Page 60 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 23
P. 60
Food health
Obviously, this is not going to Consumption is corporate driven emissions generated by the
work. But it’s not necessary or production and transport of
desirable either. The reality is To address the climate crisis, we exported and imported goods
that the industrial food system need, in an equitable manner, and services represent 20-
is organised around corporate to reign in the consumption 30% of global greenhouse gas
profit, not the allocation of and production of the industrial emissions. In the case of fruits and
finite resources (and emissions) meat, industrial dairy and vegetables, it’s 36%.
towards ensuring that all eight unnecessary foods privileged by
billion people on this planet have corporations. Instead, we have Or consider sugar. While the
enough nutritious food to eat. We to give priority to the production UK’s climate authorities have
have a global food system built and consumption of local, healthy recommended a 20% cut in meat
on the mass production of a few foods. The science demonstrating and dairy consumption by 2030,
commodity crops for conversion how much these industrial foods and a 35% cut for meat by 2050,
to meat, dairy and processed contribute to climate havoc sugar is now coming into focus.
foods, plus the steady supply is advancing. We now know
of luxury items to the wealthy that reducing consumption of The UK produces more than
(think of chocolate, flowers and industrially produced red meat enough sugar for its people.
strawberries) – all of which and dairy among the well-off or And this production comes at
generate huge emissions without well-fed can reduce diet-related a “climate” cost related to very
providing much nutrition in climate emissions substantially – high land and water use, the loss
return. by 75%, according to researchers of topsoil, biodiversity erosion
at Oxford University. And and misdirected subsidies. The
This corporate food system is replacing animal-based foods health cost is, of course, just as
also wasteful. One-third of the with pulses, nuts, fruits and worrisome, with two-thirds of
food that is produced is wasted. vegetables provides major health British society either overweight
That means it ends up in landfills benefits as well: a lower risk of or obese. But the country imports
where it generates significant cardiovascular disease and type almost twice the amount of sugar
greenhouse gases, especially 2 diabetes, and reduced mortality it over-produces, generating an
methane. Moreover, much of the from diet-related illness. even higher climate bill.
food that corporations produce is
“junk” to begin with. Nestlé – the Yet these changes are not to This excess consumption is
Swiss company that dominates be trivialised as, or reduced driven not by consumer demand
global grocery shelves and spends to, individual behaviour. We but by corporate greed. Sugar
hundreds of millions of dollars overproduce and overconsume is a cheap food ingredient that
every year on advertising and food and energy collectively. increases sales, especially in the
lobbying to ensure sales of its Corporate agendas – which form of highly processed foods.
products – has acknowledged that are propelled against the Imports are baked into the UK’s
“the nutritional value of less than public interest through many free trade agreements to
half its portfolio of mainstream marketing, political lobbying support corporate interests, not the
food and drinks can be considered and trade agreements – drive public’s. British groups are now
‘healthy’ using a commonly both overproduction and demanding a full restructuring
accepted definition.” overconsumption. (See box on of the industry – all the way to
Think of all the lands, water and Jalisco.) The global trade regime redirecting sugar subsidies to
energy that could be repurposed relies on and reinforces ever make fruit and vegetables more
towards the production of more consumption, stimulation affordable instead.
nutritious foods if we did away and growth. Today, according to Our chance to move
with the Nestlés of this world. the World Trade Organisation, As already noted, while individual
60 | we tell the true afrikan story
