tag:theconversation.com,2011:/es/topics/food-260/articlesFood – The Conversation2024-03-25T18:23:49Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2252392024-03-25T18:23:49Z2024-03-25T18:23:49ZBuying affordable ethical chocolate is almost impossible – but some firms are offering the next best thing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581436/original/file-20240312-24-tojl7x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Transparency throughout the supply chains for cacao, the raw ingredient for chocolate, is required to ensure ethical sourcing and manufacture of products. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cacao-pods-cocoa-organic-chocolate-farm-1121861738">andysartworks/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With supermarket aisles piled high with assortments of chocolate treats, the choice can seem overwhelming. The array of ethical options – some with certifications, others with marketing claims about sustainability – can just add to the confusion.</p>
<p>Shoppers are becoming <a href="https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/sites/default/files/media-file/2023-12/EC-Markets-report-2023-web-final2.pdf">more eco-conscious</a>, with consumer spending on ethical products increasing from £17 billion in 1999 to more than £141 billion in 2023, according to Ethical Consumer magazine. In terms of chocolate, that usually means avoiding issues such as cocoa’s endemic reliance on <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/our-work/child-forced-labor-trafficking/child-labor-cocoa">child labour</a>, <a href="https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/11/25/cargill-deforestation-agriculture-history-pollution/">child trafficking</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00751-8">widespread deforestation</a>. </p>
<p>Lack of transparency along the whole supply chain is a major barrier to sourcing ethical cocoa and buying ethical chocolate. This makes it almost impossible to guarantee that any chocolate you buy is ethically sourced, even from companies that do their utmost to avoid buying from suppliers with harmful practices.</p>
<p>However, some new brands, such as the Netherlands’ Tony’s Chocolonely and Scotland’s UP-UP Chocolate, are trying to demonstrate their commitment to child labour-free products by doing more than claiming responsible sourcing of cocoa. </p>
<p>Tony’s <a href="https://online.flippingbook.com/view/287207390/8/">publishes the number of cases</a> of labour abuses it finds every year, and its packaging explains the issues of modern slavery in cocoa farming. UP-UP <a href="https://upupchocolate.com/pages/slavefreecocoa">surveys every worker</a> in its supply chains and states which single-estate plantation its cocoa comes from on its packaging.</p>
<h2>Why it’s so hard to guarantee ethical practices</h2>
<p>Without transparency, the origin of the cocoa – and therefore its impact on people and planet – cannot be known. Most of the world’s cocoa is grown <a href="https://www.icco.org/wp-content/uploads/Production_QBCS-XLIX-No.-4.pdf">in west Africa</a>, where more than 2 million farmers work on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1573521415000160">around 800,000 farms</a>. </p>
<p>Many of these <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-11-2020-0583">farms are remote</a> and served only by motorcycle due to poor infrastructure. This contributes to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-11-2020-0583">long and fragmented</a> nature of cocoa supply chains. </p>
<p>Tracing actual shipments of cocoa is rare because it’s sold as a commodity on a mass balance basis. So, while the volume of ethical cocoa farmed is equal to that sold, most cocoa is mixed with cocoa of unknown origin from multiple sources.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Wooden table background, cut open cocao pod with nibs, fragments of brown chocolate and green leaves laid out on surface" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581438/original/file-20240312-28-y9ka7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Chocolate brands going to extreme lengths to ensure traceability of their raw raw ingredients pay the price - and shoppers often pay a premium for the most ethical chocolate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/composition-cocoa-pod-products-on-wooden-793125286">Africa Studio/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>At various stages within the supply chain, from transport to processing, a company’s ability to track cocoa from known sources at specific farms is compromised. </p>
<p>While such complexity makes addressing child labour more difficult, it could be seen as convenient for large chocolate producers. Some have had <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/hershey-nestle-cargill-win-dismissal-us-child-slavery-lawsuit-2022-06-28/">legal claims against them dismissed</a> because of the lack of traceability between child labour on cocoa farms and their products. </p>
<p>Tony’s and UP-UP try to overcome transparency issues by buying from specific plantations or cooperatives. UP-UP sources its cocoa from a specific plantation in Colombia. Tony’s sources from a known cooperative in west Africa which makes monitoring labour conditions easier. </p>
<p>But this approach is not flawless. Tony’s doesn’t own the plantations it buys from, so while it can influence conditions, it cannot dictate to farmers. Tony’s removed 1,752 children from child labour in its last year of reporting, but identified another 1,072 cases on plantations from which it sources its cocoa. </p>
<p>Tony’s also works with cocoa processor Barry Callebaut, despite its <a href="https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/dark-side-of-chocolate">alleged links</a> to <a href="https://www.barry-callebaut.com/system/files/2023-09/Barry%20Callebaut%20Global%20Child%20Labor%20Position%20Statement%202023.pdf">child labour</a>. <a href="https://www.callebaut.com/en-GB/zero-child-labour-2025">Barry Callebaut states that</a> it has “a responsibility and a plan of action – built on full traceability and transparency – to stop any form of child labour by 2025 and make it something of the past”. Tony’s wants to act <a href="https://tonyschocolonely.com/uk/en/our-mission/news/why-we-are-not-on-all-lists-of-ethical-chocolate-brands">as a lever to change</a> from within the industry and scale up efforts to improve transparency in chocolate supply chains. </p>
<h2>Hollow chocolate claims</h2>
<p>The difficulties of building more transparent cocoa supply chains is only half the story. Big firms have routinely been criticised by charities such as Oxfam for <a href="https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/chocolate-giants-reap-huge-profits-promises-improve-farmers-incomes-ring-hollow">“hollow”</a> claims made about efforts to protect workers. </p>
<p>Environmental charity Mighty Earth has called Cargill, a major cocoa processor and chocolate producer, <a href="https://stories.mightyearth.org/cargill-worst-company-in-the-world/">“the worst company in the world”</a> for <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-court-fines-cargill-case-involving-child-labor-cocoa-farms-2023-09-26/">alleged links to</a> <a href="https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/dark-side-of-chocolate">child labour</a> and <a href="https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432239539226/cocoa-and-forests-initiative-progress-report-2022.pdf">deforestation</a>. <a href="https://www.cargill.co.uk/en/doc/1432103154643/slavery-and-human-trafficking-statement-pdf.pdf">Cargill states that</a> it does not tolerate the use of any form of forced labour and is “actively working towards eradicating child labour in the cocoa supply chain”.</p>
<p>Child and forced labour have long been a problem within cocoa supply chains and <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67530">Cadbury was aware of the problem over a century ago</a>. In 2001, eight of the industry’s major multinationals <a href="https://www.cocoainitiative.org/sites/default/files/resources/Harkin_Engel_Protocol.pdf">pledged to end</a> child labour in cocoa production by 2005. Signatories have repeatedly pushed that deadline back. </p>
<p>Many companies rely on third-party certification by organisations such as <a href="https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/">Fairtrade</a> and <a href="https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/">Rainforest Alliance</a>. But <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-international-stateless/2021/04/b1e486be-greenpeace-international-report-destruction-certified_finaloptimised.pdf">Greenpeace found</a> that a lack of consistency between standards means that claims can be misleading. </p>
<p>The most recent report from <a href="https://cocoabarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cocoa-Barometer-2022.pdf">Cocoa Barometer</a>, a consortium of ethically minded and sustainability-focused organisations including Oxfam and WWF, claims that certification does not imply sustainability, because it doesn’t require much actual operational change. </p>
<p>While cocoa certification <a href="https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC135044/JRC135044_01.pdf">helps restore biodiversity</a>, it doesn’t necessarily increase the money <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/mar/10/fairtrade-labels-certification-rainforest-alliance">farmers receive</a> for their crop. Large chocolate producers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04808-1">prioritise short-term profit</a> over meaningful structural change and this can result in a benefit from poor cocoa farmer pay and <a href="https://cocoabarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cocoa-Barometer-2022.pdf">low transparency</a> in their own self-certified reporting. </p>
<p>Consumers pay a premium for ethical chocolate. Both the separation of harvests that enables Tony’s Chocolonely to know the origin of its cocoa origin and the meticulous survey approach taken by UP-UP Chocolate incur additional costs. Buying at huge scale and without such rigour does not. </p>
<p>Evidence of single origin cocoa published on product packaging does not guarantee ethical sourcing, but it’s a sign of good practice. Sourcing single-origin cocoa enables checks of working conditions at known sites. It’s better for the environment and leads to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s43546-021-00051-y">substantially higher pay for farmers</a>. </p>
<p>Without genuine transparency about the source of cocoa, ethical chocolate claims are hard to take seriously. Smaller producers such as UP-UP, Divine and vegan chocolatier Pacari, source their cocoa from individual plantations and have that transparency. And by identifying child labour abuses, Tony’s is as much an activist brand highlighting cocoa’s ills as it is a chocolatier.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225239/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Rogerson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>What makes a good egg? The ethics of chocolate is complicated and often hard to decipher with confusing marketing claims on some product packaging.Michael Rogerson, Lecturer in Operations Management, University of Sussex Business School, University of SussexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2260862024-03-21T14:42:07Z2024-03-21T14:42:07ZStarvation is a weapon of war: Gazans are paying the price<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/a0ebccbd-65af-4884-ae7e-49ae086cd98f?dark=true"></iframe>
<p>On Monday, the European Union’s foreign policy chief <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ipc-gaza-famine-report-1.7146974">accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war</a> and provoking famine in Gaza. </p>
<p>Israel <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-asks-world-court-not-order-new-measures-over-gaza-hunger-2024-03-18/">denies the allegations</a>, which are some of the strongest words we have heard from a western power about the situation in Gaza since October. The EU statement comes on the heels of a <a href="https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-97/en/">UN-backed report</a> that warns that more than one million people — half of Gaza’s population — face catastrophic starvation conditions. </p>
<p>The report compiled through a partnership of more than 19 international agencies, including the United Nations and the Canadian International Development Agency, goes on to say that without an immediate ceasefire and a major influx of food especially into areas cut off by fighting, famine and mass death in Gaza are imminent.</p>
<p>In response to Monday’s report, the United Nations Secretary-General, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/3/18/un-backed-report-says-famine-imminent-in-northern-gaza">António Guterres said</a> Palestinians in Gaza are “enduring horrifying levels of hunger and suffering” and called the findings an “appalling indictment of conditions on the ground for civilians.”</p>
<p>“We must act now to prevent the unthinkable, the unacceptable and the unjustifiable,” he said.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/famine-expert-analyzes-gaza-humanitarian-crisis/">Scholars of famine</a> say this is the worst food deprivation they have observed in war time since the Second World War. And according to international law, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/31/israel-gaza-starvation-international-law">intentional starvation of a population is a war crime</a>.</p>
<p>Hilal Elver joined us to share her extensive expertise on the issue. Prof. Elver is the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, a position she held for six years, from 2014 to 2020. She is also a research professor of Global Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara and a Global Distinguished Fellow at the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law. Elver currently serves on the committee of experts at the Committee on World Food Security.</p>
<p>With almost 50 per cent of Gaza’s population under 18, Elver says children are forced to grow up quickly in Gaza. She worries for their future. She says even if we stop the war right now, “we’re going to lose this generation.” </p>
<h2>Listen and follow</h2>
<p>You can listen to or follow <a href="https://dont-call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/"><em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em></a> on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/dont-call-me-resilient/id1549798876">Apple Podcasts</a> <a href="https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2024/03/apple-introduces-transcripts-for-apple-podcasts/">(transcripts available)</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/37tK4zmjWvq2Sh6jLIpzp7">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_mJBLBznANz6ID9rBCUk7gv_ZRC4Og9-">YouTube</a> or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. </p>
<p><a href="mailto:dcmr@theconversation.com">We’d love to hear from you</a>, including any ideas for future episodes.</p>
<p>Join the Conversation on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dontcallmeresilientpodcast/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ConversationCA">X</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/theconversationcanada">LinkedIn</a> and use #DontCallMeResilient.</p>
<h2>Resources</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Famine_Committee_Review_Report_Gaza_Strip_Acute_Food_Insecurity_Feb_July2024_Special_Brief.pdf">Famine Review Committee Report: Gaza Strip Acute Food Insecurity March 2024</a> — Integrated Food Security Phase Classification</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Mass+Starvation%3A+The+History+and+Future+of+Famine-p-9781509524662"><em>Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine</em></a> by Alex de Waal</p>
<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/un-chief-pushes-get-aid-into-gaza-process-is-slow-2023-10-20/">U.N. chief pleads for Gaza lifeline at Egypt border crossing</a></p>
<h2>From the archives - in The Conversation</h2>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/western-moral-credibility-is-dying-along-with-thousands-of-gaza-citizens-220449">Western moral credibility is dying along with thousands of Gaza citizens</a>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ramadan-will-be-difficult-for-those-in-gaza-or-other-war-zones-what-does-fasting-mean-for-those-who-might-be-already-starving-225152">Ramadan will be difficult for those in Gaza or other war zones – what does fasting mean for those who might be already starving?</a>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/israeli-siege-has-placed-gazans-at-risk-of-starvation-prewar-policies-made-them-vulnerable-in-the-first-place-222657">Israeli siege has placed Gazans at risk of starvation − prewar policies made them vulnerable in the first place</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226086/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
We speak with Hilal Elver, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food and current University of California professor about the looming famine in Gaza after months of Israeli attacks.Vinita Srivastava, Host + Producer, Don't Call Me ResilientAteqah Khaki, Associate Producer, Don't Call Me ResilientHusein Haveliwala, Student Journalist/Assistant Producer, Don't Call Me ResilientLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253502024-03-20T19:04:14Z2024-03-20T19:04:14ZFeeding young kids on a budget? Parents say the mental load is crushing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581546/original/file-20240313-24-4oq51f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C998%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/funny-playful-girl-eating-awkwardly-exasperating-2254525865">Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Feeding babies and toddlers can be challenging at the best of times. But when families can’t afford enough food, let alone the <a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/nutrition-fitness/daily-food-guides/babies-toddlers-food-groups">recommended</a> range of different coloured <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-your-child-to-eat-more-veggies-talk-to-them-about-eating-the-rainbow-195563">vegetables</a>, or <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-my-child-have-low-iron-and-what-are-my-options-if-they-do-210899">iron-rich</a> meats, it’s tougher still.</p>
<p>In our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38428454/">recently published</a> research, parents told us how much effort they put in to feeding children when there is little money. </p>
<p>They also told us how the ever-present juggle of budgets and the realities of family life strained relationships and increased their mental load.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/im-scared-we-wont-have-money-for-food-how-children-cope-with-food-insecurity-in-australia-161671">'I'm scared we won't have money for food': how children cope with food insecurity in Australia</a>
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<h2>Living in poverty</h2>
<p>In the cost of living crisis, <a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Poverty-in-Australia-2023_Who-is-affected.pdf">one in six</a> Australian children live in poverty. More families than ever are <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=c1c0ba46-9dee-4128-b5bd-642d64416711&subId=732384__;!!NVzLfOphnbDXSw!FaAwkb1CMQGRU78jYbQ7klcS518qR07p-sL7r0IdFjFR0oIvQW_Y5TtV6owVwShkoUFAswDX4TwfUZLVyA84nGGR-YM$">seeking help</a> from food banks.</p>
<p>So we asked parents what it was like to feed young children when money was tight. We interviewed 29 Australian parents with at least one child between six months and three years old. Most had an income around or below the poverty line. </p>
<p>The average age of parents was 32 years, including 28 mothers and one father. This is what they told us.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/successful-failures-the-problem-with-food-banks-86546">'Successful failures' – the problem with food banks</a>
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<h2>Family tensions rise</h2>
<p>Families’ financial position was precarious, with little buffer to cope with more financial strain. One parent told us:</p>
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<p>We’re still on the one income […] We try and get a lot of free vegetables from the food banks and whatnot. We’ve borrowed money in the past, but the main thing we do is make sure [our child’s] food is fine.</p>
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<p>This uncertainty about money flowed into relationship tension, and stress about food waste and the food bill. Another parent, who said they had lost weight due to not eating proper meals, told us:</p>
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<p>Things have been tense, and [my partner’s] pretty upset about outgoing money for [food …].</p>
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<p>There was also strain when young children created a mess with food or threw it on the floor:</p>
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<p>But then my partner’s like ‘why are you buying that bunch of bananas? Most of it’s, like, in his hair.’ As trivial as it might sound to some households, [it] caused a lot of stress in ours.</p>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Mum with toddler on lap offering banana" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581548/original/file-20240313-22-42xeqb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">More banana can end up in a child’s hair than in the mouth. And that can cause stress.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/adorable-baby-funny-face-while-trying-1587936844">Joaquin Corbalan P/Shutterstock</a></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-many-australians-are-going-hungry-we-dont-know-for-sure-and-thats-a-big-part-of-the-problem-195360">How many Australians are going hungry? We don't know for sure, and that's a big part of the problem</a>
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<h2>Making trade-offs and sacrifices</h2>
<p>Parents described feeding the family as a difficult balance. They put the needs of children and partners first. They often hid their sacrifices from their partners. One parent told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My partner doesn’t miss out anywhere near as much as what I do. He doesn’t know that either. […] But there is many, many, many days where I will go without a meal.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-home-brand-foods-healthy-if-you-read-the-label-you-may-be-pleasantly-surprised-189445">Are home-brand foods healthy? If you read the label, you may be pleasantly surprised</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The unseen mental load</h2>
<p>Not having enough money increased the load caused by the thinking, planning and emotional strain of getting enough food to feed everyone. One participant said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s always there in the back of my mind […], what would I do if I really didn’t have anything left to feed all of us.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-asked-same-gender-couples-how-they-share-the-mental-load-at-home-the-results-might-surprise-you-208667">We asked same-gender couples how they share the 'mental load' at home. The results might surprise you</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Resilience and creativity</h2>
<p>Parents described multiple strategies to make the most of the food they had. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We will now go to the fruit and vegetable shop that’s quite far away from our house because it’s cheaper to buy it in bulk [… We] pre-plan, absolutely, and meal plan.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Despite hardships, parents adapted to challenges by being creative with food and cooking. One parent said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In the last food parcel I got there was this big bag of polenta, […] you don’t want to be wasteful […]. I’ll look at […] simple recipes that have that ingredient […] and go from there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Parents valued mealtimes as family time, to connect and share. Parents tried to make the most of their situation and remember that when it comes to meals, “basic doesn’t mean bad”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-we-overthinking-family-meals-5-realistic-tips-to-ease-the-pressure-200731">Are we overthinking family meals? 5 realistic tips to ease the pressure</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What does this mean for supporting families?</h2>
<p>Health professionals working with parents need to know many struggle to feed their family. It’s not just a matter of budgeting or cooking; parents already do that. The high mental load parents experience needs to be recognised. Programs and support should be accessible, brief and realistic.</p>
<p><a href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/nutrition-fitness/common-concerns/toddler-not-eating">Common advice</a>, such as offering food many times and providing variety to children, may need to be adapted. Variety could be sourced from foods on special, and food waste reduced by offering small amounts of new foods at first.</p>
<p>We also need to ensure the food offered in childcare centres is <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/4/968">adequate and healthy</a>. Providing good-quality <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-schools-are-starting-to-provide-food-but-we-need-to-think-carefully-before-we-ditch-the-lunchbox-193536">school meals</a> would relieve the pressure on parents to supply a healthy lunchbox, or give money for the canteen. This would give all Australian children the chance to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods, regardless of their situation at home.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>We would like to thank the families who so generously shared their time and stories with us. We also acknowledge our research team: Smita Nambiar-Mann, Robyn Penny and Danielle Gallegos.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225350/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kimberley Baxter receives funding from a grant from the Children's Hospital Foundation (Reference number WCCNR03). She is a
member of Dietitians Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Byrne receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council and the Children's Hospital Foundation. </span></em></p>Parents told us how the ever-present juggle of budgets and the realities of family life strained relationships and increased their mental load.Kimberley Baxter, Research Fellow, Centre for Childhood Nutrition Research, Queensland University of TechnologyRebecca Byrne, Dietitian and Lecturer, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2254042024-03-18T13:44:30Z2024-03-18T13:44:30ZFour ways to eat less meat that are better for the planet, your health and your bank balance<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582064/original/file-20240314-24-maslyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Making a few simple eco-friendly food choices can be healthy and cost-effective too. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-stall-holder-farmers-fresh-food-267549425">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do I choose the meat in my local store or drive out of town for tofu instead? Shall I add honey to my winter porridge or would strawberries or mango be better? Should I choose to drink oat milk or organic goat’s milk?</p>
<p>Most people are familiar with the idea that food consumption will affect their health. But food consumption also contributes between 20% and 30% of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.09.046">environmental footprint</a> from daily life, with impacts from production, processing, transport and retail. For many of us, our diet could be <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i3004e/i3004e00.pdf">healthier and more sustainable</a>, but it can be hard to know which options will have the biggest positive effect. </p>
<p>As part of our research into healthy and sustainable eating, interviews with predominantly young adults found that UK consumers are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2022.106388">willing to make small changes</a> that would improve the health and environmental footprint of their diet, if these changes will have some benefit and are of little cost to them. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000345030">Small dietary changes</a> tend to be easier to maintain in the longer term than larger changes, but the small changes to make for greatest benefit, for health and the planet, are not well known.</p>
<p>To provide this advice, we <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107194">compared</a> the health-related, environmental and financial effects of a number of sustainable dietary actions that have previously been proposed. We applied 12 sustainable actions to the dietary data of 1,235 UK adults in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey">National Diet and Nutrition Survey</a>. </p>
<p>We investigated differences between the new diet and the original diet for six dietary markers (protein, saturated fat, sugars, salt, iron, calcium), three environmental markers (greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater withdrawals, land use), and dietary cost. There were some limitations – we couldn’t quantify the impacts of reducing food waste, for example. </p>
<p>But our research showed that four simple switches resulted in the greatest benefits for your diet, the planet and for your pocket. These changes won’t be small or simple for everyone, but you don’t need to try them all. Every switch will benefit both your health and our home, and lots of small changes will soon add up. </p>
