Safe food and prosperity for people and the planet: What can we do now?

Huub Lelieveld and I first discussed People, Planet, Prosperity and the Food Chain when we found we were the only two vegetarians at a fixed plate dinner where the main course was chicken. Soon we were discussing the need for a 360 degree paradigm shift in the way not only individuals but also businesses and governments think and act around all aspects of food. We used to say ‘from the farm to the fork’, but that’s not wide enough because food starts before the farm, e.g., seed production, and finishes after the fork e.g., food waste, so this paradigm shift has a lot to cover. The food industry, as the leading manufacturing sector in Europe, is in a venerable position capable of changes that can influence people and policy for years to come.

According to recent articles in the popular press, the food industry is a villain responsible for foodrelated horrors, hurting individuals, the society and the planet by, for example, promoting childhood obesity with ads for sugary foods, putting small producers out of business by making cheap products in large centralised plants, poisoning the planet with genetically modified crops and even harming future generations by using chemicals which will accumulate in organisms and in the environment. So what is a self-respecting food company to do? Is it possible to produce ‘good’ food – food that’s healthy for the individuals who eat it, under conditions that are fair to the workers and their society, without doing harm to the present or future ecosystem and in a profitable company responsible to its shareholders? Since each of these points leaves room for interpretation, e.g., what exactly do we mean by ‘healthy’ food, ‘fair’ conditions, ecosystem ‘harm’ and a ‘profitable’ company, this is a starting point for a company discussion, as it has been for our editorial board!

In no particular order, and with no claim to complete originality, here’s a simplified look at some ideas on how industry can take the lead in giving the public, at the level of the individual, the society and the planet, ‘good’ food.

1) Stop support for the cultivation of grains that become unhealthy foods. We pay farmers to grow corn and soy and we then use these grains to feed livestock or we process them into oils that are used in high calorie, low nutritional value ‘junk’ foods. Food companies can take the lead in promoting the cultivation of grains that are used directly in grain-based ‘good’ foods.

2) Stop support for the mass production of meat and meat products and encourage small scale and sustainable animal husbandry. Health experts agree that a plant-based diet is a way to avoid chronic diseases, environmental experts agree that large animal operations cause large environmental stress (deforestation; production of greenhouse gases) and socio – logical experts agree that workers in large meat processing plants face unacceptable conditions. Food companies can take the lead in organising meat and meat product plants into small scale and sustainable operations that do not harm the ecosystem and also provide fair working conditions.

3) Support a tax on the advertising and sales of ‘junk’ food. This is not a ‘big brother’ role of government but a public health policy just like taxing cigarettes and alcohol to pay for the disease and loss of productivity that is caused by their use. Food companies can benefit by promoting their ‘healthy’ products tax-free and by showing the public they are indeed concerned about childhood obesity and the often-criticised low price of ‘junk’ food relative to ‘good’ food.

4) Support a tax on non-biodegradable food packaging. Take a look in any trash bin or walk along a beach and be horrified at the amount of single serving, use and discard, food-related plastic. The sophisticated shopper can now choose foods in compostable packaging and along with organic foods, this is a fast growing segment. Food companies can cater to these shoppers who are willing to pay more for being ecological while again showing the public their concern about food packaging pollution. Ending subsidies and taxing raises money. Use this money in some or all of the following ways:

5) Support subsidies to producers (including yourself!) of local food that is eaten ‘as is’ or that is locally processed, and to the retailers that sell this food. Small operations and their employees need to make a living wage, supermarkets need to sell the local products and local people must be able to buy these foods at prices that are competitive. The food industry, even large multinationals, can surely be a part of local production by operating small plants that employ local people and provide food to the local community. Is there a better way to be viewed in a positive light by your customers?

6) Support waste reduction and increased recycling at the industrial and personal levels. Some estimates are that we throw out half the food that’s grown. Food companies can increase their own bottom line and get positive publicity by decreasing their waste.

7) Invest in research around sustainable agriculture, aquaculture and animal husbandry which combines technology and tradition to produce a ‘green’ food chain. The food industry is in an enviable position here: capable both of conducting research in company labora tories and of financially supporting academic research by, for example, offering competitive research grants for ‘green’ food studies.

8) Support education that encourages people to eat differently. There is no doubt that public health campaigns coupled with availability, affordability and ease of use can change peoples’ behaviour – just look at seat belt use, from zero in the 1950s to 100 per cent today. Food companies can advertise their ‘good’ and ‘green’ foods and can rightfully encourage government campaigns to do the same, all tax free (see point 3 above).

With the hopes of starting a discussion in your company, the way we have in our editorial room, these issues, and others related to change in all aspects of food, will be covered in future articles of the People, Planet, Prosperity and the Food Chain series. Written by a wide variety of people in the food world, these articles will appear regularly in of a number of industry journals and in magazines. It’s no small order, but we aim to change food and everything surr – ounding it. We must or we risk a personal and public health disaster, global food security and the future of humans and the planet.

About the Author

Katherine Flynn is the Lead Editor of the project People, Planet, Prosperity and the Food Chain and the Scientific Secretary of the European Association for Food Safety, the SAFE consortium (www.safeconsortium.org). She has previously taught and carried out food research at US and European universities as well as at the US Food and Drug Administration and the Italian National Research Council.