A famous Hindi saying goes, "Daane daane pe likha hota hai khane wale ka naam," which summarizes that each food is destined to an eater/ consumer, and vice-versa. However, many people don't even get to eat, and die of starvation. Food is one of the essential elements of our life, and our life is dependent on its availability. We need food to survive. We realize the importance of food when we feel hungry. Many times, while working, we try to suppress our hunger to meet the professional deadlines. Many times, we act paranoia if we don't get to eat when hungry. Some people eat to release stress from their mind or to counter depression; while on the other hand, some eat a lot for the love of food. Many people feel psychologically hungry even simply by thinking of food, even if they have had food a few minutes before this psychology was triggered. No matter how much we eat what we eat, if we're not consuming food that meets our body's requirements, and is healthy, everything falls in vain. Hence, healthy menu should be included in the daily life. In fact, a healthy eating habit should be incorporated in ones daily life. Sadly, all of this, including healthy eating is of no use in the case of those people who don't get to eat every day. On the day of World Food Day, team Saturday Fare reached out to some people to know their thoughts on the possible means of eradicating hunger from the world.
The Day is observed on October 16, and encourages people to come together and forward to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger worldwide. It was first celebrated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN. It is aimed at spreading awareness about those who suffer from hunger and encouraging actions for ensuring food security and nutritious diets for all. The global goal for World Food Day 2018 is 'Zero Hunger'.
The FAO believes that "Whether you're a business, farmer, government representative or simply someone that's willing to make a change, you can take action for #ZeroHunger!" #ZeroHunger takes the second place among 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs are also known as Global Goals for Sustainable Development include 17 global goals that are set by the United Nations General Assembly.
The first goal is "No Poverty" and the second one is "Zero Hunger." Goal 2 is elaborated as "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture," which states that by 2030 all of us should be able to end hunger and all the forms of malnutrition. This goal can be met with doubling the agricultural productivity and the incomes of the small-scale food producers, especially women and indigenous people, by ensuring sustainable food production systems, while progressively improving land and soil quality. Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40% of the global population. In fact, it is the largest source of income for poor rural households.
Women account for approximately 43% of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, and over 50% in parts of Asia and Africa. Yet she is deprived of food and nutrition. Discriminating between girls and boys often squeezes the access to nutrition and healthcare services and well-being. Healthy and adequate eating is imperative for women. A WHO study reveals that 1000 women die every day because of the consequences of pregnancy and childbirth. Kejal Sheth, Nutritionist and Weight Management Expert, Founder of Nutrivity.in shared Do's and Dont's in diet for the pregnant women.
Do's
Don't
She further added that the care doesn't stop here. Even after a baby is born, a new mom needs to be careful with her diet. "A new mom should consume whole grains, cereals, pulses, dried fruits, fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs and chicken; avoid aerated drinks and alcohols and switch to fresh vegetable juice, fruit juice, coconut water or fruit infused water; add galactagogues like Halim seeds, flax seeds, garlic, barley water, Methi nuts ladoo, etc, to promote milk formation; have at least 10 glasses water a day; include 3 servings of dark green leafy veggies a day, and 2 fruits at least and have good quality protein; and avoid high fat and junk foods."
We also have Amrita Raichand, a successful model cum actor and the most sought-after chef, known for her cookery show "Mummy ka Magic" (on FoodFood), and "Being Amrita-Chef and Beyond" (on YouTube). She has also spoken on TEDx Talk about, "What is wrong with Child Food Equation?". We asked her to share about it. "I have mentioned in my TEDX Talk that children want to be treated like adults. What goes wrong with Child Food Equation is that parents get involved in it too much. Generally, I don't think that children are problem-makers about food and are fast eater. They should be allowed to select... When it comes to food, we force them to eat. We must ensure that the child is happy eating it. We have to get creative and wear thinking caps to provide food that not only tastes good but also looks good. Also, being aware of what your child likes and doesn't likes to eat is immensely helpful. You can camouflage or overlap the food that the child likes, and then the battle is half won."
