Fix our food

“Organic is something we can all partake of and benefit from. When we demand organic, we are demanding poison-free food. We are demanding clean air. We are demanding pure, fresh water. We are demanding soil that is free to do its job and seeds that are free of toxins. We are demanding that our children be protected from harm. We all need to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done—buy organic whenever we can, insist on organic, fight for organic and work to make it the norm. We must make organic the conventional choice and not the exception available only to the rich and educated.” 
― Maria Rodale,

Our food system is broken!

The 2017 Global Nutrition Report indicates that we are not going to meet international targets for stunting, wasting, obesity and diabetes. Food loss and waste comprise 30 percent of food produced worldwide and we have a food system that contributes to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.  We have degraded one third of the earth with industrial farming and we produce far too much food that is devoid of any nutritional value- other than energy.

Not only are there many populations who don’t have enough to eat; there are also an estimated 600 million who fall ill after eating unsafe food. Around 815 million people are now estimated to be hungry, and yet there are over 2 billion overweight and obese. For the first time we see both overweight and malnourished in the same population group due to the poor nutritional quality of our processed food supply.

A food system that has both starving and obese is a broken one and is currently unequal, unsustainable, unstable, and needs transformative action. We need to understand that food is both the problem and solution. We can’t continue to believe that it’s someone else’s problem; that we can only do our little bit. We need to speak up and use our dollar and voice to change our food.

We need to ask ourselves are we spending money on the most nutritious foods that contribute to a healthy diet? Are we using our tax dollars to support companies that produce nutritious food in ways that support resilient ecosystems? Are we investing our hard earned dollars into healthy diets and sustainable food. According to the research we are not anywhere close to doing this.

Industrialised food production is taking a heavy toll, with the current agricultural food system causing soil erosion and degradation, oceanic dead zones, greenhouse gas emissions, and pesticide contamination. This has devastating effects on both humans and wildlife. We have an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, destruction of soil microbes, and bees; all being decimated as a result of pesticide use. It cannot be denied we are farming, producing, and consuming in a destructive manner. Of course, we need agriculture to feed the growing population; but we need to do things very differently. We need to heal ecosystems, and support the farms that are doing it right; those creating living, breathing systems with regenerative farming.

There are some things we can do to make a difference. As mentioned we should reassess where we are spending our money. Big supermarket chains stock factory farmed meat, pesticide sprayed produce and packaged processed junk. Convenience food may help us feed our family after a busy day, however it is damaging our health and our planet. It’s hard; I get it. Time is precious, but cooking from scratch with natural ingredients is an investment into our families health and wellbeing. Choosing to shop at farmers markets or a local farm gate is a great way to ensure that you are purchasing fresh, organic, seasonal produce.

"This magical, marvellous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a story to tell. It has a journey. It leaves a footprint. It leaves a legacy. To eat with reckless abandon, without conscience, without knowledge; folks, this ain't normal.”

- Joel Salatin

Eating seasonally is important. The modern food system has erased the natural transitions our ancestors flowed through, and if you take the time to think about these transitions, they make perfect sense. Winter food is more calorie dense and can be stored for longer periods of time (think pumpkins, potatoes, turnips, beets, leeks; even carrots can be stored for lengthy periods). Winter fruits are naturally high in vitamin C which improves immune function and winter vegetables are perfect for comforting soups and stews.As we move into summer we are outdoors for longer periods and generally more active. We need more water to rehydrate and summer fruits are liquid rich and thirst quenching. Summer fruits provide loads of beta-carotene and other carotenoids which help protect against sun damage. There is some evidence to show that eating seasonally is better for our health, but no general consensus from the research. It could be argued that eating seasonally reduces nutritional density and variety during certain months of year due to limited supplies. But, it could also be argued that if we pay attention to what foods are in season, we will increase diversity rather than sticking to our year-round favourites.

Get to know your local farmer and learn how they farm and process the animals or plants that you consume. Understanding how an animal lives and dies reconnects us to our food and will impact us in ways we cant imagine. When we come to appreciate that a living animal dies so we can enjoy a healthy nourishing meal, we are less likely to waste food. This is a really important practice for kids.

Support regenerative farming practices. Will Harris runs White Oak Pastures in America and is well known for regenerative farming and humane animal management practices. Recently results of a carbon foot print evaluation of regenerative grazing was released which brought to light important facts. These farming practices capture soil carbon, effectively offsetting the majority of emissions related to beef production. The net result is the carbon footprint is 111 % lower for grass fed meat than that of industrial farmed meat.

