Page 45 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

Food Health

directly into your body. So, how the US and many parts of Europe, there are individuals who are
is it possible that people would where soil cannot bear fruits and concerned about it, they have
then try to dismiss it casually, or vegetables anymore, unless you do children and they are trying to
sweep it under the rug? It makes miracles to it. But luckily, we still prepare a future for the chil-
no sense, unless something or have soil here that is highly arable, dren that is actually secure and
someone, some external force, so our policies must reflect the fact safe. So, they need to act now in
has come to interfere with them that Afrikan countries should not order to push things back, create
or rather line their pockets in regret that we went down a certain space, create safe food. What can
some way. There is no other way way. people do?
to explain it. Without food you The reason I introduced the issue of
die, with food you live. If you put Unfortunately, everything that seems the price of organic food was for us
strange food into your body, you to come out of Europe seems to be to see, in Ghana we say feely-feely,
become sick and die. It is basic. the thing to follow, you know, the that really-really, the price of or-
Exactly, and you see the issue with benchmark that is set, but we should ganic food has a premium for some
food is that we all know that there remember that we are the first reason, otherwise it would not be
is a premium now placed on organic scientists. We introduced agriculture, more expensive. Meaning that there
food. That food that is supposed science, engineering, and mathemat- is something more valuable in food
to be grown without fertilizers has ics to the planet, and despite what that is grown in such a responsible
a higher price in the markets. So we have been through we know the manner. Now every family needs
then what does it mean to Afri- most about the plants and anything to realize that. If it is possible, start
kan countries who primarily grow from this planet. So, when it comes growing some aspect of what you
food, who have all the soil, and the to our food and what we love, we eat at home. The lettuce, the spring
sunshine, and the rainfall to be able understand and we know what we onions, you can grow tomatoes on
to provide to world global markets, are talking about. your balcony, you can grow them in
that our food is organic, that our a box, you can cut a plastic bottle
food has not been sprayed with Food is a very important issue and into half, fill it with soil and grow
cancerous glyphosate, that our food I am glad that you had the time lettuce, tomatoes… more people
is grown responsibly? We have a for us to discuss this because it is need to realize that food must come
comparative advantage as Afrika to something that is flying under the from closer to where you are than
realize that our endowment of the radar of a lot of people. People are so far away. Being shipped overseas,
kind of weather we have, and the following football teams, and I do being stored in warehouses for
kind of soil we have… and by the not want to name any of them, but years, and so on and so forth.
way, when I say soil, soil is a living they follow football teams, and the
entity. You cannot spray soil with scores of different matches, and you The other thing that people must
cancerous chemicals, you cannot would be surprised at how people realize is that if you love yourself
continue to pound soil with inor- know the statistics of certain player. and if you are truthful to yourself
ganic fertilizer and expect it to be You look at certain Afrikan men and then you have to realize that just as
productive. You must nurture it, you women… I always look and I am you love your children, and if you
must take care of it; the earthworms like “Look at this dude... knows the do not want your children to come
and the microorganisms that exist statistics of this player, how many through something more horrific
in soil are there for a reason; so, minutes he played in the last match, than what we are already witnessing,
when you come with your knap- when he first signed his contract, you must start to make a change.
sack and you spray this highly toxic how much he made and he has no You must start to have a conscious
cocktail of chemicals, you kill all the idea that in his own country issues way that you respond to even the
earthworms, you kill all the microor- about the food have reached this market, the things you buy; you
ganisms, you are affecting that soil. peak.” So, it is very important that must stop buying things that have
You are affecting its ability to retain we all advocate for it. been imported from so far away that
water; you are affecting its ability to you do not know the policy of this
give nutrients to plants. It is a highly I agree completely. So, what company that makes it, you do not
shortsighted way of approaching can people do? Just regular folk, know how long this has been sitting
agriculture, because soon, many because it is apparent that within in a warehouse in some port before
Afrikan countries may not have soil the government there is already it was cleared at the ports -we all
that is productive, just as it is in a level of compromise; but then know how the ports are - before it

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