<h2>1. Replace meat items with pulses</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.071472">Beans, chickpeas and lentils</a> are high in protein, fibre and are low in fat. They have low environmental impacts and can even benefit the growth of other crops, plus they are very inexpensive. Barriers that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2023.119">prevent people consuming pulses</a> tend to focus around their taste or texture. And pulses can be perceived as inconvenient, effortful or difficult to cook. </p>
<p>Start with houmous – a tasty pre-prepared chickpea spread or dip. Including more pulses in your diet is made easier and quicker by using pre-prepared and canned pulses or by batch cooking dishes and freezing portions for another day. Try incorporating canned beans into your favourite soups and stews. Add lentils to your bolognese sauce. If you’re feeling more adventurous, experiment with some <a href="https://pulses.org/recipes/worlds-greatest-pulse-dishes">tasty new recipes</a> from cultures that traditionally use pulses, such as Mexico, the Middle East or India. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Flatlay shot looking down over a dozen or so colourful bowls of different beans, pulses, legumes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582066/original/file-20240314-30-dhd2t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Replacing the meat in your diet with a diverse array of pulses is good for your health as well as for the planet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/collection-variety-cereal-food-wooden-equipment-1341145883">Nopparat Promtha/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Replace meat items with eggs</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-eggs">Eggs</a>, like pulses, are highly nutritious. They provide protein and many micronutrients, have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaq0216">low environmental impacts</a>, and are good value for money. Choose free-range eggs for added animal welfare benefits. </p>
<p>Eggs can be easy to prepare. They are soft and can be easier to eat for those who may have difficulties chewing, swallowing or cutting up foods. Eggs can add <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020002712">taste and flavour</a> to your diet. Eggs can be consumed at any meal. Poached or scrambled, they make a great high-protein breakfast, hard-boiled eggs are a filling on-the-go snack, and sous-vide (slow-cooked) eggs can impress guests at dinner parties. </p>
<h2>3. Replace meat items with hard or soft cheeses</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/milk-and-dairy-nutrition/">Cheese</a> is another nutritious food, full of calcium and other micronutrients, good for strong bones and teeth. Often considered a food with high environmental impacts, cheese typically has a lower environmental footprint than meat, even more so for soft cheeses. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://profilebooks.com/work/how-bad-are-bananas/">environmental impact of dairy foods</a> increases with the processing needed, predominantly as a result of the waste created at each stage of manufacture. Milk has the lowest environmental impact, yoghurt slightly higher, soft cheeses, such as cream cheese, slightly higher again, and hard cheeses such as Cheddar are higher still. </p>
<p>Try switching your pepperoni pizza for four cheeses pizza, replace the meat in pasta dishes for soft blue cheese to retain flavour, and use soft cheeses in sandwiches. </p>
<h2>4. Reduce meat consumption by 20%</h2>
<p>Meat production, particularly for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaq0216">beef and lamb</a>, has high environmental impacts. Consuming a lot can be unhealthy, but <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/meat-nutrition/">meat consumption in small amounts</a> can offer a valuable source of protein and micronutrients, including iron, zinc and B vitamins. Try consuming smaller portions, increase the quality of meat you buy to gain the health benefits while eating less, or aim to have regular vegetarian days, such as meat-free Mondays. Choose the meat option when you’re eating out, make it a treat for special occasions, and eat more plant-based dishes at home.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225404/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Appleton currently receives funding from the EU for a project (FoodMAPP), which aims to encourage the consumption of local food and reduce food waste, and she has previously received funding from the EU for a project on vegetable consumption (VeggiEAT) and from the British Egg Industry Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danielle Guy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From replacing meat with pulses to eating more eggs, these top tips will reduce the environmental impact of your diet while improving the nutritional value and cutting costs.Katherine Appleton, Professor of Psychology, Bournemouth UniversityDanielle Guy, PhD Candidate in Psychology, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242862024-03-17T08:42:31Z2024-03-17T08:42:31ZAlmost 50% of adult South Africans are overweight or obese. Poverty and poor nutrition are largely to blame<p><a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/malnutrition#tab=tab_1">Malnutrition</a>, in all its forms, includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight and obesity. </p>
<p>South Africa has undergone a nutritional transition over the past 30 years characterised by the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378313186_National_Food_and_Nutrition_South_Africa">triple burden</a> of malnutrition: households are simultaneously experiencing undernutrition, hidden hunger, and overweight or obesity due to nutrient-poor diets.</p>
<p>Results of the first in-depth, nationwide <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378313186_National_Food_and_Nutrition_South_Africa">study</a> into food and nutrition since 1994, the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey, found almost half the adult population of South Africa were overweight or obese. </p>
<p>While there was sufficient food to feed everyone through domestic production and imports, many families and individuals went to bed on empty stomachs.</p>
<p>Due to <a href="https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/statistics-south-africa-quarterly-labour-force-survey-quarter-three-2023-14#:%7E:text=The%20official%20unemployment%20rate%20was,the%20second%20quarter%20of%202023.">high unemployment figures</a>, families relied on social grants to buy basic food items. Many tended to buy food with little nutritional value to avoid hunger. </p>
<p>The survey, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council, was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to map hunger and malnutrition hotspots in the country. </p>
<p>Data was collected from more than 34,500 households between 2021 and 2023. Close to 100 indicators were used to compile the report. </p>
<h2>Overweight or obese: what’s the difference?</h2>
<p>Carrying excess weight poses a number of health risks. It increases the dangers of high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea, and respiratory problems.</p>
<p>People are <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight#:%7E:text=For%20adults%2C%20WHO%20defines%20overweight,than%20or%20equal%20to%2030">overweight</a> if their body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight, is greater than 25. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight#:%7E:text=For%20adults%2C%20WHO%20defines%20overweight,than%20or%20equal%20to%2030">Obese</a> adults have a body mass index greater than 30.</p>
<h2>Key facts</h2>
<p>Some of the significant findings were:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>69% of obese adults lived in food insecure households where families had little dietary choices and were forced to eat food with little nutritional value. </p></li>
<li><p>More than two-thirds (67.9%) of females were either overweight or obese. There were higher incidences of obesity among women than men.</p></li>
<li><p>Adults aged 35 to 64 years had a significantly greater prevalence of obesity than younger age groups. This could be explained by differences in <a href="https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1096/fj.202101930R">metabolism</a> and the fact that youngsters are more active than adults. </p></li>
<li><p>KwaZulu-Natal reported a higher prevalence of obesity (39.4%) compared to the other provinces. More research is needed to explore this finding and whether cultural factors are behind this.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The survey period overlapped with the tail-end of COVID-19. Focus group discussions took place in all districts where data was collected to assess the effects of the pandemic. </p>
<p>The survey found that the swift responses by government through various relief programmes significantly reduced the exposure of families to extreme poverty and food insecurity during this period.</p>
<h2>Moving forward</h2>
<p>Obesity is a global problem. A <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02750-2/fulltext">new study</a> released by the Lancet showed that, in 2022, more than 1 billion people in the world were living with obesity. </p>
<p>Worldwide, obesity among adults had more than doubled since 1990, and had quadrupled among children and adolescents (5 to 19 years of age). </p>
<p>The Human Sciences Research Council made the following recommendations to help address malnutrition in South Africa: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>focus on areas with high levels of malnutrition</p></li>
<li><p>encourage families to produce their own food to supplement social grants</p></li>
<li><p>invest in food banks at fruit and vegetable markets strategically located close to vulnerable households</p></li>
<li><p>help extremely poor households survive seasonal hunger</p></li>
<li><p>launch campaigns to educate the public on the benefits of consuming nutrient-rich foods and dietary diversity.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/research-shows-shocking-rise-in-obesity-levels-in-urban-africa-over-past-25-years-90485">Research shows shocking rise in obesity levels in urban Africa over past 25 years</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224286/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thokozani Simelane does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>South Africa’s national survey of food and nutrition security identifies the areas most in need.Thokozani Simelane, Professor of Practice, Human Sciences Research CouncilLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222982024-03-14T13:28:33Z2024-03-14T13:28:33ZHow the Tudors dealt with food waste<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579929/original/file-20240305-24-2ojthy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1690%2C1295&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Baron Cobham and family around the dinner table, 1567.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Brooke_10th_Baron_Cobham_and_Family_1567.jpg">Master of the Countess of Warwick </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More than <a href="https://wrap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-11/WRAP-Food-Surplus-and-Waste-in-the-UK-Key-Facts-Nov-2023.pdf">ten million tonnes</a> of food is wasted in the UK each year. Leftovers perish in their plastic Tupperware tombs, supermarket bins heave with damaged but perfectly edible produce and fields are littered with spoiled harvests. Preventing good food from ending up in the bin is an important part of the global fight against climate change. </p>
<p>But what about the past? How did our ancestors deal with food waste? Surprisingly, given the pertinence of the issue in modern discourse, very little has been written about the history of food waste. My <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/leftovers-9781803281575/">new book</a>, Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation, addresses the topic across the last half a millennium, from the Tudor kitchen right up until the present day. </p>
<p>Tudor society was intrinsically religious. Henry VIII’s well-known <a href="https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Henry-VIII/#:%7E:text=Henry%20took%20matters%20into%20his,was%20forced%20to%20leave%20court.">divorce issues</a> ignited the English Reformation, the tumultuous transformation from Catholicism to Protestantantism, heightening religious fervour and shaping attitudes towards food across the country. </p>
<p>In Tudor eyes, food was the ultimate gift from God that literally sustained life on earth. And in the form of the bread and wine, it was food that Christ had chosen to represent his body and blood at the Last Supper. No wonder that wasting food was seen as sinful and immoral. “The least crum, which can be saved, be not lost,” commanded the puritan writer <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A15695.0001.001?view=toc">Ezekias Woodward</a>, “no, not a crum”. </p>
<p>Familiar to many of us today, clergymen taught their parishioners about the feeding of the 5,000. In the Biblical tale, when Jesus went to mourn the passing of John the Baptist, the large crowd that followed him were miraculously fed on just five loaves and two fish. According to the <a href="https://biblehub.com/john/6-12.htm">Gospel of John</a>, at the end of the meal, Christ told his disciples to “gather the pieces that are left over,” so “nothing be wasted,” and they collected 12 full baskets of leftovers.</p>
<p>In another Biblical parable, the rich man Dives went to hell when he denied the scraps of his feast to the poor man <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2016%3A19-31&version=NIV">Lazarus</a>, who instead ascended to heaven. Like Lazarus, the Tudor poor waited at the gates of grand estates to receive the remains of lavish feasts. An almoner (a church official who was responsible for distributing money or food to the poor) collected leftovers but also the first slices of meat to be given in charity. </p>
<h2>Leftovers</h2>
<p>Even those from humbler backgrounds could donate surplus food. Instead of throwing it to the pigs, the whey left over from cheese making, for example, could become a nourishing summer drink for the labourers who toiled in the hot fields. </p>
<p>Charitable housewives who expressed their piety by distributing such leftovers to their poor neighbours would “find profit therefore in a divine place,” according to Gervase Markham in his popular <a href="http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/book%201615%20huswife.htm">1615 cookery book</a>. </p>
<p>As well as being distributed to the poor, the leftovers from large Tudor households went to employees rather than going to waste. In Queen Elizabeth I’s <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_Collection_of_Ordinances_and_Regulatio/yGxBAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1">royal household</a>, workers who cooked meats in the “boiling house” received the “dripping of the roste” and even “the grease… in the kittles (kettles) and pannes” as a benefit for their labour. A waste product to those with plenty, these meat juices could be reimagined to add flavour and nutrition to sauces and gravies. </p>
<p>Still, those at the top of the social scale had access to far more than they could possibly eat. Elizabeth’s table overflowed with elaborate pies, roasted meats, sugar sculptures, imported wines and exotic fruits. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An old painting of a table filled with ornate looking food." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580382/original/file-20240307-20-o5bbbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580382/original/file-20240307-20-o5bbbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580382/original/file-20240307-20-o5bbbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580382/original/file-20240307-20-o5bbbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580382/original/file-20240307-20-o5bbbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580382/original/file-20240307-20-o5bbbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580382/original/file-20240307-20-o5bbbi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Still life with turkey pie by Pieter Claesz.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_Claesz._-_Stilleven_met_kalkoenpastei_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">Rijksmuseum/Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Waste and hunger</h2>
<p>Meanwhile, widespread hunger led to rioting across the country in the 1590s after years of devastating harvests. As wealthy landlords closed off their land to common pasture, <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Worlds_Within_Worlds/A_odA1alLoYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover">flour prices tripled</a> over the span of just a few years. </p>
<p>In the Bible, Ruth gleaned from the field of a wealthy man named Boaz, in accordance with the <a href="https://biblehub.com/leviticus/23-22.htm">Old Testament law</a>: “when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field…thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger”. With this example, the poorest in Tudor England collected the scraps from the harvest to feed themselves and their families. </p>
<p>Squaring these disparate images of plenty and want is not too hard when we consider that in the UK <a href="https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking">9.7 million adults</a> experience food insecurity according to data from September 2022. Meanwhile the richest <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7484/">5% take home 37%</a> of the nation’s total disposable income. On a global scale, <a href="https://www.wfp.org/stories/5-facts-about-food-waste-and-hunger">a third of the food</a> we produce goes to waste while <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Waste_Free_Kitchen_Handbook/Y0IACgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1">842 million people</a> are afflicted with chronic hunger. </p>
<p>Food waste today is a pressing environmental issue. But this foray into Tudor food waste reminds us that it is also a deeply moral issue that reflects the growing inequalities between the rich and the poor. In telling the so far untold history of food waste, my research reflects on our changing moral values, and our relationship with food, people and planet. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eleanor Barnett is the author of Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation (Head of Zeus, 2024). She receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust as a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Cardiff University. </span></em></p>During the Tudor period, religious beliefs shaped people’s attitudes towards food and food waste.Eleanor Barnett, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2217202024-03-11T21:26:04Z2024-03-11T21:26:04ZAllergen warning: “Vegan” foods may contain milk and eggs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570731/original/file-20240112-29-t9z77z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C0%2C989%2C667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">When buying pre-packaged foods, consumers with allergies rely on the declarations in the list of ingredients to identify safe foods.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The popularity of vegan diets continues to increase around the world. Indeed, in 2023, the vegan food market grew to <a href="https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/vegan-food-market">more than US$27 billion</a>.</p>
<p>The term “vegan” usually refers to foods that contain no animal ingredients (meat, poultry, eggs, milk, fish, seafood).</p>
<p>While some consumers consider them to be healthier, vegan foods are also an interesting alternative for consumers concerned about the environment, sustainable development, and animal welfare.</p>
<p>But another type of consumer may be turning to these products for a completely different reason: people who are allergic to proteins of animal origin, such as cow’s milk and eggs.</p>
<p>In view of this, <a href="https://parera.ulaval.ca">our research group</a>, a leader in food allergen risk analysis in Canada, decided to explore <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13223-023-00836-w">the following two questions</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Do consumers who are allergic to animal proteins consider vegan products to be safe?</p></li>
<li><p>And, if so, are these products truly safe for them?</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>What’s in it for consumers with allergies?</h2>
<p>The answers to these questions are crucial for people with food allergies who risk suffering potentially severe reactions (anaphylaxis) from consuming these products.</p>
<p>Food allergies affect around <a href="https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(19)30912-2/fulltext">six per cent of Canadians</a>, including 0.8 per cent who are allergic to eggs, and 1.1 per cent to milk.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that different forms <a href="https://foodallergycanada.ca/living-with-allergies/allergy-treatments-and-therapies/treatments-and-therapies/">of immunotherapy or allergen desensitization</a> have shown promising results, the most effective strategy for avoiding allergic reactions is still to refrain from eating foods that may contain allergens.</p>
<p>When buying pre-packaged foods, consumers with allergies rely on declarations in the list of ingredients to identify foods that are safe for them. Regulatory authorities who are responsible for the quality and safety of food recognize the importance of accurate ingredients declarations for allergic consumers. Thus, it is <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-labelling/allergen-labelling.html">mandatory</a> to list every allergen that has been voluntarily added to a pre-packaged food item.</p>
<p>However, when it comes to ingredients that may be unintentionally present — for example, as due to cross-contact during food processing — there is a regulatory gap. These ingredients are generally identified with the warning “may contain,” which is used (or sometimes <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213219818300102">overused</a>) voluntarily and randomly by food processors.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the term “vegan” is neither standardized nor defined in Canadian regulations. In fact, <a href="https://inspection.canada.ca/food-labels/labelling/industry/composition-and-quality/eng/1625516122300/1625516122800?chap=2">the Canadian Food Inspection Agency</a> notes that, with regard to the use of the term “vegan,”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>…companies can apply additional criteria or standards that take account of other factors in addition to the ingredients of the food.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, details or examples of these elements are not provided. This lack of a precise regulatory definition prevents the implementation of compliance requirements.</p>
<p>Yet, most <a href="https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/search/site?search_api_fulltext=vegan">recalls</a> of products marketed as “vegan” are due to the presence of undeclared ingredients of animal origin, in particular milk and eggs.</p>
<h2>What do consumers with food allergies say?</h2>
<p>In this context, and as part of a <a href="https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2583779/v1">survey</a> of consumers with allergies conducted in collaboration with <a href="https://foodallergycanada.ca">Food Allergy Canada</a>, we asked participants who indicated that they were allergic (or were the parents of a child who was allergic) to eggs or milk if they bought products marketed as “vegan.”</p>
<p>Of the 337 respondents, 72 per cent said they sometimes included these products in their purchases, 14 per cent said they always did, and 14 per cent never.</p>
<p>These <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13223-023-00836-w">results</a> suggest that these consumers do, indeed, consider the claim “vegan” as an indicator of the absence of animal proteins — an absence which, again, is not supported by any regulatory requirement or definition.</p>
<p>Since the absence of these ingredients is not guaranteed, these consumption habits could put people who are allergic to eggs and/or milk at risk.</p>
<p>An education campaign to clarify that the term “vegan” is an indicator of dietary <em>preferences</em> and not <em>risks</em> would therefore be important for this community.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="dark chocolate" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569134/original/file-20240112-29-5nq5bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some dark chocolate bars marketed as ‘certified vegan’ contain milk proteins.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Do vegan products contain ingredients of animal origin?</h2>
<p>The fact that 86 per cent of survey respondents buy “vegan” products suggests that the incidence of allergic reactions linked to these foods is potentially rare.</p>
<p>We therefore <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13223-023-00836-w">analyzed</a> the egg and milk protein content of “vegan” and “plant-based” products marketed in Québec.</p>
<p>A total of 124 products were analyzed for the presence of egg (64) and/or milk (87) proteins.</p>
<p>Egg protein was not detected in any samples, but five samples contained milk proteins: these included four dark chocolate bars marketed as “certified vegan” and a supermarket brand chestnut cake.</p>
<p>These five products declared the potential presence of milk with a warning, “may contain milk.”</p>
<p>We used the concentrations of milk proteins quantified in these products, combined with the quantities of the food that would be consumed in a single eating occasion, to calculate an exposure dose, in milligrams of allergen protein. We then estimated the probability of these doses provoking a reaction in the allergic populations concerned by using <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691520307213">correlation models</a>. Our results show that the calculated doses could trigger reactions in six per cent of milk-allergic consumers, for the chocolate bars, and one per cent, for the cake.</p>
<h2>How can consumers with food allergies protect themselves?</h2>
<p>Although this level of risk may be perceived as low, it is likely to vary without notice. And this will remain the case until regulatory requirements are put in place.</p>
<p>In fact, rather than attributing it to the presence of a “vegan” or “plant-based” claim, this level of risk most likely reflects <a href="https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(22)02590-7.pdf">good allergen management practices</a>, characteristic of the North American food manufacturing sector.</p>
<p>Thus, even if a statement “may contain milk” seems contradictory in a “vegan” or “plant-based” product, people allergic to milk should interpret it as an indication that this product may pose a risk to their health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221720/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samuel Godefroy's research activities are funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Foreign Agriculture Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, R-Biopharm GmbH and R-Biopharm Canada Inc. He acts as an expert advisor to members of the food and beverage industry, international organizations (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the World Bank), international food regulatory bodies such as the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment and consumer organizations such as Food Allergy Canada. Godefroy is Chairman of the Board of the Global Food Regulatory Science Society (GFoRSS).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jérémie Théolier et Silvia Dominguez ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur poste universitaire.</span></em></p>Vegan foods are considered by most consumers to have no ingredients of animal origin, but they may actually contain milk proteins.Silvia Dominguez, Professionnelle de recherche en sciences des aliments, Université LavalJérémie Théolier, Professionel de recherche en sciences des aliments, Université LavalSamuel Godefroy, Professeur titulaire - Sciences des aliments, Université LavalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2248322024-03-10T13:10:41Z2024-03-10T13:10:41ZHow nature-based knowledge can restore local ecosystems and improve community well-being<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580297/original/file-20240306-16-iukteg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=39%2C29%2C6032%2C3674&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Regenerative agricultural strategies can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from food production, restore local ecosystems and enhance community well-being.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Organizations in the food and agriculture sector have been <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/three-things-nature-based-solutions-agriculture">looking to nature for inspiration</a> to improve soil health, maintain water quality and foster local food security in the places where they operate.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/17/cop28-sustainable-agriculture-food-greenhouse-gases">evidence is clear</a> that our current food and agriculture systems are severely impacting global greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater usage and deforestation.</p>
<p>In response to these issues, activists, policymakers and corporate executives have been exploring <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/analysis-cop28-put-food-system-transformation-menu-who-will-pick-up-bill-2023-12-21">new strategies</a> for making our food systems more resilient and sustainable. </p>
<p>Regenerative agricultural strategies, in particular, can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from food production, restore local ecosystems and enhance community well-being in specific geographical locations. </p>
