For climate and peace
Nutrition is more than just eating. Hunger can be politicized. A culture’s relationship to food is reflected in its landscapes. A conscious approach to food is an expression of dignity and of respect for all of earth’s living creatures. Joy in food has a positive effect on health.
This year, the UN’s World Food Programme will receive the Peace Nobel Prize because combatting hunger is peace work. But hunger is also a weapon used against people. And hunger arises as a consequence of the climate crisis, for instance when harvests are destroyed by droughts and flooding. Nutrition is something that concerns each of us and it is fundamental to our health. The WHO even proposes that health is a human right.
But who is responsible for it? Thanks to Covid-19, we have become more aware of the connection between personal health and ecologically grown food, because healthy food can only grow on healthy soil. Dependencies within the supply chains and the grievances of factory farming have come to light and it has become apparent how our personal buying behaviour impacts the world.
Diversity is an expression of life
This affects us all and only together will we be able to overcome the crisis – be it Covid-19, climate change or hunger. Dignity and respect in our dealing with one another and with animals, plants and the earth are essential preconditions for this.
Landscapes reveal a culture's relationship to food. Regions with monocultures of corn and rapeseed or burnt-down rainforest speak of economic interests that consider plants and animals to be mere 'means of production' in a value chain that should be as cost-saving as possible. Landscapes with a diversity of fields, pastures and woodland, on the other hand, point to a culture that serves nutrition but also fosters a diversity of lifeforms. For me, resilience and the health of human beings and of the earth are quality criteria in farming and nutrition. These goals can be achieved if the economy is transformed so as to serve life.
The way we eat is reflected in our culture. Are we always eating 'on the go', rushing on to the next appointment? Or are we taking the time to cook and eat together?
Eating as a sensory experience
Since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic more fresh food than ever is being prepared in households. People look for more diversity in food, tastes and colours, for when the mood at home is tense, one can create positive experiences through food.
Nutritional science today suggests that eating is not just about taking in nutrients but that it contributes to people's wellbeing and to a positive and healthy lifestyle.
It is the diversity of new sensory experiences that cheers people up. As a result, the intestinal microbiome is strengthened and this, in turn, leads to a strong immune system. Research has found that even an animated conversation at the table enhances health and wellbeing - and that is something we can all start with.
Web: Nutrition Department