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

This quiz explores the complexities of the food system and its impact on obesity and malnutrition. Examine how historical aspects and current determinants of food production affect health outcomes in developed and developing nations. Analyze whether the prevailing view of the food system is fair and accurate.