<p>But they also require a foundation of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/climate/the-farming-conundrum.html">nature-based or ecological knowledge</a> in order to be effective. Our recent research sheds light on how organizations can gain and make use of this knowledge.</p>
<h2>Regenerating local communities</h2>
<p>In the face of current global ecological challenges, there is a need to explore how organizations can help revitalize local communities and ecosystems. Our research on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10860266231220081">farming organizations on Vancouver Island</a>, British Columbia, aims to explore this.</p>
<p>We studied nine certified organic farming organizations to examine how they were harnessing and using ecological knowledge. Certified organic farming involves business operations that are <a href="https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2020/ongc-cgsb/P29-32-310-2020-eng.pdf">“sustainable and harmonious with nature</a>.” In B.C., farms are awarded <a href="https://organicbc.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BCCOP-Accreditation-Manual-v4.pdf">certification annually</a> after a rigorous evaluation process. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Piles of strawberries and cherries on sale at an indoor market." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580299/original/file-20240306-24-3smwaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Consumers have been increasing demand for locally sourced, pesticide-free and certified organic products.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Unlike <a href="https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr54.c2">conventional farming practices</a> that prioritize short-term gains through the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and monocropping, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2009.11.002">organic farms focus on long-term health and ecological balance</a>.</p>
<p>The farms we studied were actively engaged in community initiatives aimed at conserving nature and strengthening local food and nutrition security.</p>
<p>Through a series of in-depth interviews with farmers, owners and other key decision-makers, we found these organizations were helping regenerate their local communities by committing to environmental stewardship, and pursuing, acquiring and applying new ecological knowledge.</p>
<h2>Environmental stewardship</h2>
<p>The leaders and decision-makers of the farming organizations we interviewed were strongly committed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-018-9749-0">environmental stewardship</a>. Environmental stewardship refers to actions and decisions that prioritize the conservation and enhancement of ecosystems and biodiversity, and the interests of future generations.</p>
<p>This commitment was evident through two main factors. First, decision-makers demonstrated a genuine appreciation for nature, leading them to feel strongly about safeguarding it from harm.</p>
<p>During our interviews, one farmer described how the goals of building sustainable communities and healthy ecosystems influenced her business’ long-term goals. She said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“In the long term if you don’t have a really solid, values-based business, then you’re going to disappear anyway. [We] put our values behind our environmental footprint and [our efforts to make] this community a better place.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Second, these leaders had a deep understanding of how their organizations relied on the health of the surrounding ecosystems. The farming practices adopted by them were based on building mutually beneficial relationships between their organizations, local ecosystems and communities. </p>
<p>One board member we interviewed emphasized their reliance on the surrounding ecosystems in an interview, stating that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“By enhancing biodiversity, we can bring back beneficial ecosystems that directly benefit our farmers. We recognized the importance of pollinators and took steps to increase biodiversity by reintroducing native bees.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This dedication to environmental stewardship led decision-makers to seek out ecological knowledge about the local ecology to help them foster the creation of healthy and diverse ecosystems.</p>
<h2>Restoring local ecosystems and well-being</h2>
<p>The decision-makers we interviewed decided to seek out new knowledge to improve their organization’s performance and promote long-term social and ecological well-being. They often did this in response to <a href="https://organicbc.org/media-release-organic-market-2021">rising demand from customers and community members</a> for locally sourced, pesticide-free and certified organic products. </p>
<p>Organizations acquired ecological knowledge by collaborating with scientists, academics and non-profit organizations through knowledge exchanges. In our study, for example, some farmers integrated scientific knowledge with their farming methods, resulting in improved crop yield and quality. </p>
<p>Organizations then put their newly acquired ecological knowledge into practice by transforming it into manuals, reports, operating procedures or other similar formats. This allowed the knowledge to be accessed easily and updated as necessary. Applying new knowledge required flexibility, a hands-on learning approach, and the willingness to discard outdated practices.</p>
<p>Once organizations fully integrated new ecological knowledge, they were able to contribute to regenerating their communities, which enhanced financial and ecological sustainability.</p>
<h2>A growing urgency</h2>
<p>With the world’s population projected to reach <a href="https://sustainablefoodbusiness.com/regenerative-agriculture-jbs-global/">10 billion by 2050</a>, there’s even more of a growing urgency to address environmental impacts and ensure community well-being, ecosystem health and food security, particularly in vulnerable places.</p>
<p>As businesses navigate today’s complex social and environmental challenges, the importance of <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/win-win-win-how-regenerative-farming-can-help-the-planet-farmers-and-you-1.5330180?cache=tzbrsjtr">turning to nature for inspiration is becoming increasingly evident</a>. </p>
<p>Businesses, in particular large corporations, have the responsibility to address the environmental impacts of the food system by committing to promote regenerative farming practices. </p>
<p>By situating themselves within their communities and prioritizing ecological knowledge, businesses have the potential to not only improve their own sustainability, but also to ignite positive change within the communities they operate in.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224832/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saeed Rahman received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowships.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natalie Slawinski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In the face of growing social and environmental challenges, organizations in the food and agriculture sector are increasingly turning to nature for inspiration.Saeed Rahman, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Sustainability, University of The Fraser ValleyNatalie Slawinski, Professor of Sustainability and Strategy, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2223612024-03-06T21:16:57Z2024-03-06T21:16:57ZCampus garden initiatives can help grow the next generation of environmental change-makers<p>No longer a problem of the future, the climate crisis is now driving devastating real-world impacts <a href="https://changingclimate.ca/CCCR2019/chapter/headline-statements/">here in Canada</a> and worldwide. </p>
<p>For many Canadians, one of the most visible climate impacts is on the availability and cost of the food we eat as climate change, global crises and profit-driven food companies have combined to drive food insecurity. The agricultural sector is simultaneously a <a href="https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-11/farming-future-agriculture-climate-change-canadian-prairies.pdf">major contributor</a> to Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and itself highly vulnerable to climate change.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-true-cost-of-food-is-far-higher-than-what-you-spend-at-the-checkout-counter-217883">The true cost of food is far higher than what you spend at the checkout counter</a>
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<p>Amid this crisis, students are sowing seeds of change on university campuses across the country. </p>
<h2>Transformative learning and action</h2>
<p>Student-led food initiatives like <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/education/resources/facilities-equipment-online-tools/communitygarden">campus gardens</a>, <a href="https://involvement.mcgill.ca/organization/machappybelly">food waste diversion projects</a>, and <a href="https://cultivaction.ca/">community food security partnerships</a> are on the rise and are a proven way of localizing climate action and transforming food systems.</p>
<p>Given the sheer scale and complexity of the climate and food security crises, it can be tempting to doubt just how much impact these small-scale campus initiatives can have. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2015.1130764">Researchers</a> have even criticized student gardens for entrenching shallow and depoliticized understandings of the food system among participants. After all, the GHG emissions saved by growing vegetables in one garden plot or setting up a compost program are minuscule compared to the many hundred million tons of emissions attributed to corporations.</p>
<p>While student-led initiatives may not directly solve the crises we face, we found they can transform students’ mindsets and develop their skills and confidence as agents of larger-scale change. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1230787">Our research</a> with McGill University students participating in student-led campus- and community-based initiatives shows how these activities can support transformative opportunities for learning about, and acting on, food security and climate change.</p>
<p>Students have <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003000396">long reported</a> that education about food and environmental issues like climate change feels abstract and disempowering within the confines of classroom walls. </p>
<p>The lack of real-world engagement makes it challenging for learners to discern how and where they can contribute to building solutions. Student-led food initiatives are one way that students engage with these issues through experiential learning.</p>
<h2>Our findings</h2>
<p>We found that initiatives that only focus on the technical or scientific aspects of food security and climate change have limited educational impact on student participants. Rather, building critical and transformative understandings of food systems in students appears to hinge on a few key practices that some, but not all, student-led initiatives address.</p>
<p><strong>1 - Learning and acting beyond the classroom</strong> </p>
<p>Through hands-on learning students gain opportunities to “learn by doing,” either through course-based or extracurricular activities. This approach is especially effective when education transcends campus boundaries through partnerships with local communities and community organizations. </p>
<p>When immersed in hands-on and collaborative experiences with communities, students demonstrated new capacities to collectively act in small ways on large-scale issues. Connecting with partners in school and community gardens, for example, allowed students to grapple with complex issues on tangible scales and foster a deeper understanding of the challenges at hand.</p>
<p><strong>2 - Centring equity and justice</strong> </p>
<p>Building on our insights about learning in hands-on collaborations, we found that working with equity and justice-oriented partners deepened student engagement even further. For instance, collaboration with local food banks called upon students to observe, interact with, and reflect on community food insecurity and injustice, which they otherwise may not encounter within campus confines. </p>
<p>This direct engagement with food system realities nurtured a more complex, holistic and critical understanding of food systems issues among participants. It also inspired hope and confidence within students, motivating them to engage in further action.</p>
<p><strong>3 - Engaging with peers across boundaries</strong> </p>
<p>Our research found that student-led initiatives act as important spaces for social engagement and learning between students, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue across academic disciplines. Social bonds were also important for motivating and strengthening collective action among students, often evoking feelings of hope. These feelings stand in stark contrast to the despair and discouragement reported by students exposed to conventional “doom-and-gloom” environmental education. </p>
<p>For example, in developing a workshop for a local food bank that connected composting in the community garden with climate change, students studying education and environment exchanged new understandings of the connections between climate, food and educational systems.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Students and staff from McGill University discuss campus-based sustainable garden initiatives.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Supporting student learning</h2>
<p>With the impacts of climate change only projected to grow in the years to come, educational institutions urgently need to step up to the scale and scope of the challenge. </p>
<p>Our findings show how investing in hands-on, justice-oriented and boundary-spanning learning opportunities helps to drive transformative learning and can nurture students as the next generation of change-makers. Universities can do this by supporting student-led initiatives through the allocation of funds, space or mentorship to these efforts, or by expanding experiential learning within academic courses and programs. </p>
<p>Strengthening university-community partnerships, particularly with organizations working to advance climate, social and food justice, is critical to both types of investment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222361/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research shows how university garden initiatives can help drive transformative change and nurture a new generation of environmental and socially conscious change-makers.Blane Harvey, Associate professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, McGill UniversityEmily Diane Sprowls, Faculty Lecturer, Science Education, McGill UniversityZoë Deskin, Master's Student, Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of CopenhagenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2223112024-03-01T17:24:50Z2024-03-01T17:24:50ZWild solitary bees offer a vital pollination service – but their nutritional needs aren’t understood<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576508/original/file-20240219-20-4ra04s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Solitary bees, including this Nomada goodeniana, often feed on nectar from specific flowers - in this case, white hawthorn. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/soft-closeup-on-male-goodens-nomad-2151214787">HWall/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As I walk around the supermarket, I pick up vegetables for tomorrow’s dinner, eggs and bread for tonight and some sweet treats for the week. By choosing a range of different food types, I’ll eat a wide variety of nutrients. But what if bread was the only option available? And another shop just sold a different type of loaf? Or only oranges?</p>
<p>This may sound far-fetched, but for bees – insects that depend on pollen and nectar for their nutrition – that’s the equivalent of feeding from a large field of just one type of plant. Some bees feed on a wide range of plants. Others, including some of the UK’s <a href="https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/other-bees/">200 wild solitary bee species</a> are specialists, like the <a href="https://bwars.com/bee/melittidae/melitta-dimidiata">sainfoin bee</a> that only visits one type of flower for pollen. </p>
<p>While some UK bee species are thriving, many have declined as a result of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12667472/">changes in the abundance and variety</a> of flowers across our landscapes.</p>
<p>Much less is known about the biology of solitary bees compared to that of domesticated honeybees or bumblebees, which have been extensively studied in large numbers under lab conditions. By comparison, solitary bees don’t form colonies or have a queen-worker system. The nutritional needs of each solitary bee species varies so it’s difficult to know what diet they would need in order to thrive during experimental conditions. </p>
<p>Yet, they provide a vital pollination service for some of our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880921001511?casa_token=tdHy6f7VJfQAAAAA:iPS3yu_jmGdEgHMQV_tUgvZr9F3cyK52y9T1fuBxMjl2ZaOLh715KiVECzE8EL_RjvgvUl5A">flowering crops</a> and help maintain our wildflower populations. So understanding their nutrition in greater detail could help us make sure the right flower foods are available to them.</p>
<h2>The bees’ needs</h2>
<p>For my PhD, I’m studying the different fats that are available in pollen from UK wildflowers and the fats found in the bodies of different bee species. Fats are essential to healthy growth and development in bees, however there’s huge variation in the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/2/132">quantity and quality</a> of food that different flowers provide. Cataloguing that information is complicated.</p>
<p>I’m specifically researching why solitary bees, many of which have specialised relationships with their food plants, visit certain flowers.</p>
<p>Nutrition is complex. Huge monocultures, (growing one crop species in a field at a time), provide a homogenous nutritional offering. Areas with a wider diversity of flowers can provide more nutritional diversity, but extracting enough pollen or nectar to analyse is challenging. </p>
<p>Just because one food source has high protein levels, it might not contain the essential ones or may have a poor fat content. If I recommend that you eat nothing but oranges because they’re rich in vitamin C, you’d miss out on other key nutrients such as protein. Similarly, with pollen and nectar, we need to understand the content of what bees are eating. </p>
<p>Nectar is a sugary liquid which provides lots of carbohydrates. Bees drink it using their tongues. Pollen provides the protein and fat content bees need and is collected on their bodies for transport back to their nests. The nutritional content of both pollen and nectar varies widely between flowers. To understand what food is available to them over <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature16532">large areas</a>, we need to have nutritional information for a lot of different plants. </p>
<h2>How to feed wild bees</h2>
<p>Despite our lack of knowledge about the precise nutritional needs of bees, there are ways we can help feed them. Solitary bees can be found in your <a href="https://www.mygardenofathousandbees.com/the-film">garden</a> or local park. To learn more about them, start by trying to recognise them. Some don’t look like bees because they can be very small or hairless and some can easily be mistaken for wasps in the case of <a href="https://bwars.com/category/taxonomic-hierarchy/bee-4"><em>Nomada</em></a> species, with their black and yellow banding and hairless bodies. </p>
<p>Entomologist and ecologist Steven Falk maintains <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/collections/72157631518508520/">an excellent stock of photos online</a> and has published a comprehensive <a href="https://www.nhbs.com/field-guide-to-the-bees-of-great-britain-and-ireland-book">ID guide</a>. </p>
<p>Letting a green space go wild or choosing <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-019-00180-8">seed mixes with diverse flowers</a> can encourage a variety of wild bees. Even small patches of wildflowers can make a difference, especially at times of year when few other flowers are out, as has been shown in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-018-0769-y">urban areas</a>. </p>
<p>Avoid plants bred to have little or no pollen or nectar. Ensuring food is available throughout their active period is key. The first bees emerge in March and the last ones feed until October. So while it’s good to have plenty of flowers available in peak summer when lots of bees are active, bees emerging from over-wintering need food in spring and those stocking up before winter need flowers to forage from. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Close up of colourful wildflowers" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576829/original/file-20240220-26-bsp0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A colourful mix of wildflowers provides more diverse nutrition for wild pollinators such as solitary bees.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/search/wildflower-meadow?image_type=photo">Tohuwabohu 1976/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Useful resources for selecting plants to bring bees into your garden include the RHS <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/conservation-biodiversity/wildlife/plants-for-pollinators">plants for pollinators</a> list, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s <a href="https://beekind.bumblebeeconservation.org/">Bee Kind garden-scoring tool</a>, plus planting recommendations from <a href="https://friendsoftheearth.uk/nature/beefriendly-plants-every-season">Friends of the Earth</a> and <a href="https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/gardening-for-bugs/planting-for-bugs-2/#:%7E:text=Open%2C%20daisy%2Dtype%20flowers%20and,such%20as%20Jasmine%20and%20Honeysuckle.">Buglife</a>. </p>
<p>Our wild solitary bees are an ecologically important and fascinating group of insects. Steps we take to support them in our gardens and at the landscape scale are key to maintaining the diversity of insects that pollinate so many of our flowers and crops. Even the smallest patches of wildflowers can provide much needed food for hungry bees and, above all, a varied menu.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ellen Baker receives funding from NERC and is a member of the British Ecological Society. </span></em></p>The nutritional needs of bees are complex and monoculture crops aren’t providing a diverse diet. Introducing more diverse wildflower meadows and green spaces could benefit wild pollinators.Ellen Baker, PhD Candidate, Nutritional Ecology, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2242342024-02-29T22:55:50Z2024-02-29T22:55:50ZBeyond the cafeteria: The economic case for investing in school meals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578771/original/file-20240228-18-mnuihk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C8%2C5492%2C3692&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An investment in a national school food program today is an investment in a stronger Canada tomorrow.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The return on investing in universal school meals is clear. According to our new report, universal free school meals (breakfast and lunch for students regardless of income) have <a href="https://amberleyruetz.ca/assets/uploads/ruetz-consulting_the-economic-rationale-for-investing-in-school-meal-programs-for-canada.pdf">2.5 to seven times the return</a> in human health and economic benefits in comparable high-income countries. </p>
<p>The quality of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2017-0125">student diets in Canada across all socio-economic backgrounds is poor</a>, with only a small fraction meeting <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/">Canada’s Food Guide recommendations</a>. </p>
<p>Studies have shown that school-provided meals offer higher nutritional quality compared to home-packed lunches in many countries, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980012000699">Canada</a>, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1941406411399124">United States</a>, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114510001601">United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2018.29">Denmark</a>. </p>
<p>A national school food program would join <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/child-care.html">Canada’s universal child care program</a> and the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html">Canada child benefit</a> as a crucial social support, bringing immediate relief to families while also delivering several short to long-term economic and social benefits. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic titled 'the missing piece in existing social policies: national school food program'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578738/original/file-20240228-16-1t0o6e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Universal free school meals have 2.5 to seven times the return in human health and economic benefits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<h2>Immediate relief to household budgets</h2>
<p>Healthy food has become unaffordable for many Canadian families. In 2023, Canadians <a href="https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/Canada%27s%20Food%20Price%20Report%202023_Digital.pdf">spent less on food</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/inflation-is-down-overall-so-why-are-my-grocery-bills-still-going-up-210122">despite rampant cost increases</a>, and this is only predicted to get worse.</p>
<p>The 2024 Canada’s Food Price Report anticipates <a href="https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/EN_CANADA%27S%20FOOD%20PRICE%20REPORT%202024.pdf">an annual increase of $701 in food costs</a> per four-person household, which means Canadian families can expect to spend $16,297 on groceries this year.</p>
<p>Universal school meals could <a href="https://amberleyruetz.ca/assets/uploads/ruetz-consulting_the-economic-rationale-for-investing-in-school-meal-programs-for-canada.pdf">save families between $129 and $189 per child per month on grocery bills</a>, according to our report. </p>
<p>Universal school meals would put more money back into the pockets of Canadians, helping them keep up with the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/the-grind-submissions-1.7043269">increased cost of living</a> and allowing them to afford healthy meals when their children are not in school.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578646/original/file-20240228-22-s5xddp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Universal school meals could save families between $129 and $189 per child per month on grocery bills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Sweden, one study found that participation in a universal free school lunch program led to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdab028">permanent household income increase of 2.6 per cent</a>. </p>
<p>Importantly, this permanent increase was not attributed to reduced household food expenditures, meaning school meals can help increase affordability in the short-term and increase household incomes in the mid-term. </p>
<h2>Supporting women in the workforce</h2>
<p>Preparing healthy school lunches is tough when parents work long hours. Universal free school meals support parents — particularly <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1209763245/globally-women-are-cooking-twice-as-many-meals-as-men">women, who often spend more time making meals</a> — <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030911">by saving money and time, reducing financial stress, and guaranteeing kids eat well at school</a>. </p>
<p>This allows women to focus better at work, reduces interruptions and helps them achieve a healthier work-life balance, leading to increased productivity and career advancement opportunities.</p>
<p>In fact, the same Swedish study that was previously mentioned found that access to a universal free school lunch program increased mothers’ labour market participation by five per cent.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic that lists the benefits of universal food programs on housholds and families" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578634/original/file-20240228-22-bph0sr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">School food programs support families and especially women, who often spend more time making meals than men do.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In China, the introduction of school lunches led to a <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/185233">nine to 14 per cent increase in mothers’ working hours per week</a>, with the greatest increases among low-income mothers and mothers in rural communities.</p>
<p>Overall, this means that in addition to increasing household income, universal free school meals can increase women’s workforce participation, thereby supporting gender equality, individual economic prosperity and national economic growth. </p>
<h2>Increasing earnings, reducing inequality</h2>
<p>In the long-term, universal free school lunches can also improve children’s health, academic performance and subsequent economic outcomes throughout life. </p>
<p>The previously mentioned Swedish study found that students exposed to a school lunch program throughout the entirety of primary school had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdab028">three per cent higher lifetime earnings</a> compared to students that did not participate due to improved nutritional health and education outcomes. </p>
