand for, and increased research and investment in the often-forgotten foods that make the global food system so diverse. Certification of local indigenous foods is one solution that can help give them credibility and earn them the respect they deserve from the scientific and agricultural funding communities. Preserving these foods may be the best way to preserve cultural traditions and mores that would otherwise be lost. In much of the world, feeding yourself, and your family, involves more than choosing foods at the market—it entails rationality, tradition, memory, symbols, and values based on religion, race, and gender. All of these are quite literally wrapped up in what we choose to grow and eat. Teach Traditions to New Generations Researchers, farmers, academics, and policymakers need to find ways to make all aspects of the food system—from farming and processing to research and policymaking—more attractive career options for young people. A first step on this path is to recover the concept of conviviality and the sharing of meals. The World Food Programme is working in schools by teaching meal sharing as it provides school meals to 17.4 million children in 62 countries across the globe. Its program provides nutritious food to students who do not receive proper nutrition at home, incentivizing parents to send their children to school and improving educational achievement. Once food is solidly recentered in youth cultures, the next steps are easier to facilitate. Reestablishing home economics classes in primary and secondary schools or after-school programs, for example, can help students learn basic cooking skills—skills they can take home to their parents. Democratizing the Food System As we look ahead, it’s also increasingly clear that we must democratize the food system. Farmers need to be involved in all aspects of research and development, and well-meaning development agencies and funders need to find ways to be more inclusive and listen to communities’ needs and wants first. Good food cannot only be for the wealthy. Instead, nutritious, healthy, and sustainable foods must be accessible and affordable for everyone. An agricultural system that values quantity over quality is not sustainable. We need to do more than fill people up with empty calories and starchy staple crops. We have to nourish both their minds and bodies. Youth and women need to be adequately recognized for their crucial roles in feeding the world today and need to be empowered to grow their contributions into the future. For youth, agriculture can be cool if they see proof that it can help them earn a decent income as well as provide the intellectual stimulation and variety they crave in their working lives. Creating better internet and cellular infrastructure in rural and agriculture-based economies can help keep young, creative people on farms by giving them access to the resources they need. Women need the same access to land, education, and inputs that men currently are offered. In countries like Ghana, Niger, and the United States, women are taking matters into their own hands by
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forming cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, and innovating their way to a sustainable future. Looking Ahead Millennial eaters are increasingly demanding a connection to their food and the story behind it, wanting a connection to the experience of eating. A new a vision for food and culture is needed that goes forward by going back and recognizing the rich traditions and flavors that have nourished people for centuries and combining them with new research and innovation around food that help people eat and live better, whether they live in Brooklyn or Botswana. It’s also increasingly clear that we must democratize the food system. The funding and donor communities, in particular, need to change their strategies around everything from food aid to their policies on fighting climate change. For example, we know today that simply donating U.S. grain to other countries is not the best strategy for fighting hunger. Although these shipments may provide much-needed calories, they disrupt local markets, lowering prices for locally grown foods and driving out producers. We need alternatives. To find these, policymakers, community leaders, and elders need to value the work of women and youth, not only as farmers and food producers but as nutritional gatekeepers, caretakers of rich agricultural traditions, and stewards of the land and biodiversity.
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