FOOD + CULTURE A groundbreaking 2014 report found that human diets have grown increasingly similar – by a global average of around 36% – as a select few staple crops become the basis of more meals. FAO research found that wheat and corn are overtaking regional crops like cassava, rice, and sorghum as the foundation for many of the foods we eat.19 (See figure 1) Our globally homogenised diets not only exacerbate the potential loss of local food knowledge, crop diversity and cultural food traditions, but also the acceleration of the health and sustainability challenges facing our world today. We know what has caused this trend of eating more and more of the same crops: urbanisation, global trade, access to supermarkets, and the rise in fast food are some key contributors. But what do we do about it? It is a bit unrealistic to suggest that we reverse the trends of globalisation, pretend that we never tasted treats from far away countries, and persuade New Yorkers and Parisians to revert back to subsistence farming. The truth is that we don’t need such drastic actions to make a meaningful impact on the global food system or to adopt healthier and more sustainable diets.
Movements exist throughout the world to bring people back to a healthier, more conscious relationship with their food. Slow food movements, rooftop agriculture, and urban farming are examples of how very globalised people are taking localised steps to improve their food systems. It is also important to note that these are not movements of the global elite, as many have come to believe. Rather, they are often spurred by communities at risk of health and sustainability challenges and in most need of healthy alternatives. 20 But the potential for change reaches far beyond an individual neighbourhood. Opportunities exist at every level of cultural consumption and production to rethink the way we eat. Food has become a ‘TV darling’, with celebrity chefs and cooking competitions ranking high on network ratings throughout the world. Furthermore, social media and customer reviewing sites play an increasingly vital role in how we form opinions about food and food companies. Governments are also wising up to their role in shaping national dialogues on food with increasing advocacy for official educational programs on food and nutrition. If we can secure channels to promote healthier, more sustainable food choices, we will be well on our way to improving the food culture for our future.
Khourya, C.K., Bjorkmanc, A.D., Dempewolf, H., Ramirez-Villegas, J., Guarino, L., Jarvis. A, Rieseberg, L.H., Struik, P.C. (2014). Increasing homogeneity in global food supplies and the implications for food security. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (11): 4001-4006. 19
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Reynolds, K. (2015). Disparity Despite Diversity: Social Injustice in New York City’s Urban Agriculture System. Antipode 47 (1): 240–259 20
NPR (2014). In The New Globalized Diet, Wheat, Soy And Palm Oil Rule. Retrieved from npr.org. 21