<p>Among children from households in the lowest income bracket, access to free school lunches led to a six per cent increase in lifetime earnings. The program had the greatest positive impact on students from low-income households, showcasing the role school meals can play in reducing socioeconomic inequalities in adulthood.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic of a bar graph demonstrating that students’ lifetime earnings when they have access to a universal school food program" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578630/original/file-20240228-16-amimj7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In Sweden, access to universal free lunch increased students’ lifetime earnings, creating more equitable societies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Growing Canada’s agri-food economy</h2>
<p>Universal school meals can also support the Canadian agri-food sector. A national program has the potential to stimulate the <a href="https://sciencepolicy.ca/posts/national-school-food-program-a-short-term-opportunity-for-jobs-creation-and-economic-growth-2/">creation of as many as 207,700 jobs</a>. </p>
<p>Investments in school meal programs in <a href="https://www.choicesmagazine.org/UserFiles/file/cmsarticle_565.pdf">the U.S.</a> have led to the creation of jobs in food service, agriculture and nutrition and program administration, fuelling economic growth while curbing unemployment. </p>
<p>Furthermore, by adopting a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2012.0023">farm-to-school approach similar to that in the U.S.</a>, Canada could support local farmers and suppliers. According to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, every dollar allocated to such programs generates an additional <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.338161">$1.30 to $2.60 in local economic activity</a>. </p>
<p>Similarly, in British Columbia, every dollar allocated to procuring provincially grown food for public institutions yields a <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/growbc-feedbc-buybc/feed-bc-and-the-bc-food-hub-network#">twofold return to the economy</a>, showcasing the significant economic benefits of supporting local agriculture.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustrated graphic of a school with a farmer on one side and a vegetable stand on the other, with arrows leading from the school to both" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578625/original/file-20240228-18-s0zoch.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">School food programs can support local farmers and food businesses and contribute to Canada’s agrifood sector.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Alexandra Sawatzky/Arrell Food Institute)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>School food programs are recognized internationally as <a href="https://executiveboard.wfp.org/document_download/WFP-0000038526">one of the most successful drivers of health and education among schoolchildren and increased productivity</a> when they become working adults, as reported by the World Food Programme. </p>
<p>Our new research summarizes the <a href="https://amberleyruetz.ca/assets/uploads/ruetz-consulting_the-economic-rationale-for-investing-in-school-meal-programs-for-canada.pdf">strong economic rationale for investing in school meal programs</a> in Canada. Universal school meals can not only provide immediate relief to families, but also build a legacy of improved public health and economic prosperity for generations to come. </p>
<p>An investment in a national school food program today is an investment in a stronger Canada tomorrow.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224234/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amberley T. Ruetz receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Arrell Family Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Flora Zhang receives funding from the Arrell Family Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gabrielle Edwards receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Arrell Family Foundation. </span></em></p>From reducing families’ grocery bills to boosting the economy, school meals offer far-reaching benefits, fostering both immediate well-being and long-term economic prosperity.Amberley T. Ruetz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of SaskatchewanFlora Zhang, Master of Public Health Student, University of TorontoGabrielle Edwards, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of GothenburgLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2178832024-02-28T12:33:55Z2024-02-28T12:33:55ZThe true cost of food is far higher than what you spend at the checkout counter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577158/original/file-20240221-22-p0v0vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5822%2C3872&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Stickers don't tell the whole story.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/customer-shops-at-a-grocery-store-on-february-13-2024-in-news-photo/2008637358">Scott Olson/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>After several years of pandemic-driven <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105846">price spikes at the grocery store</a>, retail food price inflation is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/business/economy/food-price-inflation-cools.html">slowing down</a>. That’s good news for consumers, especially those in low-income households, who spend a <a href="https://theconversation.com/swelling-grocery-bills-are-pummeling-the-poorest-who-spend-over-a-quarter-of-their-incomes-on-food-186980">proportionally larger share of their income on food</a>.</p>
<p>But there’s more to the cost of food than what we pay at the store. Producing, processing, transporting and marketing food creates costs all along the value chain. Many are borne by society as a whole or by communities and regions. </p>
<p>For example, farm runoff is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reduce-harmful-algal-blooms-and-dead-zones-the-us-needs-a-national-strategy-for-regulating-farm-pollution-186286">top cause of algae blooms and dead zones</a> in rivers, lakes and bays. And <a href="https://refed.org/food-waste/the-problem?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5rGuBhCnARIsAN11vgSiHk7wAwmYKS-jz9eGPkOcGbEmBtbSUvPCULQTHcrDZ39d5AlQA28aAvHzEALw_wcB">food waste</a> takes up one-fourth of the space in U.S. landfills, where it rots, generating methane that <a href="https://theconversation.com/about-one-third-of-the-food-americans-buy-is-wasted-hurting-the-climate-and-consumers-wallets-194956">warms Earth’s climate</a>. </p>
<p>Exploring these lesser-known costs is the first step toward reducing them. The key is a method called <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003050803/true-cost-accounting-food-barbara-gemmill-herren-lauren-baker-paula-daniels">true cost accounting</a>, which examines the economic, environmental, social and health impacts of food production and consumption to produce a broader picture of its costs and benefits. </p>
<h2>Trillions of dollars in uncounted costs</h2>
<p>Every year since 1947, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has released an important and widely read report called <a href="https://www.fao.org/publications/home/fao-flagship-publications/the-state-of-food-and-agriculture/en">The State of Food and Agriculture</a>, known in the food sector as SOFA. <a href="https://www.fao.org/publications/home/fao-flagship-publications/the-state-of-food-and-agriculture/en">SOFA 2023</a> examines how much more our food costs beyond what consumers pay at the grocery store. </p>
<p>Using true cost accounting, the report calculates that the global cost of the agrifood system in 2020 was up to US$12.7 trillion more than consumers paid at retail. That’s equivalent to about 10% of global gross domestic product, or $5 per person per day worldwide. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u1mV5S2QvlA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">True cost accounting is designed to measure the full impacts of producing, transporting and consuming food.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In traditional economics-speak, hidden costs are <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/externality.asp">known as externalities</a> – spillover effects from production that are caused by one party but paid for by another. Some externalities are positive. For example, birds, butterflies and insects pollinate crops at no charge, and everyone who eats those crops benefits. Others, such as pollution, are negative. Delivery trucks emit pollution, and everyone nearby breathes dirtier air. </p>
<p>True cost accounting seeks to make those externalities visible. To do this, scholars analyze data related to environmental, health, social and other costs and benefits, add them together and calculate a price tag that represents what food really costs. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://globalfutures.asu.edu/food/">Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems</a> at Arizona State University, which I direct, recently conducted a <a href="https://cdn.globalfutures.asu.edu/food/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/07/04252023-Unveiling-Hidden-Capitals_web.pdf">true cost accounting study</a> of <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2011/june/beef-cow-calf-production/">cow-calf operations</a> in the Western U.S., in partnership with Colorado State University. It found that the climate costs of these operations are very high – but that solving for climate change alone could threaten the livelihoods of 70,000 ranchers and the rural communities in which they live. A true cost accounting approach can illuminate the need for multidimensional solutions. </p>
<p>I study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GRi_wHAAAAAJ&hl=en">sustainable food systems</a> and am one of 150 scholars across 33 countries who worked together over several years to <a href="https://teebweb.org/publications/teebagrifood/">design and test this new methodology</a>. Our work was led by the U.N. Environment Program and partially funded by the <a href="https://futureoffood.org/">Global Alliance for the Future of Food</a>, a coalition of philanthropic foundations. </p>
<p>In many ways, true cost accounting is a modern and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003050803-12/embedding-tca-within-us-regulatory-decision-making-kathleen-merrigan">improved version of cost-benefit analysis</a>, a method embedded in governmental decision-making in most advanced economies around the world. This approach <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cost-benefitanalysis.asp">quantifies expected rewards and costs</a> associated with taking a particular action and then compares them to see whether the action is likely to produce a net gain or loss for the public.</p>
<p>Advocates of true cost accounting assert that its <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/cc7724en/online/state-of-food-and-agriculture-2023/true-cost-accounting-assessment.html">more nuanced approach</a> will address shortcomings in traditional cost-benefit analysis – particularly, failing to consider social and health externalities in depth. The hope is that because these two methods have many similarities, it should be relatively easy for governments to upgrade to true cost accounting as it becomes more widely adopted. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Dozens of young pigs feed in pens inside a large modern barn." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577165/original/file-20240221-24-uqywqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Large-scale livestock farms produce food efficiently at a low cost, but they generate odors and huge quantities of animal waste that can affect adjoining communities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/FactoryFarmFuror/7e9ceabcae514e9e8111ee867ed05244/photo">AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>True costs of food vary across countries</h2>
<p>The 2023 State of Food and Agriculture report <a href="https://www.fao.org/interactive/state-of-food-agriculture/en/">reveals some clear patterns</a>. Of the $12.7 trillion in worldwide hidden costs that it tallies, 39% are generated by upper-middle-income countries and 36% by high-income countries. </p>
<p>For wealthy countries, 84% of hidden costs derive from unhealthy dietary patterns, such as eating large quantities of red meat and heavily processed foods, which is associated with <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/whats-the-beef-with-red-meat">elevated risk of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses</a>. Getting sick takes people away from work, so these health effects also reduce productivity, which affects the economy.</p>
<p>In contrast, 50% of the hidden costs of food in low-income countries are social costs that stem from poverty and undernourishment. SOFA 2023 estimates that incomes of poor people who produce food in low-income countries would need to increase by 57% for these workers to obtain sufficient revenue and calories for productive lives. </p>
<p>Food insecurity on farms is also an issue in the U.S., where the people who produce our food <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-023-10448-0">sometimes go hungry themselves</a>. The food system’s reliance on <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/#size">undocumented and low-paid workers</a> yields <a href="https://youthtoday.org/2022/10/youth-agricultural-workers-arent-protected-equally-under-u-s-labor-law/">undernourished children who often are unable to learn</a>. </p>
<p>The fact that many U.S. farmworkers lack access to health insurance also generates costs, since hospitals <a href="https://www.ppic.org/publication/health-care-access-among-californias-farmworkers/">treat them at public expense</a> when these workers fall sick or are injured. </p>
<p>Food production also has environmental costs. <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-few-heavy-storms-cause-a-big-chunk-of-nitrogen-pollution-from-midwest-farms-146980">Nitrogen runoff</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/epa-has-tightened-its-target-for-deadly-particle-pollution-states-need-more-tools-to-reach-it-223610">ammonia emissions</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-amazon-land-grab-how-brazils-government-is-clearing-the-way-for-deforestation-173416">deforestation</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reduce-harmful-algal-blooms-and-dead-zones-the-us-needs-a-national-strategy-for-regulating-farm-pollution-186286">water pollution</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/food-production-generates-more-than-a-third-of-manmade-greenhouse-gas-emissions-a-new-framework-tells-us-how-much-comes-from-crops-countries-and-regions-167623">greenhouse gas emissions</a> combined represent about 20% of the global hidden costs of food production. Other environmental costs, such as those associated with species loss and pesticide exposure, are not included in the SOFA analysis. </p>
<h2>Should food cost more?</h2>
<p>The first question people ask me about true cost accounting is whether using it will make food more expensive. Some advocates do argue for pricing food at a level that internalizes its hidden costs. </p>
<p>For example, a Dutch organization called <a href="https://trueprice.org/">True Price</a> works with food companies to help them <a href="https://tonyschocolonely.com/us/en/our-mission/news/why-we-wont-stop-paying-a-higher-price-for-cocoa">charge more accurate prices</a>. The group operates a <a href="https://trueprice.org/supermarket-de-aanzet/">grocery store in Amsterdam</a> that charges conventional prices but provides receipts that also <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/how-much-do-things-really-cost">display “true” prices</a>, reflecting the goods’ hidden costs. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/ChH0pHdMbic/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Consumers are encouraged to pay these higher prices. When they do, the store shares the proceeds with two nonprofit organizations that promote <a href="https://landandlife.foundation/">land and wildlife conservation</a> and <a href="https://www.givedirectly.org/">poverty reduction</a> in Africa. </p>
<p>Rather than raising prices, I believe the most effective way to address the hidden costs of food would be to change government policies that provide <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/cb6562en/cb6562en.pdf">$540 billion in agricultural subsidies</a> worldwide every year. Of this amount, 87% goes to support production systems that produce cheap food, fiber and biofuels but also generate social and environmental harms. Examples include subsides that promote chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, overuse of natural resources and cultivation of emission-intensive products such as rice. </p>
<p>U.N. agencies have urged world leaders to redirect these subsidies to reduce negative impacts – a strategy they call “<a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/un-report-calls-repurposing-usd-470-billion-agricultural-support">a multibillion-dollar opportunity to transform food systems</a>.” While it may seem that eliminating subsidies would raise retail prices, that’s not necessarily true – especially if they are repurposed to support sustainable, equitable and efficient production.</p>
<p>Using true cost accounting as a guide, policymakers could reallocate some of these vast sums of money toward production methods that deliver net-positive benefits, such as expanding <a href="https://theconversation.com/organic-food-has-become-mainstream-but-still-has-room-to-grow-164220">organic agriculture</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/trees-can-make-farms-more-sustainable-heres-how-to-help-farmers-plant-more-222030">agroforestry</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-information-age-is-starting-to-transform-fishing-worldwide-179352">sustainable fisheries</a>. They also could invest in training and supporting next-generation food and agriculture leaders.</p>
<p>By creating transparency, true cost accounting can help shift money away from harmful food production systems and toward alternatives that protect resources and rural communities. Doing so could reduce the hidden costs of feeding the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217883/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Merrigan served as a reviewer for the SOFA 2023 report described in this article. She has received funding from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food.</span></em></p>A new UN report finds that the true global cost of producing food is $12.7 trillion more than consumers pay at the checkout counter. We pay those uncounted costs in other ways.Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2239602024-02-25T19:09:48Z2024-02-25T19:09:48ZA ‘war on red meat’? No, changes to Australian dietary guidelines are just a sensible response to Earth’s environmental woes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577506/original/file-20240223-24-czbzv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5599%2C3732&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Official dietary advice in Australia <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/eating-green-ideology-official-diet-advice-to-warn-of-climate-impact/news-story/7deeaf36dea21fcc8a443e006312e42d">is set to warn</a> of the climate impact of certain foods. The move has raised the ire of farmers, meat producers and others who branded it “green ideology” and a “war on meat”.</p>
<p>Critics say the The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), which is behind the change, is overreaching and should not expand its remit beyond providing nutritional advice. We strongly disagree. </p>
<p>Having <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-16-7707-6">explored</a> the scientific evidence about the harm food can cause to both the planet and human health, we firmly believe environmental information about food choices should be prominent in dietary guidelines. </p>
<p>Human health depends on having a safe, liveable planet and the state of our planet is inextricably linked to food systems. It’s entirely sensible that consumers are informed about whether their food choices are sustainable.</p>
<h2>‘A thorough review of the evidence’</h2>
<p>Australia’s <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf">dietary guidelines</a> were released in 2013. The document provides general information about the environmental sustainability of food, but it’s buried in an appendix and the recommendations are fairly inconclusive.</p>
<p>The guidelines are currently under review and will be updated in 2026. The NHMRC says feedback from the public suggested sustainability information should be more accessible and explicit in the new guidelines. In fact, it said one in three people surveyed nominated the change as a priority. </p>
<p>The NHMRC says developing or updating its guidelines involves:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>a thorough review of the evidence, methodological advice on the quality of these reviews, drafting of the guidelines, public consultation and independent expert review of the final guidelines. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It said the dietary recommendations would first consider Australia-specific health impacts, followed by sustainability and other factors – an approach in line with guidelines overseas.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="assortment of fruit and vegetables" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577508/original/file-20240223-28-raav9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577508/original/file-20240223-28-raav9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577508/original/file-20240223-28-raav9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577508/original/file-20240223-28-raav9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577508/original/file-20240223-28-raav9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577508/original/file-20240223-28-raav9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577508/original/file-20240223-28-raav9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia’s dietary guidelines are under review.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Critics come out swinging</h2>
<p>Australians are among the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/per-capita-meat-type?country=CHN%7EUSA%7EIND%7EARG%7EPRT%7EETH%7EJPN%7EBRA%7EOWID_WRL%7EESP%7EDEU%7EAUS">world’s biggest</a> meat eaters. However, recent trends indicate Australians’ beef consumption is <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/au/bed/meat-consumption/43/">in decline</a>. </p>
<p>Meat creates <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00358-x">almost 60%</a> of greenhouse gas emissions from food production, and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216">red meat has the highest</a> environmental footprint out of all food choices. </p>
<p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, the change to dietary guidelines has prompted opposition from some quarters. In a report in The Australian, for example, Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/eating-green-ideology-official-diet-advice-to-warn-of-climate-impact/news-story/7deeaf36dea21fcc8a443e006312e42d">said</a> the moves:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>go well beyond the policy intent of the Australian Dietary Guidelines to provide recommendations on healthy foods and dietary patterns […] [the] review process must not be allowed to be used as a vehicle to drive ideological agendas at the expense of the latest nutritional science.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>He said the industry’s concerns were not related to its progress on sustainability, about which it had “a strong story” to tell.</p>
<p>The newspaper also quoted a Central Queensland cattle farmer, who said perceived misinformation about the health impacts and sustainability of red meat production were rife in the media, public policy and nutritional advice.</p>
<p>Conservative media outlets also weighed in on the changes. Sydney radio station 2GB <a href="https://www.2gb.com/war-on-meat-diet-advice-to-include-impacts-on-emissions/">declared</a> the move a “war on meat” and host Ben Fordham <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/war-on-meat-aussie-farmers-screwed-over-again-as-ben-fordham-slams-new-dietary-guidelines-which-could-soon-promote-an-ideological-climate-agenda/news-story/6f06f2101304ea898d124284d79da506">claimed</a> farmers were being “screwed over again”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/meat-and-masculinity-why-some-men-just-cant-stomach-plant-based-food-174785">Meat and masculinity: why some men just can't stomach plant-based food</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="pieces of steak" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577510/original/file-20240223-24-prqgez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577510/original/file-20240223-24-prqgez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577510/original/file-20240223-24-prqgez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577510/original/file-20240223-24-prqgez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577510/original/file-20240223-24-prqgez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577510/original/file-20240223-24-prqgez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/577510/original/file-20240223-24-prqgez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australians are among the world’s biggest meat eaters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The global picture</h2>
<p>The upcoming changes are not unprecedented globally. Environmental sustainability is highlighted in the official dietary guidelines of at least <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00246-7/fulltext">ten other countries</a>. They include Sweden which introduced <a href="https://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/sweden/en/">climate-friendly food advice</a> in 2015. </p>
<p>The title of the <a href="https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/matvanor-halsa--miljo/kostrad/rad-om-bra-mat-hitta-ditt-satt">Swedish guidelines</a> translates to “Find your way to eat greener, not too much and be active!” Among the recommendations are to: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Eat less red and processed meat, no more than 500 grams a week. Only a small amount of this should be processed meat.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But other nations have struggled to include sustainability advice in official dietary guidelines. In the United States, for example, lobby groups <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/26/usda-diet-guide-myplate-climate-crisis">prevented the change</a>, despite the recommendations of government-appointed nutritionists.</p>
<h2>Dietary officials have not overreached</h2>
<p>The Australian dietary guidelines already suggest limiting red meat consumption on health grounds. </p>
<p>Research has shown <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/cutting-red-meat-for-a-longer-life">regular consumption of red meat</a>, especially if it’s processed, contributes substantially to the risk of premature death. A high intake of red meat has been <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31788-4/fulltext">associated with</a> cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, cancers and type 2 diabetes. </p>
<p>Adding information about the environmental effects of red meat health simply reinforces the benefits of eating less of it.</p>
<p>The link between food, the natural environment and health is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4985113/">well-established</a>. Even before food is produced, vegetation is cleared to create space for crops and livestock. This leads to both the release of carbon dioxide and biodiversity loss, among other harms. </p>
<p>When it comes to meat, the digestive systems of sheep and cattle <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/dpi/climate/climate-science-and-policy/climate-policy-environment/values-of-mixed-farming-systems#:%7E:text=The%20farming%20of%20beef%20and,trapping%20heat%20in%20the%20atmosphere.">produce a lot of methane</a>, a potent greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gas emissions are also created when food is processed, transported, stored and disposed of. Food packaging contributes to pressure on landfill and creates pollution.</p>
<p>All these processes threaten human health. Researchers have <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31788-4/fulltext">called for</a> a global transformation of food systems, to ensure they operate within Earth’s limits.</p>
<p>The role of NHMRC is to protect public health in Australia. It makes sense, then, that it provides consumers with information about which foods cause the least environmental damage – and by extension, are also good for their personal health. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Excavator on forest cleared for livestock" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442869/original/file-20220127-18-167q53l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Clearing land for food production is a major source of biodiversity and vegetation loss.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A rightful part of the public health agenda</h2>
<p>Dietary guidelines are a government tool to influence food consumption towards good choices. They are based on the best available evidence, and evolve along with our understanding of food and its impacts. </p>
<p>Of course, even if Australia’s guidelines are changed to incorporate environmental advice, this does not guarantee everyone will make healthy and sustainable food choices. Such a shift requires major behaviour changes, of which dietary guidelines are only one component. </p>
