Page 57 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 16

Health & Healing

Resource use and abuse as well as
environmental damage due to food
production and consumption need
to be addressed to ensure sustain-
able food systems.

Governments must realize that
improving nutrition is crucial for
economic and social progress. No
country can achieve and sustain
development with a malnourished
contributes to various malnutrition and actionable knowledge and in- population. Without healthy people,
problems. formation, many will try to improve future productivity and progress will
their food behavior. But mislead- be severely compromised.
Meanwhile, excessive salt consump- ing ‘information’ from food and
tion contributes to hypertension or beverage companies and advertising Good nutrition and food safety
‘high blood pressure’ which, in turn, firms is widespread and influential in are necessary for healthy societies
causes various other health prob- popular culture. and future progress. Governments
lems. Meanwhile, deep fried food should use the Covid-19 induced
has become the most popular type The problem is made worse by reconsideration of food security in
of ‘fast food’, concealing possible popular, even iconic figures who relation to supply chains to better
staleness or even ‘rotting’, as more dispense misleading ideas, even address malnutrition and safety
prepared meals are increasingly pur- half-truths, as part of their own issues.
chased and consumed, not prepared discourses and narratives, often
at home. without meaning to do harm, but Food security initiatives prompted
as part of their own efforts to gain by pandemic considerations should
Balanced, healthy diets or retain popularity, legitimacy and promote food system changes that
The consequences of not eating authority. will encourage more sustainable and
properly need to be widely under- Various media and popular culture healthy diets. This opportunity to
stood. Healthy eating requires di- — at the workplace, at worship strengthen food systems must also
etary diversity. Healthy diets should and at home — as well as peers, prioritize nutrition, food safety and
be adequately diverse, to ensure family and friends greatly influence dietary diversity.
consumption of various foods. food behaviors. Women, typically
Consuming a variety of nutritious the main caregivers, are particularly
foods can supply all the nutrients important, often choosing the food
people need. purchased, prepared and consumed.
We all need macro-nutrients (car-
bohydrates, protein, fats), without Transforming food systems
overeating staples like rice or bread, Food systems need to be repur-
or fatty, sugary and salty food, and posed to better produce and supply
micro-nutrients, especially vitamins safe and nutritious food. Ensuring
and minerals. that food systems improve nutrition
is not just a matter of increasing
Governments, employers, family and production. The entire ‘nutrition
peer pressure can help encourage value chain’ — from farm to fork,
better eating. Food regulations and from production to consumption
meal arrangements can thus im- — needs to be considered to ensure Professor Wan Manan Muda is Visit-
prove eating practices, behavior and the food system better feeds the ing Professor at Alma Ata University in
habits. population. Jogjakarta, Indonesia. He was Professor
of Public Health and Nutrition at Uni-
When people better understand the Food systems have to improve pro- versiti Sains Malaysia, and long active in
effects of their food behavior, and duction practices, post-harvest pro-
have relevant, easily comprehensible cessing and consumption behavior. Malaysian university reform efforts.

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 16 | OCTOBER 2021 57