Food equality

Not all food is created equal, and we are beginning to realise the reality of this.  It is encouraging to see the collective awakening happening on the harms we are doing to the population.  The drive to force the land to yield extra so that the growing populations could be fed (in the form of the Green Revolution) has had an untold implication for our health.  Though this revolution brought us cheap food we are paying an ultimate price to balance the books.
 
Revaluing food for what it truly is capable of is part of our goals.  But how do you present the true value of food to the consumer so used to low prices for food? Organic food has created a value proposition and there is much work being done to maintain the status of difference that this word represents.  But it is not black and white.  Like our human microbiome there is increasing recognition that there is enormous variability in the soil health and resulting nutrient content of foods.  A label may not be able to communicate the true value.  We are following with interest the work of the Bionutrient Institute in the US on this topic.  Looking at the variability of the nutrient content of a variety of crops, the range is quite amazing.  One beetroot can be 9 times more nutrient dense than another.  It really does matter where it comes from and how long it has taken to get to the consumer.  We would love to test our local foods and compare notes! Our taste buds can often give us a clue to the quality.  The question is are we prepared to put a price on this difference?
 
Anne Maher
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