<p>Arming consumers with the right information about food sustainability however should be part of the federal government’s public health agenda.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223960/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dora Marinova receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Diana Bogueva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Human health depends on having a liveable planet and this is inextricably linked to food systems.Dora Marinova, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin UniversityDiana Bogueva, Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226572024-02-15T13:37:47Z2024-02-15T13:37:47ZIsraeli siege has placed Gazans at risk of starvation − prewar policies made them vulnerable in the first place<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575701/original/file-20240214-20-lgpktd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=53%2C215%2C6000%2C3754&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Displaced Gazan children wait in line to receive food.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/palestinian-children-holding-empty-pots-2-wait-in-line-to-news-photo/1993688681?adppopup=true">Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The stories of hunger emerging from war-ravaged Gaza are stark: People resorting to<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/briefing/gaza-food-crisis.html"> grinding barely edible cattle feed</a> to make flour; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/middleeast/famine-looms-in-gaza-israel-war-intl/index.html">desperate residents eating grass</a>; reports of <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/israel-gaza-war-famine-news-update-ckjntk93j">cats being hunted for food</a>. </p>
<p>The numbers involved are just as despairing. The world’s major authority on food insecurity, the IPC Famine Review Committee, <a href="https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-94/en/">estimates that</a> 90% of Gazans – some 2.08 million people – are facing acute food insecurity. Indeed, of the people facing imminent starvation in the world today, <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/95-percent-those-facing-starvation-world-are-gaza">an estimated 95% are in Gaza</a>.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://ccie.ucf.edu/person/yara-asi/">expert in Palestinian public health</a>, I fear the situation may not have hit its nadir. In January 2024, many of the top funders to UNRWA, the U.N.’s refugee agency that provides the bulk of services to Palestinians in Gaza, <a href="https://theconversation.com/funding-for-refugees-has-long-been-politicized-punitive-action-against-unrwa-and-palestinians-fits-that-pattern-222263">suspended donations</a> to the agency in response to <a href="https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/allegations-against-unrwa-staff">allegations that a dozen</a> of the agency’s 30,000 employees were possibly involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. The agency has indicated that it will no longer be able to offer <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146272">services starting in March</a> and will lose its ability to distribute food and other vital supplies during that month.</p>
<p>With at least <a href="https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-118">28,000 people confirmed dead</a> and an additional 68,000 injured, Israeli bombs have already had a catastrophic human cost in Gaza – starvation could be the next tragedy to befall the territory.</p>
<p>Indeed, two weeks after Israel initiated a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip, <a href="https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/starvation-weapon-war-being-used-against-gaza-civilians-oxfam">Oxfam International</a> reported that only around 2% of the usual amount of food was being delivered to residents in the territory. At the time, Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam’s Middle East director, commented that “there can be no justification for using starvation as a weapon of war.” But four months later, the siege continues to <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/gaza-humanitarian-aid-ceasefire/">restrict the distribution of adequate aid</a>.</p>
<h2>Putting Palestinians ‘on a diet’</h2>
<p>Israeli bombs have <a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-deliberately-attacks-bakeries-gaza-official#:%7E:text=The%20Israeli%20missiles%20demolished%20the,others%20injured%2C%20according%20to%20Maarouf.">destroyed homes, bakeries</a>, <a href="https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/140230">food production factories</a> and grocery stores, making it harder for people in Gaza to offset the impact of the reduced imports of food.</p>
<p>But food insecurity in Gaza and the mechanisms that enable it did not start with Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attack.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.ochaopt.org/content/movement-and-out-gaza-2022">U.N. report from 2022</a> found that a year before the latest war, 65% of Gazans were food insecure, defined as <a href="https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/food">lacking regular access to enough safe and nutritious food</a>.</p>
<p>Multiple factors contributed to this food insecurity, not least the <a href="https://www.unicef.org/mena/documents/gaza-strip-humanitarian-impact-15-years-blockade-june-2022">blockade of Gaza</a> imposed by Israel and enabled by Egypt since 2007. All items entering the Gaza Strip, including food, become subject to Israeli inspection, delay or denial.</p>
<p>Basic foodstuff was allowed, but because of delays at the border, <a href="https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2007/07/27/gaza-almost-completely-aid-dependent">it can spoil</a> before it enters Gaza. </p>
<p>A 2009 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jun/16/gaza-blockade-israel-food">investigation by Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz</a> found that foods as varied as cherries, kiwi, almonds, pomegranates and chocolate were prohibited entirely. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man delivers food to a throng of people behind a fence." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575702/original/file-20240214-30-6871gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575702/original/file-20240214-30-6871gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575702/original/file-20240214-30-6871gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575702/original/file-20240214-30-6871gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575702/original/file-20240214-30-6871gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575702/original/file-20240214-30-6871gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575702/original/file-20240214-30-6871gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not enough food aid to go around in Gaza.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/palestinian-children-wait-in-line-to-receive-food-prepared-news-photo/1993688439?adppopup=true">Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At certain points, the blockade, which Israel claims is an <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE78C59R/">unavoidable security measure</a>, has been loosened to allow import of more foods; for example, in 2010 Israel started to permit <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/Media/israel-signals-partial-easing-gaza-blockade/story?id=10873488">potato chips, fruit juices, Coca-Cola and cookies</a>. </p>
<p>By placing restrictions on food imports, Israel seems to be trying to put pressure on Hamas by making life difficult for the people in Gaza. In the words of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19975211">one Israeli government adviser in 2006</a>, “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.”</p>
<p>To enable this, the Israeli government <a href="https://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/publications/redlines/redlines-position-paper-eng.pdf">commissioned a 2008 study</a> to work out exactly how many calories Palestinians would need to avoid malnutrition. The report was released to the public only following a 2012 legal battle.</p>
<p>The blockade also <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/gaza-strip-the-humanitarian-impact-of-15-years-of-the-blockade-june-2022-ocha-factsheet/">increased food insecurity</a> by preventing meaningful development of an economy in Gaza.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://unctad.org/press-material/prior-current-crisis-decades-long-blockade-hollowed-gazas-economy-leaving-80">U.N. cites</a> the “excessive production and transaction costs and barriers to trade with the rest of the world” imposed by Israel as the primary cause of severe underdevelopment in the occupied territories, including Gaza. As a result, in late 2022 the <a href="https://gisha.org/en/gaza-unemployment-rate-in-the-third-quarter-of-2022/">unemployment rate in Gaza stood at around 50%</a>. This, coupled with a steady increase in <a href="https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/post.aspx?lang=en&ItemID=4403">the cost of food</a>, makes affording food difficult for many Gazan households, rendering them dependent on aid, which fluctuates frequently.</p>
<h2>Hampering self-sufficency</h2>
<p>More generally, the blockade and the multiple rounds of destruction of parts of the Gaza Strip have made food sovereignty in the territory nearly impossible. </p>
<p>Much of <a href="https://theconversation.com/gazas-food-system-has-been-stretched-to-breaking-point-by-israel-188556">Gaza’s farmland</a> is along the so-called “no-go zones,” which Israel had rendered inaccessible to Palestinians, who risk being shot if they attempt to access these areas.</p>
<p>Gaza’s fishermen are <a href="https://gisha.org/en/increase-in-israeli-navy-attacks-on-gaza-fishermen-including-children/">regularly shot at by Israeli gunboats</a> if they venture farther in the Mediterranean Sea than Israel permits. Because the fish closer to the shore are smaller and less plentiful, the average income of a fisherman in Gaza has <a href="https://emuni.si/ISSN/2232-6022/15.179-216.pdf">more than halved</a> since 2017. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, much of the infrastructure needed for adequate food production – greenhouses, arable lands, orchards, livestock and food production facilities – have been destroyed or heavily damaged in various rounds of bombing in Gaza. And <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/reviving-the-stalled-reconstruction-of-gaza/">international donors have hesitated</a> to hastily rebuild facilities when they cannot guarantee their investment will last more than a few years before being bombed again.</p>
<p>The latest siege has only further crippled the ability of Gaza to be food self-sufficient. By early December 2023, an <a href="https://observers.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231212-in-gaza-an-estimated-22-of-agricultural-land-has-been-destroyed-since-the-start-of-the-conflict">estimated 22% of agricultural land</a> had been destroyed, along with factories, farms, and water and sanitation facilities. And the full scale of the destruction may not be clear for months or years.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Israel’s <a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2015/09/egypt-army-flood-rafah-tunnels-palestinian-houses.html">flooding of the tunnels</a> under parts of the Gaza Strip with seawater risks killing remaining crops, leaving the land too salty and rendering it unstable and prone to sinkholes.</p>
<h2>Starvation as weapon of war</h2>
<p>Aside from the many health effects of starvation and malnutrition, <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-blocking-food-supplies-gaza-will-have-life-long-impacts-children-malnutrition-rising-save-children">especially on children</a>, such conditions make people more vulnerable to disease – already a significant concern for those living in the overcrowded shelters where people have been forced to flee.</p>
<p>In response to the current hunger crisis in Gaza, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WlmQB_pAc">Alex de Waal</a>, author of “<a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Mass+Starvation%3A+The+History+and+Future+of+Famine-p-9781509524662">Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine</a>,” has made clear: “While it may be possible to bomb a hospital by accident, it is not possible to create a famine by accident.” He argues that the war crime of starvation does not need to include outright famine – merely the act of depriving people of food, medicine and clean water is sufficient.</p>
<p>The use of starvation is <a href="https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/ar/customary-ihl/v2/rule53">strictly forbidden under the Geneva Conventions</a>, a set of statutes that govern the laws of warfare. Starvation has been condemned by United Nations <a href="https://press.un.org/en/2018/sc13354.doc.htm">Resolution 2417</a>, which decried the use of deprivation of food and basic needs of the civilian population and compelled parties in conflict to ensure full humanitarian access.</p>
<p>Human Rights Watch has already accused <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/18/israel-starvation-used-weapon-war-gaza">Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war</a>, and as such it accuses the Israeli government of a war crime. The Israeli government in turn <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/netanyahu-israel-cnn-gaza-civilians-b2446067.html">continues to blame Hamas</a> for any loss of life in Gaza.</p>
<p>Yet untangling what Israel’s intentions may be – whether it is using starvation as a weapon of war, to force mass displacement, or if, as it claims, it is simply a byproduct of war – does little for the people on the ground in Gaza. </p>
<p>They require immediate intervention to stave off catastrophic outcomes. <a href="https://www.972mag.com/rafah-children-hunger-aid/">As one father in Gaza reported</a>, “We are forced to eat one meal a day – the canned goods that we get from aid organizations. No one can afford to buy anything for his family. I see children here crying from hunger, including my own children.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222657/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yara M. Asi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Arable land has been destroyed, as have food production sites. But even before the current operation in Gaza, Palestinians there suffered high rates of food insecurity.Yara M. Asi, Assistant Professor of Global Health Management and Informatics, University of Central FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2193632024-02-13T18:30:40Z2024-02-13T18:30:40Z‘Fortress’ conservation policies threaten the food security of rural populations<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575435/original/file-20240213-28-bvlney.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5725%2C3819&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pine trees reflected in smooth water of the lake. Waterlogged valley in the snowy Rocky Mountains.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Barriers created by “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08039410.2005.9666319">fortress conservation</a>” — as in the near-total sectioning off of land for conservation without human interference — are threatening important dietary diversity for the up to 1.5 billion people around the world <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00776-z">who rely on wild foods</a>, from bushmeat to wild vegetables and fruit. </p>
<p>Conservation, especially when modelled on notions of “pristine nature” — environments untouched by human influence — can create obstacles by limiting access to important food sources. We must shift from strict fortress conservation to more integrated, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104822">sustainable use of rural landscapes</a> if we are to achieve both biodiversity conservation and dietary outcomes. </p>
<p>Policymakers must take this into account and design policies that better inform global, regional and national commitments to food security and nutrition — especially in the context an ever-changing and unpredictable climate. </p>
<p>These policies must recognize people’s rights of access to these landscapes to ensure dietary diversity in rural settings. Policies for <a href="https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/hlpe/hlpe_documents/HLPE_Reports/HLPE-Report-11_EN.pdf">sustainable forestry</a> are also a key component of sustainable food systems.</p>
<h2>Settling down</h2>
<p>Human societies were nomadic for the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2019.102488">majority of our history</a>. In turn, traditional diets were mostly comprised of wild foods, both plants and animals, that were harvested from the surrounding environment. </p>
<p>However, over time, communities became increasingly sedentary and relied more and more on foods that were cultivated, rather than those collected from the wild. </p>
<p>This process dramatically accelerated in the last century with the <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/green-revolution-history-technologies-and-impact-5189596">Green Revolution</a> beginning in the 1940s, characterized by the increased dominance of monoculture agriculture. This shift is the greatest driver of forest and other habitat loss globally, resulting in the <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC64895">substantial simplification of our diets</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A tractor sprays pesticides on a soybean field." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575072/original/file-20240212-26-7iq9ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A tractor sprays pesticides on a soybean field. Monoculture farming can produce high yields, but at the cost of extreme fragility to external climatic and environmental shocks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, we have since learned that biodiverse wild and naturalized species are integral in rural food consumption, contributing to diverse diets, better nutrition and overall health and well-being, often for the poorest members of society. In other words, diversity in diets is linked with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00091-2">better nutrition and improved overall health</a>.</p>
<p>Up to 1.5 billion people globally <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2020.00029">depend on wild foods for nutrition and dietary diversity, particularly in the tropics</a>. Building policies that protect people’s rights to access these landscapes is of paramount importance to ensure such dietary diversity in many rural settings.</p>
<p>We must devote attention to people living in rural areas around the planet, where their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605322000916">access to wild foods</a> — including those found in forests — has become limited. That’s cutting off important sources of healthy food and nutrition.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-culturally-appropriate-diets-can-be-a-pathway-to-food-security-in-the-canadian-arctic-209575">How culturally appropriate diets can be a pathway to food security in the Canadian Arctic</a>
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<p>Global initiatives to set aside land for biodiversity conservation can compromise such access and thus significantly reduce dietary diversity. </p>
<p>Current commitments, such as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02048-2">30 x 30 initiative</a>, in the name of conservation can result in the annexation of land and curtail the rights and access to diverse food sources by local people, despite <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-018-0100-6">evidence that locally-led conservation can play an integral role in improving both ecological and human welfare</a>.</p>
<h2>Local stewards</h2>
<p>It is increasingly recognized that those who benefit from access — mostly Indigenous Peoples and local communities — are the best stewards of that land. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-food/about-right-food-and-human-rights">Food</a> is a fundamental human right, recognized by many international treaties and nation states. However, land annexation in the name of conservation, and loss of access to the natural resources they contain, continues unabated. </p>
<p>The major issue is that the notion of “pristine nature” does not exist in most landscapes, both tropical and temperate. Indeed, most environments are more a <a href="https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12322-260206">manifestation of human use and management than the product of natural forces alone</a>. The recognition of how humans have shaped and promoted biodiversity-rich landscapes is often missed in the implmentation of conservation. </p>
<p>It’s time for action on the evidence that forests and tree-based landscapes <a href="https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/publications/iufro-series/ws33/ws33.pdf">can (and must be) a small but integral part of the solution to the global problem of food security and nutrition</a>. In essence, forests and trees should play a role in global food security strategies.</p>
<p>The role of wild foods in contributing to the United Nations’ <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/55601EBA11ED5027EF2901A3AE017744/9781108486996c2_48-71.pdf/sdg_2_zero_hunger_challenging_the_hegemony_of_monoculture_agriculture_for_forests_and_people.pdf">Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger, has also been underscored</a> and there is considerable <a href="https://www.fao.org/interactive/sdg2-roadmap/en/">emerging evidence</a> on just how sustainable tree-based wild food systems could contribute to the overall 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. </p>
<p>Yet little real progress has been made in recognizing this at a functional or policy level, acknowledging the fundamental contribution of wild foods to dietary diversity. </p>
<p>The discourse of achieving global food security, with a focus on monoculture crops and industrial agriculture with all its environmental and nutritional deficiencies, remains dominant. This is resulting in continuing habitat loss, primarily within forests and other tree-based systems. </p>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>The recent <a href="https://www.cop28.com/en/food-and-agriculture">Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action</a> at the COP28 climate summit goes some way to recognize the importance of “smallholders, family farmers, fisherfolk and other producers and food workers.” However, there is no mention of the role of wild foods in rural nutrition, nor the role that forests and trees play in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2017.01.012">supporting agriculture</a> through ecosystem service provision. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/flipping-indigenous-regional-development-in-newfoundland-upside-down-lessons-from-australia-218298">Flipping Indigenous regional development in Newfoundland upside-down: lessons from Australia</a>
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<p>This must change to allow sustainable use initiatives to play a critical role in complementing and supporting diverse and nutritious diets for the rural poor — without compromising biodiversity goals or climate change mitigation strategies.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219363/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Terry Sunderland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Integrating local and Indigenous knowledge into conservation can help to support diverse diets without compromising biodiversity goals.Terry Sunderland, Professor in the Faculty of Forestry, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226692024-02-12T13:58:41Z2024-02-12T13:58:41ZHow to buy sustainable salmon: an expert guide to navigating the nuance of eco-labels<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574194/original/file-20240207-28-t5ap9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Choosing between wild-caught and farmed salmon can be confusing to shoppers, but certain eco-labels can provide guidance. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fresh-fish-fillet-put-sale-supermarket-1958154268">monticello/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’ve all been there. You’re in the supermarket freezer aisle trying to make sense of the different labels on seafood products. You know the oceans are <a href="https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc0461en">in trouble</a> and you’re trying to do the right thing, but the information is confusing and seemingly contradictory. </p>
<p>One packet of salmon fillets has a smiling dolphin logo on the back. Another, a less-smiley bright blue fish logo. You pull out your smartphone and open the sustainable seafood app your friend told you about, only to become more confused by its traffic light ratings. In the end, you just pick any product that the label assures you is sustainable.</p>
<h2>Making sense of salmon sustainability</h2>
<p>Salmon is one of the <a href="https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc0461en">most consumed</a> seafoods globally. It’s a rich source of <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173686/nutrients">protein, key micronutrients and fatty acids</a>. But with so many different products on the shelf, it’s hard to know which ones harm the environment and fish stocks the most. </p>
<p>Both wild-caught and farmed salmon can be sustainable, but determining the environmental impact of a fillet isn’t simple. Both can present significant social and environmental problems. Wild-caught salmon can be <a href="https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsh.10062">overfished</a> or sourced from vulnerable fish populations. But while salmon aquaculture can reduce the pressure on wild stocks, it’s no panacea. </p>
<p>Farmed salmon producers often <a href="https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/72/3/997/686282">face scrutiny</a> for overcrowding, parasites and pollution, with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/30/thousands-of-salmon-escaped-an-icelandic-fish-farm-the-impact-could-be-deadly">escapees from open-net pens</a> feared to endanger local wild populations. The fish meal used to feed farmed salmon presents further problems, as it often <a href="https://journals.plos.org/sustainabilitytransformation/article?id=10.1371/journal.pstr.0000005">originates from wild-caught fish</a> that aren’t always <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-018-0077-1">taken at sustainable levels</a>.</p>
<p>These challenges are expected to be <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12164">exacerbated by shifting climates</a>: higher water temperatures and reduced rainfall can enable the growth of pathogens, and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aqc.3624">increase the susceptibility of fish</a> populations to disease. </p>
<p><a href="https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/66214/gupea_2077_66214_4.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y">Many</a> certification schemes, eco-labels, rankings and guides exist to signpost salmon sustainability. For wild-caught salmon, the <a href="https://www.msc.org/uk">Marine Stewardship Council</a> provides the gold standard, assuring that it has been sourced from fisheries managed according to rigorous environmental standards. For farmed salmon, a tick of approval from the <a href="https://asc-aqua.org/">Aquaculture Stewardship Council</a> is considered the most thorough certification, indicating responsible aquaculture practices.</p>
<p>One of us (Laurence Wainwright) has <a href="https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/66214/gupea_2077_66214_4.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y">researched eco-labels for five years</a>, finding that these two certification schemes are currently the most scientifically sound, evidenced-based standards for seafood sustainability – including salmon. </p>
<p>Other seafood sustainability schemes offer some assurances of sustainability, but are often not nearly as rigorous. Schemes for farmed salmon such as the <a href="https://www.soilassociation.org/certification/aquaculture/">Soil Association’s organic standard</a> have recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/30/unacceptable-greenwashing-scottish-farmed-salmon-should-not-be-labelled-organic-say-charities">faced criticism</a> for having standards that are perceived by some as not going far enough – or potentially even misleading customers by certifying some Scottish salmon farms as organic. </p>
<p>To a consumer, an “organic” label generally signifies that a product has been grown from organic feed and produced without the use of chemical pesticides or antibiotics. Farmed salmon can be organic, if raised and fed correctly. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://8point9.com/soil-association-pushes-back-against-criticism-of-organic-salmon/">Soil Association spokesperson</a> stated: “Organic farms must follow strict rules to minimise impacts on the environment and animal welfare, and when problems occur, they must prove they are taking action in order to use the organic logo.” The Soil Association’s aquaculture standards are currently under review following a <a href="https://www.soilassociation.org/our-standards/aquaculture-and-northern-ireland-organic-standards-consultation/consultation-on-soil-association-standards-for-uk-organic-aquaculture/">60-day consultation</a>, and an update to its standards is due later in 2024. </p>
<p>According to fish conservation charity <a href="https://wildfish.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Responsibly-Sourced_-FINAL-REPORT_130923.pdf">WildFish</a>, some badges of sustainability in salmon aquaculture can mask details of unregulated salmon supply chains – with certifications rarely being lost even when conditions are breached. According to its 2023 report, some UK farms have been permitted to use wild-caught fish for feed and to use <a href="https://wildfish.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Responsibly-Sourced_-FINAL-REPORT_130923.pdf">toxic chemicals</a> for parasite control, without losing their organic certification. This is controversial: such ambiguity and lack of transparency only hinders the salmon aquaculture industry. </p>
