Make Food About Nutrition, Nature and Livelihoods

Poorer countries have health problems because of lack of food. Then as people get rich, they end up losing the health advantage of food availability. They eat processed food that is high in salt, sugar and fat, which make them obese and ill. It is only when societies get very rich, that they rediscover the benefits of eating real food and value sustainability. Then it becomes difficult to reverse the cycle as the business of food takes over.

In my country -- India -- ironically it is happening all at once. We have a huge challenge of malnourishment and now a growing battle with the bulge and its associated diseases of diabetes, hypertension. But we also have an advantage -- we have still not lost our culture of real food. The nutrition, nature and livelihood connection still exists as Indians eat local, nutritious, home-cooked meals, which are more than often frugal. But this is because we are poor. The question and challenge is if we can continue to eat healthy meals that are sourced from bio-diverse nature and built on rich culinary cultures even as we get rich. This is the real test.

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