Food for thought

A new diet, sustainable and equitable has been called for by food expert Professor Lang of UK’s newly formed Food Council. He has called for a new approach that addresses fundamentals like biodiversity, energy, water and urbanization.

Food production is dropping, and food is increasingly tied to an oil economy with much of what we eat traveling miles from where it is produced. Feeding a projected nine billion people by 2050 is going to be a big challenge when resources are from the same dwindling pool. To increase production, we have the knowledge and the technology required, but environmental degradation and water and oil scarcity threaten our ability to succeed.

Producing food and transporting consumes energy, water and time. In this context, experts believe the way forward is to encourage more people to grow food in their backyard. (Backyards are a luxury in Indian urban space!)

The Food Council in its advice to the British consumer calls for them to make a choice between an apple that is Chinese, French or English one! ‘They are making a political choice, a socio-economic choice, as well as an environmental one. They are making a statement about what sort of society and farming they are supporting.”

That is where exports will take a beating. Markets that made a killing once by growing exotic flowers or food, and depleting resources back home will have to rethink now.

Do we need a food council to do some thinking-ahead for us? Are we using optimum water and energy for our food production? Is anyone thinking of food production and food security in the second populous nation of the world? Why is it there is not the same emphasis on agriculture as on industry here? Any bright ideas?