<p>In terms of wild-caught salmon, it is our strong opinion that it is never legitimate, under any circumstances, to call it organic. Not only is this misleading but it defies scientific evidence and undermines the meaning of the term organic.</p>
<h2>Which salmon should you buy?</h2>
<p>When buying salmon or ordering it at a restaurant, look for key information on the labels or ask staff about the sourcing of their fish. </p>
<ul>
<li><p>How, and from where, was it caught or farmed? Either can be sustainable, but the devil is in the detail. </p></li>
<li><p>If farmed, what was it fed – and from where did this feed originate? The feed should be from a sustainable source of fish, and perhaps even certified itself. </p></li>
<li><p>If wild-caught, is there minimal by-catch associated with it? </p></li>
<li><p>Which species of salmon is it? Whether Atlantic, chinook, sockeye, pink, coho or chum, sustainability depends on a variety of factors so there is no hard-and-fast rule. But there are better and worse options: <a href="https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendations/download-consumer-guides/sustainable-salmon-guide">this guide</a> from Seafood Watch is very useful. </p></li>
<li><p>Which eco-labels does it have? Certifications from the <a href="https://www.msc.org/uk">Marine Stewardship Council</a> and <a href="https://asc-aqua.org/">Aquaculture Stewardship Council</a> are best. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>The scale of salmon</h2>
<p>While it’s best to choose locally sourced fish where possible, many salmon-loving populations live far from the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00130095.2018.1506700?needAccess=true">hotspots of salmon production</a>. Sushi salmon in Japan, for example, may have travelled <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-023-00290-7">17,000 km</a> from Norwegian or Chilean farms. And an estimated <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919223000507#bi005">52%</a> of emissions from the production of 1 kilogram of farmed salmon in Norway comes from its air transport to China for consumption. </p>
<p>The need to mitigate the carbon footprint of salmon production will only increase as the world ramps up decarbonisation efforts. With an <a href="https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/population">increasing global population</a>, pressure on the already over-exploited wild salmon stocks is set to intensify.</p>
<p>Salmon farming or aquaculture currently bridges this gap between supply and demand, accounting for <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/79617">70%</a> of the salmon available for consumption. As the <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/79617">fastest-growing food</a> production system, the salmon farming industry is projected to reach a value of <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/report/salmon?utm_source=CI&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_code=fzgfsf&utm_campaign=1851063+-+Global+Salmon+Market+Report+2023:+Sector+to+Reach+$37.4+Billion+by+2027+at+a+3.9%2525+CAGR&utm_exec=como322prd">US$37 billion</a> (£29 billion) globally by 2027. </p>
<p>We need to fundamentally change our relationship with seafood if we are to preserve this wonderful natural food resource. We don’t have to stop eating salmon but we must make smarter decisions, both at the fish counter and within seafood supply chains. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption"></span>
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222669/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Knowing which fish to buy can be confusing, but certain eco-labels can help decipher whether wild-caught, farmed or organic salmon is best for the environment.Laurence Wainwright, Departmental Lecturer and Course Director, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of OxfordNatasha Lutz, PhD in Disturbance Ecology and Machine Learning, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2206412024-02-09T13:33:00Z2024-02-09T13:33:00ZAds, food and gambling galore − 5 essential reads for the Super Bowl<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574506/original/file-20240208-18-ge9cxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=203%2C54%2C4074%2C2881&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers will try to stop the Kansas City Chiefs from winning their third Super Bowl in five years.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/christian-mccaffrey-of-the-san-francisco-49ers-rushes-news-photo/1976854646?adppopup=true">Michael Zagaris/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Sunday in Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to win their second straight Lombardi Trophy, while a San Francisco 49ers victory would give the team its first Super Bowl <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXIX">since 1995</a>, when <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Y/YounSt00.htm">Steve Young</a> was under center.</p>
<p>I didn’t get a pass to media day, so I didn’t get a chance to ask Chiefs head coach Andy Reid about how he tends to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nfl/article-12961001/Chiefs-coach-Andy-Reid-mustache-FREEZES.html">his mustache</a>.</p>
<p>But my colleagues and I were able to ask an all-pro lineup of scholars to write about a range of football-related topics, from the partisan food divide to the numbers behind the biggest gambling bonanza in league history.</p>
<h2>1. Flag, you’re it</h2>
<p>The Pro Bowl, the NFL’s version of the all-star game, usually gets scant attention. That’s because it happens the weekend before the Super Bowl – absent many of the stars playing in the big game – and the players seem most concerned about avoiding injuries, not winning the game.</p>
<p>A year ago, league officials decided to shake up the annual showcase. It would no longer be a tackle football game. <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-the-pro-bowl-games-to-replace-tackle-game-with-flag-football-skill">It would be a flag football match</a>. The thinking went that if the league’s stars didn’t have to tackle one another, they might play harder, be more likely to showcase their athleticism and, importantly, have more fun. </p>
<p>As West Virginia University sociologist Josh Woods explains, <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-flag-football-one-day-leapfrog-tackle-football-in-popularity-222349">the NFL’s promotion of flag football is a big deal</a>, particularly for an emerging sport that’s somewhat obscure outside of Florida, Georgia and New York, where roughly 80% of high school flag football players live. Its inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics will only further bolster its profile.</p>
<p>But Woods points to a gender divide and a political divide that could end up clouding the sport’s future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/could-flag-football-one-day-leapfrog-tackle-football-in-popularity-222349">Could flag football one day leapfrog tackle football in popularity?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young man runs holding a football and waving his finger mid-stride." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574505/original/file-20240208-24-e030ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill runs for a touchdown in the first quarter of the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tyreek-hill-of-the-miami-dolphins-and-afc-reacts-as-he-runs-news-photo/1985984027?adppopup=true">Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. X’s, O’s and Z’s</h2>
<p>In 2011, former NFL cornerback Sam Shields was a rookie playing for a Green Bay Packers team that had made the Super Bowl. The night before the big game, he tossed and turned.</p>
<p>“I had stomach aches, using the bathroom, but I didn’t have to use it,” <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/31/super-bowl-2019-nfl-players-sleep-rams-patriots-atlanta">he told Sports Illustrated in 2019</a>. “It felt like Christmas too, when Christmas is the next day you can’t sleep.”</p>
<p>I’ve wondered whether I would get a wink of shut-eye if I were scheduled to pitch in the World Series. Something tells me I’d be a lot like Shields. And as if the Chiefs and 49ers players and coaches aren’t feeling enough pressure, it turns out that getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things an athlete can do before a big game, meet or match.</p>
<p>University of Pittsburgh sleep medicine specialist Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse highlights reams of studies showing how <a href="https://theconversation.com/sleep-can-give-athletes-an-edge-over-competitors-but-few-recognize-how-fundamental-sleep-is-to-performance-221403">a poor night’s sleep can effect performance and decision-making</a> while making you more likely to get injured.</p>
<p>In fact, she writes, “Sleep deficits have been linked to decreased performance in every cognitive measure.”</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sleep-can-give-athletes-an-edge-over-competitors-but-few-recognize-how-fundamental-sleep-is-to-performance-221403">Sleep can give athletes an edge over competitors − but few recognize how fundamental sleep is to performance</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. Going all in on gambling</h2>
<p>Did you bet on the 49ers to cover the spread? Perhaps you’re <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Football-Squares">playing squares</a>. Or maybe you’re betting on Reba McEntire’s national anthem <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2024-super-bowl-lviii-odds-how-long-will-reba-mcentires-national-anthem-be">to last longer than 90.5 seconds</a>.</p>
<p>If you’ve wagered on some aspect of the big game, you’re one of roughly 67 million American adults who have done the same, according to a Morning Consult survey conducted in early February. That would make another new record, shattering 2023’s record, which shattered the mark from 2022. The country’s gambling mania has been aided, in part, by the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/us/politics/supreme-court-sports-betting-new-jersey.html">overturned a federal ban on sports betting</a>. </p>
<p>Gambling and the Super Bowl have always gone hand in hand. To University of Iowa sports media scholar Tom Oates, what makes the developments of the past few years so remarkable is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-super-bowl-gets-the-vegas-treatment-with-1-in-4-american-adults-expected-to-gamble-on-the-big-game-222370">the NFL’s stunning reversal on its own attitudes toward betting</a>.</p>
<p>Gone are the quaint days of league officials lobbying Congress to put restrictions and guardrails in place. The NFL has gone all in on its embrace of gambling, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-inks-nearly-1-billion-212312677.html?_fsig=UXLu7VdB0Sg8Wcfmd7USNw--%7EA">forging billion-dollar partnerships</a> with the country’s top sportsbooks.</p>
<p>“But this infusion of extra cash comes with a substantial social cost,” Oates writes. “Gambling addictions are at an all-time high, likely spurred by the ease with which people can place bets from their phones.” </p>
<p>So if you want to get in on the action, gamble responsibly and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. </p>
<p>That being said, a little birdie told me that Reba <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=696443244813036">can really hold her notes</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-super-bowl-gets-the-vegas-treatment-with-1-in-4-american-adults-expected-to-gamble-on-the-big-game-222370">The Super Bowl gets the Vegas treatment, with 1 in 4 American adults expected to gamble on the big game</a>
</strong>
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</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman with red hair and silver dress holds microphone and smiles." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574593/original/file-20240209-31-9fdvn2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Country music singer Reba McEntire will be singing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/reba-mcentire-performs-at-madison-square-garden-on-april-15-news-photo/1482508270?adppopup=true">Theo Wargo/Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>4. At least they aren’t serving donkey meat</h2>
<p><a href="https://jacobin.com/2022/01/hyper-politics-annie-ernaux-moralism-identity-media-individualization">Everything is politicized</a>, so the lament goes. And even the Super Bowl – <a href="https://thedaily.case.edu/the-super-bowl-is-a-cultural-moment-but-why/">one of the few communal events left</a> in a polarized, atomized nation – can’t avoid the creep of partisanship. </p>
<p>In recent years, some of the country’s most iconic food brands – <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/bud-light-boycott.html">Bud Light</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/business/goya-boycott.html">Goya</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/papa-johns-cuts-ties-with-the-nfl-after-national-anthem-protests-2018-2">Papa John’s</a>, <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/02/23/coca-cola-diversity-training-urged-workers-to-be-less-white/">Coca-Cola</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/31/23742373/chick-fil-a-boycott-controversy-conservative-backlash">Chick-fil-A</a> – have been excoriated by partisans on both sides of the aisle. </p>
<p>So food spreads can color every Super Bowl party with a tinge of “red team,” “blue team.”</p>
<p>“What you serve at your Super Bowl party, or what the host serves at the event you attend, can now be interpreted, or twisted, through a partisan lens,” write political scientists Joshua J. Dyck and Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz.</p>
<p>One possible way to bridge the divide: Unite in a bipartisan celebration of Taylor Swift. Actually, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-taylor-swift-is-an-antihero-to-the-gop-but-democrats-should-know-all-too-well-that-her-endorsement-wont-mean-its-all-over-now-222437">scratch that</a>. </p>
<p>Maybe you could just serve salmon – a food that, according to Dyck and Pearson-Merkowitz’s research, is “resistant to partisan cues.”</p>
<p>Grim times, indeed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/super-bowl-party-foods-can-deliver-political-bite-choose-wisely-222687">Super Bowl party foods can deliver political bite – choose wisely</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5. ByeDaddy</h2>
<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-poll-commercials-halftime-1f65969d3ec56a5c3eca3ba386428d6a">According to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>, 22% of Americans planning to watch the Super Bowl are most excited about the commercials.</p>
<p>That’s one reason companies are willing to fork over so much cash for a coveted slot – as much as US$7 million for a 30-second spot. </p>
<p>However, as Auburn University scholars Linda Ferrell and O.C. Ferrell point out, many regulars on the airwaves of the Super Bowl, such as GoDaddy and Ford, are <a href="https://theconversation.com/super-bowl-ads-its-getting-harder-for-commercials-to-score-with-consumers-222269">missing from this year’s lineup</a>.</p>
<p>What gives?</p>
<p>“Gen Z, in particular, is not impressed by Super Bowl ads,” they write, “and complicating the matter is their lack of interest in broadcast TV.”</p>
<p>So as a millennial who’s spent years listening to how <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/millennials-are-killing">my generation has killed</a> everything from paper napkins to mayonnaise, I take great pleasure in typing: Gen Z killed the Super Bowl ad.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/super-bowl-ads-its-getting-harder-for-commercials-to-score-with-consumers-222269">Super Bowl ads: It's getting harder for commercials to score with consumers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p><em>This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220641/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Oh, yeah, and there’s a game, too.Nick Lehr, Arts + Culture EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2221002024-02-08T21:32:00Z2024-02-08T21:32:00ZSecrets of soil-enriching pulses could transform future of sustainable agriculture<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574321/original/file-20240208-20-86knbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Root nodules of legumes such as soybeans help fix nitrogen into the soil. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/development-soybean-root-1248864754">Lidiane Miotto/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>From lentils to chickpeas, and even the humble baked bean, pulses are perhaps best known as an alternative, plant-based source of protein. These plants are environmental heroes: they work together with soil microbes to “fix” nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil with nutrients to allow them to thrive.</p>
<p>As their nitrogen-fixing capacity is becoming better understood, scientists are hoping to find ways to increase productivity, and eventually apply some of these effective soil-enriching characteristics to other crops such as cereals. With the ability to fix nitrogen, crops would need less nitrogen fertiliser and soil health would simultaneously improve.</p>
<p>Pulses, the edible dry seeds of legume plants, are staple foods in the diets of both people and livestock around the world. Across Europe and the US, they are <a href="https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/grains-pulses-oilseeds/dried-beans/market-potential">commonly eaten</a> as tinned beans, chickpeas and lentils, while in sub-Saharan Africa, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7794592/">cowpea</a> is among the most important legumes. </p>
<p>High in protein, carbohydrates, dietary fibres, vitamins and minerals, pulses play a fundamental role in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.878269/full">nutritious healthy diets</a>. Both the seeds and leaves are also used as <a href="https://www.un-ilibrary.org/content/books/9789210472579">feed for livestock</a>. For smallholder farmers in developing nations, nutritious pulses are a cost-effective substitute for animal protein and make up a large proportion of typical diets.</p>
<p>In Western Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, people eat <a href="https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/121077">more than 30kg beans a year</a> on average, while many African countries recommend pulses as a meat alternative in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9370574/">dietary guidelines</a>. Pulses can also be stored for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022474X14000496">extended periods</a> without affecting their nutritional content.</p>
<h2>The magic inside root nodules</h2>
<p>Some <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153765">100 million years ago</a>, legumes developed the natural ability to house beneficial bacteria inside dedicated structures called root nodules. Here, bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen from the air and soil into a form that’s accessible to the plant as nutrients.</p>
<p>So, legumes need less nitrogen fertiliser than cereal and other vegetable crops. A high-performing legume can fix up to <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.767998/full">300kg of nitrogen per hectare</a>, which would otherwise cost farmers around $1 per kg in fertiliser to meet the nutrient needs of the plant. </p>
<p>At the <a href="https://www.ensa.ac.uk/">Enabling Nutrient Symbioses in Agriculture</a> project, we are trying to understand how exactly legumes do this. We are exploring how these nitrogen-fixing root nodules evolved in only legumes in the first place. With that knowledge, we hope to find ways to increase the efficiency of nitrogen fixation inside the root nodules and maximise the growth and yield of legume crops.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="microscopic image of pink cells - bacteria inside root nodules close up" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574454/original/file-20240208-18-zvrb8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574454/original/file-20240208-18-zvrb8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574454/original/file-20240208-18-zvrb8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574454/original/file-20240208-18-zvrb8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574454/original/file-20240208-18-zvrb8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574454/original/file-20240208-18-zvrb8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574454/original/file-20240208-18-zvrb8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Under the microscope, the nitrogen-fixing bacteria inside root nodules of a bean plant can be seen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/root-bacteria-nodules-bean-under-microscope-1114612907">ChWeiss/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Beneficial bacteria</h2>
<p>My research group is investigating how legumes can engage with beneficial bacteria and avoid disease-causing microbes. While bacteria like the rhizobia in these root nodules help plants source nutrients, other soil microbes including bacteria and fungi could cause disease and prevent plants from converting as much nitrogen. So the plant must have a defence mechanism that keeps disease-causing microbes at bay. This may also prevent it from fully engaging with beneficial bacteria. </p>
<p>Our team of researchers has identified potential factors that limit nitrogen fixation in the nodules of <em>Medicago</em>, also known as barrel medic or barrel clover. This legume is frequently used for research and not grown for consumption. By studying these limiting factors, we hope to improve the efficiency of nitrogen fixation without affecting the crop’s in-built defence mechanisms to protect it from disease.</p>
<p>Having studied this mechanism in the research legume, researchers are now studying a few relevant crop legumes such as soybean and cowpea to understand how widespread and applicable the underlying biological mechanisms are, and whether they can be harnessed to improve other pulses in the future.</p>
<p>Despite being some of the oldest domesticated crops, many legumes are much less adapted to farming and so have significant potential for further improvement through breeding and genetic engineering, making them more suitable and sustainable for modern food systems.</p>
<p>The benefits of more efficient nitrogen fixing in legumes would include greater growth and biomass and, we hope, higher protein content in the seeds or pulses. This would increase the nutritional value per crop, meaning more high-quality nutrient-rich food could be produced per hectare.</p>
<p>Higher yields would create new opportunities for small-scale and subsistence farmers to grow and benefit from legumes – such as soybean – as cash crops to improve rural livelihoods. More productive legumes could be more effective as a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41130-018-0063-z">rotation crop</a> that improves soil health, which is especially important for farmers dealing with degraded soil, such as those found across sub-Saharan Africa. </p>
<p>The more we know about this unique ability of legumes, the greater our chance of successfully developing other crops with a similar ability. Such a development, though some years away, could transform sustainable agriculture, especially in areas where access to synthetic fertiliser is already limited by cost and availability.</p>
<p>Extending nitrogen fixing to other crops has long been an ambition of crop scientists around the world and as the study of plant biology advances, the pulse of progress is quickening.</p>
<hr>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222100/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sebastian Schornack receives funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations. He is also listed as an inventor on a patent filed by the University of Cambridge on a gene that seems to limit nitrogen fixation.</span></em></p>New technology could unlock the soil-enriching nitrogen-fixing ability of legumes…and one day apply this to other crops too.Sebastian Schornack, Senior research group leader in the Enabling Nutrient Symbioses in Agriculture (ENSA) project, University of CambridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2209682024-02-08T14:00:57Z2024-02-08T14:00:57ZNigeria’s popular wara cheese has a short shelf life: we’ve found a way to keep it fresh for longer<p>Cheese is a highly nutritious food produced in hundreds of varieties around the world. It’s all made by fermenting milk but the results range widely in flavour, texture and end uses.</p>
<p>The global market value of cheese was about <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/6586/global-cheese-market/">US$83.4 billion</a> in 2022 and is projected to exceed <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/6586/global-cheese-market/">US$120 billion</a> in 2028.</p>
<p>In Nigeria, the most popular cheese is wara, a soft product with a mild, sweet taste and milky flavour. Wara is produced by coagulating cow’s milk with an extract of sodom apple (<em>Calotropis procera</em>, or bomubomu) and is traditionally sold in its whey (milk-like liquid), sometimes in a calabash, at room temperature. </p>
<p>Unhygienic conditions during production and sale, and lack of good packaging materials, can result in wara containing harmful <a href="https://www.sciencepub.net/nature/0403/06-0176-uzeh-ns.pdf">microorganisms</a> such as <em>E. coli</em>, <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and other bacteria. These can spoil the cheese or make a person ill after eating it.</p>
<p>Wara also has a very <a href="https://www.academia.edu/63932279/EFFECT_OF_PRESERVATIVES_AND_STORAGE_CONDITIONS_ON_MICROORGANISMS_IN_NIGERIAN_UNRIPENED_CHEESE_WARA">short shelf life</a> of about two or three days. This can be prolonged by refrigerating, drying or frying the cheese but these processes usually affect the taste, texture, colour, flavour and other sensory properties. They also discard the whey, which is an essential component of wara.</p>
<p>As Nigerian food scientists, we set out to find a way to preserve wara more effectively in its indigenous form. </p>
<p>We used different amounts of sorbic acid and natural ginger as preservatives, separately and in combination, and compared the microbial load in the wara samples. We <a href="https://www.academia.edu/63932279/EFFECT_OF_PRESERVATIVES_AND_STORAGE_CONDITIONS_ON_MICROORGANISMS_IN_NIGERIAN_UNRIPENED_CHEESE_WARA">found</a> that the best combination was 2.5% ginger with 0.05% sorbic acid, and that refrigeration was better than keeping the cheese at room temperature.</p>
<p>Extending its shelf life and improving its safety could boost demand and sales at all outlets, from informal to supermarkets. It would make a nutritious food more accessible and be good for producers and food processing businesses.</p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>In our experiment we <a href="https://www.academia.edu/63932279/EFFECT_OF_PRESERVATIVES_AND_STORAGE_CONDITIONS_ON_MICROORGANISMS_IN_NIGERIAN_UNRIPENED_CHEESE_WARA">preserved</a> wara with chemical and natural preservatives: sorbic acid and ginger respectively. We kept the wara in whey for three weeks. </p>
<p>Sorbic acid was added to different samples at a concentration of 0.05% and 0.1%, which is below its maximum permissible limit of 0.3% in cheese according to the international <a href="https://dairyconsultant.co.uk/pdf/codex_specification_spreadable_processed_cheese">Codex Alimentarius standard</a>. The ginger (known locally as atalẹ) was prepared by washing and peeling rhizomes, slicing them into thin sheets, drying them in an oven at 50°C, and cooling, milling and sieving the dried product to obtain ginger powder. </p>
<p>Wara was produced by filtering 2 litres of fresh cow’s milk. The milk was divided into four portions (A, B, C and D). Preservatives were added in the following concentrations:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>5% ginger to portion A</p></li>
<li><p>2.5% ginger and 0.05% sorbic acid to portion B</p></li>
<li><p>0.1% sorbic acid to portion C</p></li>
<li><p>no preservatives in portion D.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Each mixture was boiled and an extract of sodom apple leaves was added while boiling. The curd (the solid which separates from the liquid whey) was moulded into a cone shape. Each curd was transferred into a sterile plastic container, covered in whey and <a href="https://ijt.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ijt/article/view/152">stored</a> in the refrigerator or at room temperature.</p>
<p>The populations and types of microorganisms associated with the preserved wara were determined every week. Microorganisms are important in fermenting milk and most are beneficial, but could cause spoilage if their growth is not controlled.</p>
<p>We also studied the effect of the preservatives on the sensory attributes such as taste, flavour, colour, appearance and texture of the wara samples. </p>
<h2>The outcome</h2>
<p>Preservation of wara with ginger and/or sorbic acid significantly reduced the population of microorganisms during storage. The use of 0.1% sorbic acid to preserve wara was the most effective in reducing bacterial and fungal count. The control sample without preservatives had the highest population of microorganisms. The addition of 2.5% ginger and 0.05% sorbic acid to wara reduced the microorganisms present and was much more effective than the addition of 5% ginger alone. </p>
