L13 & L14 | Food System and Nutrition Challenges

Food System

• Lectures focus on pathological states like obesity and malnutrition
• These states arise from complex circumstances (social, economic, psychological, biological)
• The lecture will examine a key determinant - the food system and economic determinants of obesity and malnutrition
• The food system has led to overabundance in developed countries, and hunger in undeveloped ones
• The processes of food production, processing, distribution, and retail are included in the food system
• Is this view of the current food system fair and accurate?

Hungry Past

• Chronic malnutrition was prevalent in Western countries before WWI
• Mortality rates were high, with many dying before age 50 or 70
• 18th century individuals had high chances of losing family members to premature death
• Food supply was fragile, dependent on weather, and lacked resilience to disease

Present

• Chronic malnutrition is rare in developed nations now
• People live longer and healthier lives, mostly due to improved food security and affordability
• Access to cheap and secure food supply is a key factor
• The current food system is a significant achievement, despite its criticisms

Food Supply

• The stability of the food system is being questioned
• The processes involved in food production and delivery are being examined to address the current issues
• Attempts are ongoing to understand this to develop optimal solutions
• The solutions being discovered to improve the food system

The Problem

• Food costs were high historically, demanding significant proportion of a person's income
• High levels of food expense limit population access to adequate nutrition
• Food security was historically more fragile, influenced by weather and disease
• Lack of robust, consistent food supply leads to greater suffering during periods of scarcity

The Problem 2: Food Security

• Food security historically was more fragile
• The Irish potato famine (1845-1852) demonstrates historic vulnerability
• This led to population loss and migration
• Reliance on limited plant and animal varieties, and loss of biodiversity has implications

The Solution 1

• Technological improvements including the 4-crop rotation system, improved/mechanised farming and tools like the Seed drill
• The Green revolution increased crop yields dramatically
• Reliance on oil-based products in industrialized agricultural practices and increased fertilizer use
• These changes improved food security and decreased prices

The Solution 2

• Food preservation methods like canning and freezing were developed (inventions like the canning technique)
• Increased access to plentiful, affordable preserved food
• Expansion of food supply by developing/improving technology to preserve foods
• Technological innovations allowed storing food to mitigate the effect of poor harvest

The Solution 3

• Development of rail transport allowed for the large-scale movement of food between countries, improving delivery and efficiency
• The train contributed to the shift in efficient production and delivery of goods, which resulted in the improvement of local food systems

The Solution 4

• Improved food security reduced reliance on local weather and disease
• Global food supply increased in relation to demand
• Cheaper food, enabled due to increased yields and affordable prices
• Average income improved in developing countries due to better food availability and affordability
• This resulted in a better quality life overall

Post WWII

• The capitalist model of food production needs continual growth
• The global food system has expanded to meet demands.
• Issues started to arise after WWII
• The food system struggles to maintain profit growth

Problem 1: Growth

• Increased food choices and opportunities to eat (especially for developed countries)
• Availability of diverse food options
• Commercialisation makes food highly palatable
• Advertising has significant impact on food choices, particularly targeting children

Problem 2: Hidden Costs

• Food production has hidden costs that may not be immediately evident
• Environmental impacts (soil degradation, salinity, excessive use of water and chemicals, impacts on workers)
• Reliance on fossil fuels in food production and distribution

Problem 3: Distortions

• For many developing countries, the global agricultural market is not truly equitable or fair
• Developing countries have to grow cash crops, like cocoa and coffee, to meet debt obligations
• They are discouraged from producing food for their own populations, making the system unbalanced
• Cheap imports from developed countries negatively impact local economies and farmers

US Farm Subsidies

• The US has implemented farm subsidies that impact global food supply
• Subsidies make food in the US cheap that impacts farmers and economies overseas

Conclusion

• The food industry's growth and success, rather than a conspiracy, has shaped food production
• The 'productionist paradigm' has driven aspects of global food issues like starvation and obesity