Christine Page wrote an excellent article explaining how cattle grazing recycles carbon and is beneficial for the environment. Page makes a poignant point; grasslands and ruminants evolved together; and so, grass evolved to be grazed. Most of the world’s farmland is grass and some can’t be ploughed or irrigated. How wonderful and symbiotic that grazing cows can digest the grass and give us a nutrient rich source of food. When considering the food insecurity on our planet, is it ethical to not produce food on free grassland?

The above-mentioned grassland fixes carbon as it grows. Grass is designed to be eaten by herbivores. When grass is grazed, its roots remain underground, adding carbon to the soil.

What an amazing system. Plants photosynthesise carbon. They pull carbon out of the air, pumping around 40 percent of it into the soil to give to microorganisms in exchange for water and minerals. To clarify, plants have a barter system going on with the bacteria living in our soil. The plants give the bacteria organic sugars containing carbon (carbohydrate), in return for nutrients in the soil. Unfortunately, with the use of pesticides, the bacteria are decimated and with the use of synthetic fertilisers plants don’t need the nutrients from the bacteria. This upsets the well-functioning barter system.

“Organic farming appealed to me because it involved searching for and discovering nature's pathways, as opposed to the formulaic approach of chemical farming. The appeal of organic farming is boundless; this mountain has no top, this river has no end.”

- Eliot Coleman

In a regenerative system when grasses are grazed (not all the way down to the ground, which is why pasture rotation for ruminants is vital), energy is used to regrow. During this active regrowth period the grass will suck carbon from the air to store above and below the ground. So, cattle grazing on pasture and being rotated, will speed up carbon storage or sequestration in soil. This model produces healthy soil which is a sink for carbon. If left un-grazed the grass just grows eventually reaching full height, then dies and is broken down or reabsorbed into soil and air. Of importance is that full grown grass doesn’t cycle as much carbon as grass in the active phase.

Another thing we can all do to reconnect with our food is grow something. You don’t need a lot of room. Plant some herbs in a window box or a tomato plant in a pot. We often forget that food begins with a plant that turns sunlight into energy. Food isn’t produced in plastic wrap in a supermarket.

And we must reduce our waste. If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, after America and China. We grow, process, package our food which is already sending greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere; then as a final insult we throw the food away for it to rot in landfill. It’s easy to do isn’t it? Buy too much in the supermarket and then throw unused food out. But the ease at which we do this comes at a cost. Household waste isn’t the main offender: up until recently fruit and vegetables that were the wrong shape of blemished in some small way was thrown in the dumpster by supermarkets. Thankfully that has changed, so please consider buying the wonky carrots and other misshapen fruits and vegetables.

With our growing global population, we need a revolution involving farmers, retailers, consumers, and governments. New practices are required, and ancient farming practices should be revisited if we are to halt the destruction. It’s now a question of survival. 

"The fast-food industry is in very good company with the lead industry and the tobacco industry in how it tries to mislead the public, and how aggressively it goes after anybody who criticises its business practices."

- Eric Schlosser



Food and Agriculture Organization (2013). ‘Food Wastage Footprint: Impacts on Natural Resources.’ FAO, Rome.

  https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/2017-global-nutrition-report/

 R Lal (2004). ‘Soil carbon sequestration impacts on climate change and food security.’ Science. Vol 304. pp 1623–1627;

DS Wilcove, LP Koh (2010) ‘Biodiversity and Conservation’ Vol 19 p 999;

B Eskenazi, AR Marks, A Bradman, et al. (2007).’Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure and Neurodevelopment in Young Mexican-American Children.’ Environmental Health Perspectives. Vol 11(5) p 5; 

R Diaz, & R Rosenberg (2008). ‘Spreading Dead Zones and Consequences for Marine Ecosystems.’ Science. Vol 321(5891) pp 926-929.

C Page (2018). ‘Carbon Mooooves.’ https://www.smilingtreefarm.com/blog/carbon-mooooves Accessed 2020.03.11

 W Chen, D Huang, N Liu et al ( 2015). ‘Improved grazing management may increase soil carbon sequestration in temperate steppe.’ Scientific Reports. Vol 5 p10892.

MD Whiteside,GDA Werner, VEA Caldas et al (2019). ‘Mycorrhizal Fungi Respond to Resource Inequality by Moving Phosphorus from Rich to Poor Patches across Networks.’ Current Biology. Vol 29, (12) pp 2043 - 2050.