<p>The physical examination of the stored wara showed that samples stored inside the refrigerator retained their fresh aroma throughout the period of storage. Those stored on the shelf at room temperature showed a change in aroma after two weeks. The samples without preservatives, stored at room temperature, had an offensive odour after a week. Spoilage of samples stored at room temperature was due to the higher rate of microbial metabolism. </p>
<p>There were no pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms in any of the wara samples throughout storage. </p>
<p>Wara samples stored inside the refrigerator had better quality in terms of microbial load, type of microorganisms, colour, texture and aroma than samples kept on the shelf at room temperature.</p>
<p>Freshly made wara samples without preservatives had the highest score for taste, flavour, colour, texture and overall acceptability. The values were not significantly different from the samples treated with 0.1% sorbic acid. Adding 2.5% ginger and 0.05% sorbic acid reduced the sensory scores of wara compared to the 0.1% sorbic acid sample. </p>
<p>In conclusion, we suggest that Nigerian wara can be produced on a large scale by using 0.1% sorbic acid or a combination of 2.5% ginger extract and 0.05% sorbic acid as a preservative. This will increase the time wara can be stored after production, thereby increasing the ability of the producers to scale up. </p>
<p>Preservation of wara can improve nutrition and create employment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220968/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Malomo Adekunbi Adetola works for Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile - Ife, Nigeria. She receives funding from Carnegie and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. </span></em></p>Nigeria’s soft cheese, wara, could be made more widely available with new techniques to extend its shelf life.Malomo Adekunbi Adetola, Lecturer in Food Science and Technology, Obafemi Awolowo UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2225622024-02-07T12:03:07Z2024-02-07T12:03:07ZUK peatlands are being destroyed to grow mushrooms, lettuce and houseplants – here’s how to stop it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573477/original/file-20240205-17-9w5rwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Peat is a natural carbon sink but is often found in house plants and other retail products, particularly within the food and farming industry. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-transplanting-houseplant-into-new-pot-2321168311">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the long, solitary days of lockdown, I found solace in raising houseplants. Suddenly stuck at home, I had more time to perfect the watering routine of a fussy Swiss cheese plant, and lovingly train our devil’s ivy to delicately frame the bookcases. </p>
<p>But I started noticing that these plants, sourced online, often arrived in the post with a passport. Most had travelled from all over Europe, with one common tagline: contains peat.</p>
<p>As a peatland scientist, these labels instantly filled me with horror. <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/ban-sale-peat">Hidden Peat</a>, a new campaign launched by The Wildlife Trusts, is now highlighting the presence of peat in all sorts of consumer products, including house plants. </p>
<p>Peatlands, such as bogs and fens, store more carbon than all of the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/peatlands-and-climate-change">world’s forests combined</a>. They trap this carbon in the ground for centuries, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases that would further warm the climate. </p>
<p>Peatlands have <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/uknaturalcapitalforpeatlands/naturalcapitalaccounts">multiple environmental benefits</a>. They are havens for wildlife, providing habitat for wetland birds, insects and reptiles. They supply more than 70% of our drinking water and help protect our homes from flooding. </p>
<p>So why on earth is peat being ripped from these vital ecosystems and stuffed inside plant pots?</p>
<h2>From sink to source</h2>
<p>Despite their importance, peatlands have been systematically drained, farmed, dug up and sold over the last century. In the UK, only <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/649d6fe1bb13dc0012b2e349/lowland-agricultural-peat-task-force-chairs-report.pdf">1% of lowland peat</a> remains in its natural state. </p>
<p>Instead of acting as a carbon sink, it has become one of the <a href="https://oro.open.ac.uk/50635/">largest sources</a> of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK’s land use sector. When waterlogged peat soils are drained, microbes decompose the plant material within it and that results in the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Peatland%20factsheet.pdf">release of greenhouse gases</a> such as methane into the air. </p>
<p>Most of the peat excavated, bagged up and sold in the UK is used as a growing medium for plants. Gardeners have become increasingly aware of this problem. Peat-free alternatives have been gaining popularity and major retailers have been phasing out peat-based bagged compost in recent years. </p>
<p>Indeed, the UK government announced they would ban sales of all peat-based compost <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sale-of-horticultural-peat-to-be-banned-in-move-to-protect-englands-precious-peatlands">by 2024</a>. But this legislation has not yet been written and it seems unlikely it will be enacted before the end of the current parliament. </p>
<p>Even if brought in to law, this ban would only stop the sales of peat-based bagged compost of the type you might pick up in the garden centre. Legislation for commercial growers is not expected until 2030 at the earliest. So the continued decimation of the UK’s peatlands could remain hidden in supply chains long after we stop spreading peat on our gardens. </p>
<h2>Hide and seek peat</h2>
<p>For consumers, it’s almost impossible to <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/devastating-using-peat-uk-horticulture#:%7E:text=In%202020%20alone%2C%20nearly%20900%2C000%20cubic%20metres%20of%20peat%20were%20extracted%20from%20UK%20soils%2C%20with%20a%20further%201.4%20million%20cubic%20metres%20of%20peat%20imported%20from%20Ireland%20and%20the%20rest%20of%20Europe">identify products</a> that contain peat or use peat in their production. All large-scale commercial mushroom farming involves peat and it is used for growing most leafy salads. It gives that characteristic peaty aroma to whisky, and, as I found out, is a popular growing medium for potted plants. </p>
<p>But you’d struggle to find a peat-free lettuce in the supermarket. The Hidden Peat campaign asks consumers to call for clear labelling that would enable shoppers to more easily identify peat-containing products. Shoppers are also encouraged to demand transparency from retailers on their commitment to removing peat from their supply chains. </p>
<p>You can ask your local supermarket about how they plan to phase out peat from their produce. Some supermarkets are actively investing in new technologies for <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2326773-uk-mushroom-growing-uses-100000-m%25c2%25b3-of-peat-a-year-can-we-do-better/">peat-free mushroom farming</a>. </p>
<p>Make informed purchases by checking the labels on garden centre potted plants or source plants from peat-free nurseries. The Royal Horticultural Society lists more than 70 UK nurseries dedicated to <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat/peat-free-nurseries">peat-free growing</a>. </p>
<p>You can write to your MP to support a ban on peat extraction and, crucially, the sale of peat and peat-containing products in the UK. That ensures that peat wouldn’t just get imported from other European countries. </p>
<h2>Pilots and progress</h2>
<p>The UK government recently announced <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lowland-agricultural-peat-water-for-peat-pilots/lowland-agricultural-peat-water-for-peat-pilots">£3.1m funding</a> for pilot projects to rewet and preserve lowland peat, with peat restoration seen as a cornerstone of net zero ambitions. This campaign calls for further acceleration of peatland restoration across the UK. </p>
<p>As a research of the science behind <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fin-ring-hrubesh-peatland-restoration">peatland restoration</a>, I see firsthand the enormous effort involved in this: the installation of dams to block old agricultural drainage ditches, the delicate management of water levels and painstaking monitoring of the peat wetness.</p>
<p>I spend a lot of time taking samples, monitoring the progress, feeding results back to the land managers. Like many other conservationists, I work hard to find ways to preserve these critical habitats. </p>
<p>But sometimes, there may be a digger in the adjacent field doing more damage in a day than we could undo in a lifetime. That’s the reality, and the insanity, of the UK’s current peatland policies. </p>
<p>We heavily invest in restoring peatlands, yet fail to ban its extraction – the one action that would have the most dramatic impact. By demanding that peat is not only eradicated from garden compost, but weeded out of our supply chains, we can keep peat in the ground, not in pots.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222562/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Casey Bryce works with the Somerset Wildlife Trust to monitor peat restoration, funded by the University of Bristol department for alumni relations. </span></em></p>Hidden Peat, a new campaign from The Wildlife Trusts, encourages people to look out for peat-free alternatives and support their wider use.Casey Bryce, Senior Lecturer, School of Earth Sciences, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2215472024-01-31T12:02:05Z2024-01-31T12:02:05ZWhy monkeys attack people – a primate expert explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570907/original/file-20240123-15-jwdv0w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5159%2C3429&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/monkeys-open-mouth-see-horrible-teeth-1156580965">Witsawat.S/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Wildlife tourism thrives on our fascination with animals and primates are particularly attractive animals to tourists. With their human-like faces, complex family dynamics and acrobatic antics, they are a joy to behold.</p>
<p>But recent stories have emerged that portray monkeys in a more sinister light. Reports of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/25/monkey-attacks-injure-people-japanese-city-yamaguchi-tranquilliser-gun">“monkey attacks”</a>, <a href="https://metro.co.uk/video/devil-monkeys-push-driver-160ft-hillside-attack-thailand-2994905/">“devil monkeys”</a>, or even <a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/what-face-ripping-bone-biting-31631055">“face-ripping, bone-biting monkeys”</a> have become common in the media. Have our primate cousins turned on us?</p>
<p>The recent monkey attacks involve a variety of species in different countries. They include the <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/16/thailand-monkeys-turn-tourists-start-attacking-beach-20120135/">long-tailed macaque</a> and the <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2023/08/09/thailand-devil-monkeys-pushed-driver-down-hill-and-attacked-him-19307282/">pig-tailed macaque</a> in Thailand, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/25/monkey-attacks-injure-people-japanese-city-yamaguchi-tranquilliser-gun">Japanese macaques</a> in Japan, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boy-killed-monkey-attack-india-intestines-ripped-2023-11?r=US&IR=T">Hanuman langurs</a> in India.</p>
<p>Most of these species are macaques, which are a diverse group of monkeys. But all macaques are sociable, intelligent, relatively large (between 4kg and 9kg), and comfortable travelling on the ground. They have a flexible diet, but prefer fruit. They also have cheek pouches that allow them to gather food quickly and carry it to a safe place to eat.</p>
<h2>Over-habituation</h2>
<p>Regardless of species or location, a major factor in monkey bites and attacks is “over-habituation”. Habituation is a process used by animal researchers to gain animals’ trust so they can follow and record their behaviour, with limited impact of the researchers’ presence. </p>
<p>But animals can become unintentionally habituated. Squirrels in a city park who have grown accustomed to handouts are one example, but others include urban foxes in the UK, bears in North America, and, in many parts of the tropics, monkeys.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-surprising-reasons-human-actions-threaten-endangered-primates-197850">Three surprising reasons human actions threaten endangered primates</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When animals lose their fear of humans and become a nuisance, they are over-habituated. In nearly all cases of over-habituation, the main factor is human food. What people eat is irresistible to wildlife. It is nutrient-dense, easy to digest and is available in rubbish bins, unattended backpacks, or even directly from people. </p>
<p>From an ecological point of view, animals have every incentive to take advantage of this high-quality resource. So, it’s no surprise that animals will adjust their fear and natural behaviour accordingly.</p>
<p>While over-habituation due to associating tourists with food is certainly the main driver for the reported monkey attacks, that does not mean that every person bitten or threatened by a monkey is guilty of feeding or teasing them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A long-tailed macaque sits on a red footbridge while a cyclist rides past." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572224/original/file-20240130-23-bkbzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572224/original/file-20240130-23-bkbzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572224/original/file-20240130-23-bkbzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572224/original/file-20240130-23-bkbzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572224/original/file-20240130-23-bkbzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572224/original/file-20240130-23-bkbzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572224/original/file-20240130-23-bkbzlc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A contemplative long-tailed macaque in Singapore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/long-tailed-macaques-crossing-bridge-singapore-2364831037">Tan Yong Lin/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Monkeys are very smart, have a long memory and learn from each other. Many groups have grown so accustomed to human foods that they have learned to harass tourists to get it. Some monkeys have become so adept at this that they know which items are valuable to tourists, which they will <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0677">“trade” for food</a>. In other words, they’ll steal your mobile phone but then drop it when you throw them some food. </p>
<p>Another important factor in monkey attacks at tourist sites is an unawareness of the animals’ body language, facial expressions and vocalisation. Even highly habituated monkeys will normally give a warning before attacking someone. But people inexperienced with monkey behaviour will often <a href="https://peerj.com/blog/post/115284879374/experience-based-human-perception-of-facial-expressions-in-barbary-macaques/">misinterpret</a> a threatening facial expression for a friendly one. This can lead to dangerous encounters.</p>
<h2>Advice</h2>
<p>Wildlife tourists cannot be expected to understand every species’ typical expressions and body postures. But some things can help tourists be more safe and responsible, regardless of the primate species they are viewing.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Give them space. According to the <a href="https://human-primate-interactions.org/responsible-primate-watching-for-tourists/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a>, a network of environmental organisations, keeping a distance of seven metres (23 feet) from the animals is recommended. This helps the animals not feel threatened and also reduces the risk of disease transmission.</p></li>
<li><p>Do not stand between the animals and their route to safety, or between adults and young.</p></li>
<li><p>Avoid direct eye contact or showing your teeth because monkeys may perceive this as aggressive.</p></li>
<li><p>For many primate species, common threats include bared teeth (including some yawns), direct stares with a lowered head, and short lunges or slapping the ground with the hands. If an animal does any of these things, quietly back away.</p></li>
<li><p>Do not feed the monkeys.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Wildlife tourism contributes <a href="https://wttc.org/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/2019/Sustainable%20Growth-Economic%20Impact%20of%20Global%20Wildlife%20Tourism-Aug%202019.pdf">more than US$100 billion</a> (£786 billion) per year to the global economy. It is also immensely rewarding and can offer many benefits to wildlife and the communities of people who live near them. But we should all be <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-be-a-responsible-wildlife-tourist-118869">responsible tourists</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221547/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracie McKinney is affiliated with the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group's Section for Human-Primate Interactions (SHPI).</span></em></p>Tourists can do a number of things to avoid dangerous encounters with monkeys.Tracie McKinney, Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology, University of South WalesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2209212024-01-23T17:16:13Z2024-01-23T17:16:13ZMeat and dairy industry giants hold the plant power behind many vegan brands<p>“Cast a vote for a greener planet, lower food bills, better health and kindness to animals. And you don’t even have to wait for a general election,” states the global <a href="https://veganuary.com/">Veganuary</a> campaign that encourages people to eat plant-based throughout January. </p>
<p>Transforming the world’s food system through large-scale reduction in meat production is essential if we are to preserve the planet’s natural ecosystems. But I don’t believe Veganuary’s solution is the way to do that. </p>
<p>While the switch to eating vegan food may seem empowering, it places an unrealistic pressure upon consumers to drive the shift to plant-based foods. By failing to highlight the state-backed corporate power at the heart of the food system, Veganuary arguably disempowers its followers. </p>
<p>In collaboration with Charis Davis, MA student in development studies at SOAS University of London, I researched the ownership structure and marketing strategies of several plant-based food companies. We found that many brands that are celebrated for sustainable plant-based food production are owned by giant meat and dairy companies implicated in allegations of large-scale environmental destruction. </p>
<p>Take <a href="https://vivera.com/">Vivera</a>, a pioneer in plant-based food. The Dutch company produces a wide range of vegetarian and vegan food, such as vegan hot dogs, plant salmon fillets, Tex Mex strips and vegan steak. The Vivera website suggests that consumers should buy vegan products to “make a huge difference for human health and the wellbeing of the planet” and states that “you can improve the world with every bite you take by eating plant-based foods”.</p>
<p>However, Vivera’s online marketing and product packaging do not highlight to consumers that it is owned by JBS, the world’s largest meat producer. Every day <a href="https://www.iatp.org/documents/behind-curtain-jbs-net-zero-pledge">JBS’s global operations slaughter</a> 8.7 million birds, 92,600 hogs and 42,700 head of cattle, according to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a US-based thinktank.</p>
<p>JBS’s purchase of Vivera in 2021 does not signify a move away from meat. Shortly after acquiring the plant-based food company, it announced plans to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/brazils-jbs-buy-plant-based-meat-company-vivera-341-mln-euros-filing-2021-04-19/">invest US$130 million</a> in two of its US beef processing plants, to increase cattle slaughtering capacity by around 300,000 a year. <a href="https://www.globalwitness.org/en/blog/big-beef-watch/">JBS</a> is the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/climate/amazon-deforestation-jbs.html&source=gmail-imap&ust=1705593311000000&usg=AOvVaw2DSZS3UHuMbEwdH97G0uqM">biggest purchaser</a> of cattle from the Amazon, and therefore a major contributor to deforestation. </p>
<p>Another case in point is Alpro. The well-known manufacturer of vegan dairy products was bought by Danone in 2017 <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/danone-switch-dairy-factory-plant-based-alpro-diets-shift-2021-11-17/">in response to the growing popularity of milk alternatives</a>. But the language on <a href="https://www.alpro.com/uk/good-for-the-planet/">Alpro’s website</a>, for example “doing your bit with every bite or sip”, seems at odds with <a href="https://www.danone.com/brands/dairy-plant-based-products/strategy-and-key-figures.html">Danone’s claims</a> to be the number one leading brand worldwide for fresh dairy products.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Row of cows in shed eating from pile of food." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570914/original/file-20240123-15-41cscq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570914/original/file-20240123-15-41cscq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570914/original/file-20240123-15-41cscq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570914/original/file-20240123-15-41cscq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570914/original/file-20240123-15-41cscq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570914/original/file-20240123-15-41cscq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570914/original/file-20240123-15-41cscq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some vegan dairy products are owned by traditional dairy producers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cows-on-farm-winter-dairy-cowshed-1895146129">SGr/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cow’s milk creates three times more greenhouse gas emissions, uses ten times as much land and twice as much freshwater than plant-based alternatives, according to calculations by the website <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impact-milks">Our World in Data</a>. </p>
<p>While Danone is expanding into the plant-based market, this does not imply a retreat from its core dairy product lines. As one <a href="https://www.fooddive.com/news/danones-big-runway-for-growth-is-built-on-brand-relevance-n-america-ce/593897/">food industry newsletter</a> put it: “The company … is looking to cross-promote its plant-based and traditional dairy beverages to households where individuals dabble in both categories.”</p>
<p>Both cases exemplify a broader trend where giant meat and dairy-based conglomerates, including JBS and Danone, are buying up smaller plant-based food companies as part of their corporate expansion strategies, according to a 2022 <a href="https://www.ipes-food.org/pages/politicsofprotein">report by IPES-Food</a>, a coalition of food system experts. </p>
<p>At present, meat and dairy producers are supported by mega state subsidies. In the EU and US, livestock farmers receive about <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(23)00347-0">1,000 times more</a> subsidies than plant-based and cultivated meat producers. </p>
<p>Yet Veganuary’s apolitical stance ignores the support the meat and dairy industries receive from rich-country governments. While the planet desperately needs a major shift away from meat production and consumption, mega food corporations probably won’t be the ones to lead the transition to a greener planet. </p>
<h2>How to support plant-based food production</h2>
<p>A significant step change would require governments to do at least three things. First, they should impose hefty fines upon and potentially confiscate the land of corporations that damage the environment through meat and dairy production. </p>
<p>Second, governments should reorient subsidies into plant-based food production instead of supporting agro-industrial meat production. Third, they should expand public welfare to help cash-strapped consumers to buy plant-based products. </p>
<p>Such moves may seem farfetched, but in the context of the existential threat of climate breakdown, they are arguably quite moderate. However, success requires strong political leadership, something that has been sidelined by Veganuary’s celebration of consumer power. </p>
<p>We urgently need to channel the growing public awareness of the environmental damage wrought by the current food system, through voting and large-scale social movements, into a political force that paves a way forward for genuinely climate-friendly diets.</p>
<p><em>In response to the issues raised by this article, a spokesperson for Danone said:
“At Danone, we stand by the fact that both dairy and plant-based foods can contribute to a healthy sustainable diet. With many more people choosing to diversify their food choices, our portfolio allows us to provide a wide range of dairy and plant-based options to best meet their different needs and inspire healthy and sustainable choices in both categories.”</em></p>
<p><em>Veganuary and JBS were both approached for comment but no response has been received.</em></p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin Selwyn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A sustainable food system starts with a fairer corporate structure. It won’t simply come from a shift in consumer habits during Veganuary’s push for people to eat a more plant-based diet. Here’s why.Benjamin Selwyn, Professor of International Relations and International Development, Department of International Relations, University of SussexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2213842024-01-21T12:59:06Z2024-01-21T12:59:06ZDietary fibre affects more than your colon: How the immune system, brain and overall health benefit too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570412/original/file-20240119-19-bkynf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C6%2C3923%2C2249&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Most people only consume about half of the recommended amount of dietary fibre, and it can negatively affect overall health.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/dietary-fibre-affects-more-than-your-colon-how-the-immune-system-brain-and-overall-health-benefit-too" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>There’s no shortage of advice about what to eat, including hype about the latest <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/superfoods/">superfoods</a> that will help you <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/11/398325030/eating-to-break-100-longevity-diet-tips-from-the-blue-zones">live to 100</a>, or about the newest <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/diets-food-trends/#section-2">restrictive diets</a> that claim to help you lose weight and look beautiful. As a researcher from the <a href="https://farncombe.mcmaster.ca/">Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute</a>, I’m well aware that there is no universal “healthy diet” that will work for everyone. </p>
<p>However, most professionals would agree that a diet should be well balanced between the food groups, and it’s better to include more things like vegetables and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu11081806">fermented foods</a> in your diet than restrict yourself unnecessarily. Eating foods that promote gut health improves your overall health too.</p>
<h2>Why is everyone so concerned about fibre?</h2>
<p>The importance of fibre has been known for decades. The late great surgeon and fibre researcher <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422417000117">Denis Burkitt</a> once said, “If you pass small stools, you have to have large hospitals.” But dietary fibre does more than just help move your bowels. Fibre can be considered a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/probiotics/faq-20058065">prebiotic nutrient</a>. </p>
<p>Prebiotics aren’t actively digested and absorbed, rather they are selectively used to promote the growth of a beneficial species of microbes in our gut. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Ffoods8030092">These microbes then help digest foods</a> for us so we can obtain more nutrients, promote gut barrier integrity and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="High-fibre foods against the outline of intestines" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570413/original/file-20240119-17-wpd6x9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570413/original/file-20240119-17-wpd6x9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570413/original/file-20240119-17-wpd6x9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570413/original/file-20240119-17-wpd6x9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570413/original/file-20240119-17-wpd6x9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570413/original/file-20240119-17-wpd6x9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570413/original/file-20240119-17-wpd6x9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Prebiotics aren’t actively digested and absorbed, rather they are selectively used to promote the growth of a beneficial species of microbes in our gut.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fibres can also have microbe-independent effects on our immune system when they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.14871">interact directly with receptors expressed by our cells</a>. These beneficial effects may even help teach the immune system to be more tolerant and reduce inflammation.</p>
<h2>Getting enough dietary fibre?</h2>
