Nutrition Challenges That Face Food System - Research Paper Example

Nutrition Challenges That Face Food System A food system is a prism of interlink that involve various activities related to food production, distribution, preparation, processing and consumption and the relation to the out come of these activities to health, social economic and environmental impact to the population involved(Ilona 14). One of the public health goals is to promote healthier and sustainable food system like to provide health food to the current population while healthy ecosystem is maintained in a manner that does not compromise the ability of future generation to meet healthy food with limited environmental impact (Ilona 14). A sustainable food system needs to address unsuitable consumption as well as unsuitable production since both of them contributes toward negative environmental and healthy impact. Nutritional Challenges Affecting Current Food System Epidemic rise chronic disease Nutrition transition has occurred and has led to increase of cases of chronic disease which include diabetics, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This is attributed to a large shift in both physical activity and food consumed. This shift is reflected in population by nutrition outcome such as stature and body composition changes (Kickbusch). The modern society has converged to “western diet” which is food with a high level content of sugar and saturated with fat also low in fibre content and this is the diet that is linked to chronic disease and degenerative effects (Ilona 14). Chapter four of the film highlights this scenario with a case of a family’s dilemma situation at the grocery store: due to father diabetic condition, the family is aware that a healthier diet with more fresh foods would be the most suitable for him, but they have choose from foods they can afford. As the film imply, people with low incomes are most likely to eat cheaper, processed foods, and thus more likely to suffer from obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and other diet-related health disease (Pollan). “We are taking risks with our health and the health of the natural world that are unprecedented.” Food shortage 70 percent of the poor in the world depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The current food system is not delivering enough food supply to world population. Pollan used a “plant’s eye view of the world” to explore how plants which is needed by human could be thought to have manipulated and domesticated us, rather than the other way around. Using the same hypothesis, he claims that corn has succeeded in “domesticating us” where the current food supply system has influenced destruction of their local system of farming through green house gas emission from strong economies, which contribute to, global warming ,which adversely affect, the farming system, though developed and developing countries are both victim of worsened food insecurity (Ilona16). Chapter nine of the film touches on some issues manifested by our current food system, including acute possibility of a world food shortage, the significant amount of energy that goes into food production, and the impacts of industrialized food on our health and the environment. The film points out that while the consumer may feel helpless in the face of these issues of the food system, the food system does not positively respond to consumer need. Food and water safety Through food and water, over 200 disease agent can be transmitted to various people in a population, but this food system safety issue does not receive priority it deserves compared to other infectious disease such as HIV/AIDs or tuberculosis. (Ilona 18) Chapter three of Food, Inc. focuses on one of the unexpected implication of our current food system: the occasional contamination of the food supply and the very real risks presented to the population. The film reflects on this problem by interviewing the mother of a child who died from E. coli contracted from eating a hamburger. At a global scale, there are about 1.8 million deaths caused by diarrhea arising due to contamination of water and food (Ilona 18). This food borne illness is due to insufficient food safety in production and consumption pattern; hence food system should be concerned with health promotion like how food is produced, consumed and even how is transported in relation to consumer in reference to wider concept of the food economy. Low Cost Food at Expense of Environment, Human and Animal Health The current food system with technological advancement has led to production of low cost food but at the expense of human health and negative environmental impact also animal health (polan). “What had been a local, sun-driven cycle of fertility in which the legumes fed the corn which fed the livestock which in turn (with their manure) fed the corn, was now broken.” Intensive agriculture methods which utilize large quantities of fossil fuel through mechanization, chemical input such fertilizers, pesticide and overdose antibiotic use in industrial scale animal food production in developed countries production and distribution of food is of relevance in regards to negative environmental and health effect. One third of total global warming is estimated to be caused by green house emission which is largely contributed from agriculture activities and others various activities related to production and distribution of agriculture product (Ilona 22). “After cars, the food system uses more fossil fuel than any other sector of the economy — 19 percent.” In developed nations, an investment of 7.3 calories of fossil fuel energy on average is used to produce one calorie of food energy this imply that surge in oil price will result to doubling of price of food commodity hence likely of undernourishment among the poor. There is a requirement in the food system transition in away that make it a net producer of energy other than consumer (Ilona 22). Global and Geopolitical Reconfiguration of Power From emerging economies to developed nations, food is highly charged political issue. In global reconfiguration arena, it forms central factor driven by political and economic interest of a nation. An example is the new trade axis that is forming between Brazil and Argentina and also between china and India, all this emanating from effects of united state predominance in food trade over a period (Pollan). “The impact of the American food system on the rest of the world will have implications for your foreign and trade policies as well. In the past several months, more than 30 nations have experienced food riots, and so far one government has fallen.” Also, leasing of farm oversee by China as mean to produce extra grain to resolve its food supply in china, though some authorities have regarded that as exploitation since the poor countries will be used to produce food for richer countries (Ilona 26). Food system has also drawn attention to matter of security where country’s stability can be endangered through strategic threat of water and food supply (Pollan). “What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact–so easy to overlook these past few years–that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your” Conclusion Within few years, most emerging economies will be struggling to access adequate and affordable food system without uncertain implication on their environment and human health. Works Cited Food, INC.Dir. Emmy, Award .participant Media.2008 Kickbusch, Ilona.White paper the food system. Retrieved on March 4, 2013 from Michael, Pollan “farmer in chief.” The new York times. 12 . October .2008: Retrieved on March 4, 2013 from Micheal, pollan. Teacher guide to Omnivore’s dilemma.(2006). Retrived on March 4, 2013 Read More