Food is an essential component in our lives. Without nutritious food in sufficient amount, we can’t live our lives fully. Food gives us energy, nourishes our bodies and can elevate our mood. Yes, the food we eat has a tremendous impact on how we feel and think.
Current food production and distribution systems are a major component in the accelerating world environmental and climate crises. We grow cash crops in places which are not suitable for it, depriving people living in the area of their basic needs such as clean water, space to live and a fair livelihood. Then we ship this food around the world, while losing a huge part of it due to handling throughout the transport and distribution processes, and leaving an enormous footprint on our planet.
Extreme weather events such as wild fires, flooding, heat waves and droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense year by year. Unpredictable weather patterns make it very hard for agriculture to adapt and create more losses. Our unsustainable way of growing and transporting crops, with billions of dollars in losses in food waste along the way, are driving the prices of food to new highs. This trend will continue unless we start rethinking and managing the food chain in much more sustainable and regenerative way.
In Canada alone, food costs for an average family increase by hundreds of dollars every year. Increased food prices, along with an overall rising cost of living and stagnant wages, are at the root of another big issue which needs to be tackled– food security.
Food insecurity is affecting all communities, without exception. We live in a connected world and the idea that this problem is not ‘our’ but ‘their’ problem is flawed on many levels. It is true that the primary reason of food insecurity is income insecurity. However, due to wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, ice storms and other extreme events, more and more people will become food insecure from disruptions in the food chain.
In the Greater Toronto Area, food access is considered to be the weakest link in the food security field. By bringing fresh food production closer to, or within urban areas, and educating residents about growing their own food, not only can the issue of food insecurity be addressed, but a lesser known problem – food that provides insufficient nutrition.
It’s known that levels of CO2 predicted in the atmosphere for 2050 will cause major deficiencies in the nutritional value of crops. Crops such as wheat, barley and rice will lose up to 10% of their protein content. These and other mineral deficiencies will cause malnutrition and other health issues, adding additional pressure to already challenged healthcare systems.
Food is at the center of our lives. We need healthy nutritious food to live, as we need clean air to breathe. The solutions and technologies are already there, we just need to start collectively with their implementation. The speed of change really depends on us, on our commitment and will to reverse the damage we’ve caused and to create a healthy thriving world.
Written by Veronika Kosova