<p>Probably not. The so-called <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu15122749">western diet</a> is low in fibre and filled with ultra-processed foods. The <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/nutrients/fibre.html">recommendation for daily fibre</a> is between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-00375-4">25-38 grams depending on factors like age, sex and activity level</a>. Most people consume about half of the recommendation, and it can negatively affect overall health. </p>
<p>Good sources of dietary fibre include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. There is a lot of emphasis on soluble fibres and less on insoluble fibres, but in reality, most foods will contain a mixture of both, and they each <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/soluble-vs-insoluble-fiber%23risks">have their merits</a>. </p>
<p>High fibre snacks are also gaining popularity. With an estimated global value of US$7 billion in 2022, the <a href="https://www.precedenceresearch.com/prebiotic-ingredients-market#:%7E:text=The%2520global%2520prebiotic%2520ingredients%2520market,13.25%2525%2520from%25202022%2520to%25202030">value of the prebiotic ingredient market</a> is expected to triple by 2032.</p>
<h2>The benefits of dietary fibre</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Diagram of a human with arrows linking brain and intestines" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570414/original/file-20240119-17-fwfmrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570414/original/file-20240119-17-fwfmrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570414/original/file-20240119-17-fwfmrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570414/original/file-20240119-17-fwfmrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570414/original/file-20240119-17-fwfmrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570414/original/file-20240119-17-fwfmrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570414/original/file-20240119-17-fwfmrl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fibre is associated with overall health and brain health through the gut-brain axis.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There’s plenty of evidence supporting the benefits of dietary fibre. Fibre isn’t just associated with colon health; it’s associated with overall health and brain health through the <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/the-gut-brain-connection">gut-brain axis</a>. Diets low in fibre have been associated with gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. </p>
<p>On the other hand, consuming adequate fibre also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-00375-4">reduces the risk and mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases and obesity</a>. There are studies that show <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072159">improvements of cognitive function with certain types of fibre</a>. </p>
<p>There are some gastrointestinal diseases, like Celiac disease, which are not typically associated with the benefits of dietary fibre. However, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-00375-4">there isn’t a consensus</a> to the specific type of fibre and dose that would be beneficial in treating most diseases.</p>
<h2>Not all fibre is good fibre</h2>
<p>Shockingly, not all fibre is good for you. Fibre is used as an umbrella term for indigestible plant polysaccharides, so there are many different types with varying fermentability, solubility and viscosity in the gut. </p>
<p>To make things more complex, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.620189">the source matters too</a>. Fibre from one plant isn’t the same as fibre from another plant. Additionally, the old proverb, “too much good is not good” rings true, where overconsumption of fibre supplements can cause symptoms such as constipation, bloating and gas. This is partly due to the differences in gut microbiomes that affect the ability to metabolize fibre to produce beneficial molecules like short-chain fatty acids. </p>
<p>In some cases, such as inflammatory bowel disease patients, lack of microbes with the capacity to digest fibre may allow intact fibres to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2022.09.034">interact with intestinal cells directly and exert pro-inflammatory effects</a>. Recent evidence has even shown that excessively high consumption of soluble fibres, such as inulin, a common supplement, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2023.10.012">can increase the risk of colon cancer development in an experimental animal model</a>.</p>
<h2>Part of a healthy diet</h2>
<p>Dietary fibre is an important part of a healthy diet that can promote both gut and overall health. Fibre helps you feel more satisfied after meals and helps to regulate your blood sugar and cholesterol. Do your best to consume fibre as part of your diet, and when needed, take only the dose of supplements as recommended. </p>
<p>Prebiotics promote the growth of gut microbes that can affect gut health and immunity in the context of many different diseases, although not all fibres are created equal. While fibre won’t cure illness, diet is a great addition to medicines and treatment strategies that can improve their efficacy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221384/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Wulczynski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Fibre isn’t just associated with colon health; it’s associated with overall health and brain health through the gut-brain axis. But not all fibres are created equal.Mark Wulczynski, Medical Sciences PhD Candidate, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2208172024-01-17T13:36:23Z2024-01-17T13:36:23ZChef Bill Granger dies and leaves behind an inadvertent legacy – the avocado toast meme<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569130/original/file-20240112-25-mrzqwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C25%2C4268%2C2818&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is it avocado toast or high interest rates that have prevented so many young people from buying homes?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/avocado-butter-royalty-free-image/185328444?phrase=avocado+toast+illustration&searchscope=image%2Cfilm&adppopup=true">Josef Mohyla/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Christmas Day 2023, world-renowned Australian chef and restaurateur <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/dec/27/bill-granger-renowned-australian-cook-dies-aged-54">Bill Granger died at 54</a>. </p>
<p>Granger owned and operated 19 restaurants across Australia, the U.K., Japan and South Korea. He authored 14 cookbooks, produced several TV shows and was awarded <a href="https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/food-and-wine/how-bill-granger-conquered-the-world-s-breakfast-tables-20230307-p5cq7g">the Medal of the Order of Australia</a>.</p>
<p>But his lasting legacy may be his role in making avocado toast <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/dining/bill-granger-dead.html">a Western culinary staple</a> – and, inadvertently, the viral meme that transformed the open sandwich into a symbol of generational tension.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Man uses a spatula to flip pancakes in a frying pan." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569577/original/file-20240116-17-asgem0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569577/original/file-20240116-17-asgem0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569577/original/file-20240116-17-asgem0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569577/original/file-20240116-17-asgem0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569577/original/file-20240116-17-asgem0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569577/original/file-20240116-17-asgem0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569577/original/file-20240116-17-asgem0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bill Granger was renowned for adding a bougie twist to breakfast.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/australian-chef-bill-granger-cooks-pancakes-for-tasting-of-news-photo/72864230?adppopup=true">Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The practice of spreading avocado on bread has existed for centuries, particularly in Central and South America. Some speculate it dates as far back as the 1500s, <a href="https://tastecooking.com/really-invented-avocado-toast/">when the Spanish settlers brought Western breads to Mexico</a>. But a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/05/06/how-the-internet-became-ridiculously-obsessed-with-avocado-toast/">2016 Washington Post article</a> pointed to Granger as the first person to put avocado toast on a menu, when he did so at his Sydney café, Bills, in 1993.</p>
<p>I love ordering the occasional avocado toast. But as a sociologist of the internet and social media, I’m most interested in the meme – its origins, how it became a point of contention and how it has ultimately muddied the waters of inequality. </p>
<h2>Avocado toast and the American dream</h2>
<p>On May 15, 2017, Australian real estate tycoon <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/09/13/australia-real-estate-ceo-tim-gurner-pain-in-economy-avocado-toast/">Tim Gurner</a> said <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/15/australian-millionaire-millennials-avocado-toast-house">in an interview</a>, “When I was trying to buy my first home, I wasn’t buying smashed avocado for $19 and four coffees at $4 each.”</p>
<p>Gurner’s comments implied that young people were not buying homes at the same rate as older generations due to their poor money management skills – unlike Gurner and his cohort, who understood the value of a buck and the importance of an honest day’s work. </p>
<p>No matter that minimal research revealed that Gurner’s nearly billion-dollar empire <a href="https://thiswastv.com/tim-gurner-parents/">began with financial assistance from his wealthy family</a>. The backlash on the internet was swift and searing, as Gurner became a stand-in for an entire out-of-touch generation who didn’t know how easy they had it.</p>
<p>Memes emphasized the fact that baby boomers, in general, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhe.2019.01.004">had an easier time becoming homeowners</a> compared to millennials, who largely came of age during the post-2008 economic downturn, which forced them to reckon with the crumbling remains of the American dream.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"910207147861983232"}"></div></p>
<h2>Generational tensions or class tensions?</h2>
<p>In their article “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205211025724">A Sociological Analysis of ‘OK Boomer</a>,’” sociologists Jason Mueller and John McCollum describe how we’re in a period rife with confusions exacerbated by the internet. </p>
<p>They conclude that meme trends like “<a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ok-boomer">OK Boomer</a>” – a phrase that Gen Z popularized as an online retort to politicians and reporters who dismissed young people – reflect a world in which generational wars online coexist with class wars offline. The avocado toast meme works in a similar way.</p>
<p>In offline reality, <a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w27123/w27123.pdf">there is some correlation between generations and wealth</a>. But generations are not what ultimately explain class inequality. </p>
<p>Instead, economic sociologists largely agree that a political emphasis on market “freedoms” and the concurrent paring back of programs that distribute resources have led to soaring economic inequality. These include laws that deregulated markets and privatized public spaces, as well as those that scaled back funding for health care, welfare, education and other government services. The policies first emerged under the umbrella of “<a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-soc-090220-025543">The Washington Consensus</a>” in the late 20th century. </p>
<p>For example, the <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/general/telecommunications-act-1996">Telecommunications Act of 1996</a>, rather than treating emerging internet technology as a public good, <a href="https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/14707">ensured the privatization of the internet</a>, paving the way for an online economy that profits off the attention and data of users.</p>
<p>Deregulation has created the conditions for today’s economic reality, in which many millennials and Gen Zers must work <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/REGE-08-2021-0153/full/html">precarious jobs in the gig economy</a>. They continue to struggle to buy homes and afford rent.</p>
<p>But importantly, many baby boomers face the same economic reality. Millions of them have been forced <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22694">to delay retirement</a>, particularly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22694">if they’re from marginalized races and genders</a>. </p>
<p>In other words, the adverse impacts of class inequality leave no generation untouched.</p>
<h2>Illusions of separation</h2>
<p>So why does it feel like most baby boomers have it so easy?</p>
<p>Cultural theorist Mark Fisher, in his 2009 book “<a href="https://files.libcom.org/files/Capitalist%20Realism_%20Is%20There%20No%20Alternat%20-%20Mark%20Fisher.pdf">Capitalist Realism</a>,” describes this moment in history as one in which “hyperreality” prevails. </p>
<p>The term, coined by <a href="https://revistia.org/files/articles/ejis_v3_i3_17/Ryszard.pdf">French post-modernist Jean Baudrillard</a> in 1981, essentially describes a state in which simulations of reality appear more “real” than reality. </p>
<p>In his book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simulacra-Simulation-Body-Theory-Materialism/dp/0472065211">Simulacra and Simulation</a>,” Baudrillard uses the example of Disneyland to describe hyperreality. Many people would rather pay to go to Disneyland – a park built to mimic imaginary places – <a href="https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/destination-science-the-natural-world-outside-disney-world">than travel to national parks</a>, where they can experience nature for free or on the cheap.</p>
<p>The virtual world of the internet – with its own sets of cultural norms, language and memes – is the epitome of hyperreality.</p>
<p>And in the hyperreal world of the internet, as Mueller and McCollum discuss in their article about the “OK Boomer” meme, generational tensions take form.</p>
<p>Memes like avocado toast construct a state of generational conflict in the online world that is real, quite simply, because it feels real.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1011175349055623169"}"></div></p>
<p>Algorithms have every incentive to stoke this conflict. </p>
<p>That’s because online generational conflicts, along with most social media battles, <a href="https://theconversation.com/hate-cancel-culture-blame-algorithms-129402">are immensely profitable</a>. In “<a href="https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/virality">Virality: Contagion Theory in the Age of Networks</a>,” sociologist Tony Sampson concludes that viral content usually elicits strong emotional reactions.</p>
<p>When users, old and young, are angry with one another, and express that anger in the language of memes, social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter, get more engagement and make more money.</p>
<h2>Reframing avocado toast</h2>
<p>What Sampson finds, though, is that positive feelings also lead to virality.</p>
<p>So perhaps one way to honor Granger is to reclaim the avocado toast meme as an in-joke that nonmillionaires and nonbillionaires of all generations can relate to. </p>
<p>It’s about one billionaire’s absurd proposition that millennials eating a fleshy fruit on a piece of toast is preventing them from buying homes. It’s the billionaire divorced from the struggles of everyday people who’s out of touch – not an entire generation of boomers. </p>
<p>The avocado toast meme serves as a reminder that the hyperreal space of the internet distorts an offline reality in which generations share struggles, whether through housing insecurity or delayed retirements – a reality perpetuated by billionaires like Tim Gurner and the economic systems that serve their interests.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220817/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aarushi Bhandari does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Granger, who died in December 2023, is credited with making avocado toast fashionable. Little did he know that his lasting legacy would inspire a meme that symbolized generational tension.Aarushi Bhandari, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Davidson CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2163552024-01-16T19:15:14Z2024-01-16T19:15:14ZSpace travel taxes astronauts’ brains. But microbes on the menu could help in unexpected ways<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565638/original/file-20231213-27-4xr8mj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5991%2C3000&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/smiling-man-astronaut-presents-shawarma-kebab-1128088580">studiostoks/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Feeding astronauts on a long mission to Mars goes well beyond ensuring they have enough nutrients and calories to survive their multi-year journey.</p>
<p>Providing astronauts with the right diet is also paramount in supporting their <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncir.2023.1170395/full?trk=public_post_comment-text">mental and cognitive health</a>, in a way unlike previous missions.</p>
<p>So we need to radically rethink how we feed astronauts not only on a challenging mission to Mars, which could be on the cards in the late 2030s or early 2040s, but to prepare for possible settlement on the red planet. </p>
<p>That includes acknowledging the role of microbes in mental health and wellbeing, and providing astronauts with the right foods and conditions for a variety of these beneficial microbes to grow. Our research aims to do just that.</p>
<p>Here’s why a healthy balance of microbes is important under such challenging conditions, and how we could put microbes on the menu.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/was-going-to-space-a-good-idea-218235">Was going to space a good idea?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why are missions to Mars so challenging?</h2>
<p>Deep space missions will expose humans to immense physical and psychological challenges. These include prolonged isolation from loved ones, extreme space and resource constraints, and the difficulties of microgravity. </p>
<p>Disruption to astronauts’ circadian rhythms, prolonged radiation exposure and dietary changes can also lower their cognitive performance and wellbeing. </p>
<p>The hazardous conditions, combined with the psychological toll of potential spacecraft failures, can all contribute to mental health problems.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-live-in-space-what-weve-learned-from-20-years-of-the-international-space-station-144851">How to live in space: what we've learned from 20 years of the International Space Station</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why is diet important for mental health?</h2>
<p>We already know the quality of people’s diet not only influences their physical health, but also their mental and brain health. </p>
<p>Diet quality is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-018-0237-8">consistently and independently linked</a> to the risk of depression or anxiety. Clinical trials <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35441666/">show</a> improving diet quality <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30720698">can lead to</a> profound improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms. </p>
<p>Diet also affects the size and function of a specific brain region – the hippocampus – that is crucial to learning and memory, as well as for maintaining <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-015-0461-x?report=reader">mental health</a>. When even young healthy adults eat “junk” foods, aspects of cognition linked to the hippocampus quickly <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rsos.191338">decline</a>.</p>
<p>On the other hand, research shows a diet containing more and varied plant foods and seafood (which are rich in components called long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and flavonoids) leads to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-21927-5">better cognitive performance</a>. This study was conducted in a closed chamber for 45 days, designed to mimic conditions in space.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Plate of salmon on bed of green salad, with lemon slices, on blue wood table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565649/original/file-20231213-23-owo81l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A diet rich in plant food and seafood might help your brain, but how do you turn that into space food that will go the distance?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/grilled-salmon-vegetables-366852431">Jacek Chabraszewski/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Diet can have such consequences by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33144709">altering</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>immune function</li>
<li>the size and functioning of the hippocampus </li>
<li>chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) systems</li>
<li>how our bodies respond to stress.</li>
</ul>
<p>Diet can also influence the many ways microbes in the gut affect the brain, a link known as the <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00018.2018?rfr_dat=cr_pub">microbiota gut-brain axis</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/essays-on-health-microbes-arent-the-enemy-theyre-a-big-part-of-who-we-are-79116">Essays on health: microbes aren't the enemy, they're a big part of who we are</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Not all foods make the grade</h2>
<p>Space foods need to appeal to a diverse crew and stay nutritious for an extremely long time (likely a three- to five-year mission). They also need to be lightweight and compact enough to fit on the spacecraft.</p>
<p>Once on Mars, challenges include growing fresh food and culturing protein sources. Beyond providing nutrients, we also need to consider providing more recently identified factors including phytonutrients (such as polyphenols), fermentation products and microbes. These will likely be crucial to sustain health and, indeed, life on deep space missions.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/humans-are-going-back-to-the-moon-and-beyond-but-how-will-we-feed-them-189794">Humans are going back to the Moon, and beyond – but how will we feed them?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why are microbes so important?</h2>
<p>If you’ve seen the film <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-martian-review-science-fiction-that-respects-science-fact-48373">The Martian</a>, you’ll know microbes are a crucial aspect of growing food, and are essential for keeping humans alive and functioning. </p>
<p>We have co-evolved with, and are hosts to, trillions of different microbes that live on our skin and in all our niches and cavities. This includes our mouths, nose, vagina, lungs and – crucially – our gut.</p>
<p>Most of these microbes are bacteria. The largest number are in the gut, where they influence our digestion, metabolism, and immune, endocrine (hormone) and nervous systems.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YB-8JEo_0bI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">What is the human microbiome?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The relationship between gut microbes and <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00018.2018?rfr_dat=cr_pub">mental health and behaviour</a> goes both ways. Gut microbes influence our mental health and behaviour, and these, in turn, influence our gut microbes. </p>
<p>Other components of our microbiomes – viruses, fungi and even parasites – and the oral and lung microbiome are also linked to mental and <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00018.2018?rfr_dat=cr_pub">brain health</a>. </p>
<p>Importantly, we <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05620-1">share microbes</a> with others, including via the exchange of air, which is highly relevant in closed-environment systems such as inside spacecrafts.</p>
<p>So ensuring all astronauts have the healthiest and most diverse of microbes for the whole of the mission is vital.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-some-farts-smell-and-some-dont-and-why-do-some-farts-feel-hot-215064">Curious Kids: why do some farts smell and some don’t? And why do some farts feel hot?</a>
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<h2>How could we encourage healthy microbes?</h2>
<p>It’s not just the food itself we have to think about. We also need to think about how we grow the food if we are to support healthy microbiomes. </p>
<p>Indeed, microbes play an essential role in the nutrient and phytochemical content of plants, and the microbes in soil, plants and humans are interconnected. Research published in 2023 confirms bacteria on vegetables and other plant foods find a home in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19490976.2023.2258565">human gut</a>, enhancing microbe diversity. </p>
<p>But current ways of growing foods on spacecraft don’t use natural soil. Standard “vertical farming” methods grow plants in an alternative growth medium – imagine a next-generation hydroponics system. So we may need to add an optimised microbial cocktail to these systems to enhance the health properties of the foods astronauts grow and eat.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Growing tending plants in a vertical farm" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565654/original/file-20231213-19-kwbbo1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">This closed chamber mimics how astronauts will grow fresh crops in space.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nasa.gov/technology/tech-transfer-spinoffs/nasa-research-launches-a-new-generation-of-indoor-farming/">NASA</a></span>
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<p><a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)01515-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS009286742201515X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Fermented protein</a> from microbes can be quickly produced in a bioreactor on board the spacecraft, even from food waste. Some types have a meat-like flavour and texture, and can provide all the amino acids humans need as well as useful byproducts from the microbes themselves. </p>
<p>Fermentation itself creates thousands of different bioactive molecules, including some vitamins, that have diverse <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1028415X.2018.1544332">beneficial effects on health</a>, including possible benefits to mental health.</p>
<p>While we don’t yet know what types of fermented foods are possible in space, we could include fermented foods, such as kimchi and sauerkraut, in astronauts’ diets on Earth.</p>
<p>Probiotics and prebiotics as supplements may also be essential. Probiotics are live microbes that have demonstrated health benefits and prebiotics are food for these healthy microbes.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-kombucha-and-how-do-the-health-claims-stack-up-87180">What is kombucha and how do the health claims stack up?</a>
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<h2>Benefits on Earth too</h2>
<p>We’re only at the start of learning how to optimise microbes to keep space crews healthy, which is crucial for long space flights and for possible settlement on other planets. </p>
<p>However, this research could have many other applications. We can use what we learn to help create self-sustaining and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/technology/tech-transfer-spinoffs/nasa-research-launches-a-new-generation-of-indoor-farming/">sustainable food systems</a> on Earth to improve the environment and human health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Felice N Jacka is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council investigator grant (#1194982). She has received: (1) competitive grant/research support from the Brain and Behaviour Research Institute, the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Rotary Health, the Geelong Medical Research Foundation, the Ian Potter Foundation, The University of Melbourne; (2) industry support for research from Meat and Livestock Australia, Woolworths Limited, the A2 Milk Company, Be Fit Foods, Bega Cheese; (3) philanthropic support from the Fernwood Foundation, Wilson Foundation, the JTM Foundation, the Serp Hills Foundation, the Roberts Family Foundation, the Waterloo Foundation and; (4) travel support and speakers honoraria from Sanofi-Synthelabo, Janssen Cilag, Servier, Pfizer, Network Nutrition, Angelini Farmaceutica, Eli Lilly, Metagenics, and The Beauty Chef. She is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Dauten Family Centre for Bipolar Treatment Innovation and Zoe Limited. Felice Jacka has written two books for commercial publication.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dorit Donoviel is Executive Director, NASA-Funded Translational (moving products from lab-bench to practice) Research Institute for Space Health at Baylor College of Medicine. Dorit receives funding from NASA through Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A and disburses this funding to research groups and companies performing work to safeguard the health of humans in deep space.</span></em></p>Here’s why a healthy balance of microbes is important for astronauts when they travel to Mars and beyond.Felice Jacka, Alfred Deakin Professor, Deakin UniversityDorit Donoviel, Executive Director/Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.