We inquired; junk food has garnered a lot of bad fame for ruining the health. However, it has become an integral part of our lifestyle, especially children's. How to solve this? She answered, "Yes, it has become an important part of our life; hence, it cannot be ignored. What I do is trying to make that junk food at home in a healthier manner. Once, my son demanded a burger from a popular fast food joint and I denied him saying that I will make it for him, and he said that I can't make it exactly that way. But I proved him wrong. At the end, he said, "it was better than that.." She added, "I feel it is necessary to have a good lifestyle balance instead of preventing them from having junk food."
She also agrees with Ms. Sheth that hunger and nutrition is a global issue, "..what we can do is look after the pregnant women because the health of the child begins in the womb." When it comes to healthy eating, especially for women, Dr. Geeta Dutta, who is a doctor by profession and a food enthusiast opines, "healthy eating means adequate food on adequate time ,with adequate nutrients in it. Healthy eating also involves healthy cooking methods, which doesn't destroy the inherent nutrients in the process.
Sonal Saxena, Co-Founder of EatWithIndia (EWI) in the context of healthy eating suggested: a) Eat organic as it's important that what you eat benefits your health rather than hampering it; b) Portion control - eat small quantities / portions; and c) Eat at right time, try and maintain a cycle.
Now coming back to Zero Hunger theme, lets us check what people have to say about it. Dr. Dutta, who is a doctor by profession and a food enthusiast, describes zero hunger concept as a breakthrough concept for the world food day. "It targets deficiencies in certain areas and will take a scientific approach to combat nutrient deficiencies." Ms Saxena remarked on "Zero Hunger" saying, "If we can adopt one family and take care of their nutrition, it may just be by sacrificing one outing at your favourite star restaurant. We can end hunger and malnutrition one by one. We all need to contribute towards that goal."
On the occasion of World Food Day, Dola Mohapatra, Executive Director, Rise Against Hunger India (formerly Stop Hunger Now India) shared his views on three effective measures that can be implemented at the policy making levels to eradicate hunger problems in the country.
-Ensure effective access and distribution system (improve supply chain, introduce more citizen centric accountability framework with social audit mechanisms)
-Consider local diversity and food production system instead of making a national universal approach for food distribution
- Make hunger education a part of the curriculum - help students learn about issues such as personal hygiene, food pyramid, diversity, food wastage, food safety, effects of malnutrition etc.
He shared a few activities that "Rise Against Hunger India" has implemented to eliminate hunger. Also, tell us about the impact of each activity.
- Provision of micronutrient rich, nutritious food to vulnerable groups - 5 million meals since 2015 nearly 65% support child and youth programs ensuring completion of education, thus heling them become active and productive citizens moving out of the cycle of poverty
- Responding to emergencies such as droughts and floods and making people resilient against the changing climate.
- We have helped villages in Western Odisha with drinking water solutions, fluoride filtration units, water conservation mechanisms - (around 4,500 households).
-Flood response in Tamil Nadu (nearly 130,000 people), Assam/Bihar (40,000 people), Kerala (12,000 people in Wayanad, Kuttanad and Chengannur). Here is the snapshot of Kerala response:
- 9 consignments of relief supplies (last one on Saturday Sept 8) - 398,000 meal; 00 family support kits; 1000 pairs of footwear; 500 blankets; nearly 2000 hygiene kits; Installation of Water treatment plant 2000 liters daily in Kavalam; Mobile health camps for 150 people daily (nearly 5,000 people so far)
- Empowering communities for Sustainable agriculture and livelihood - introduction of Moringa as an alternative crop for subsistence farmers (Bihar), traditional seed preservation that can withstand climate change, bridging information gap between government and farmers (Odisha)
Beeji De Chole Bhature, a quick service restaurant at Sohna Road, Gurgaon, is working rigorously towards the Zero Hunger concept. While the name Beeji stirs fond memories of grandmas, Dasvandh is a concept borrowed from the Sikh practice of contributing one-tenth of earnings to the community. Customers at Beeji De Chole Bhature are invited to contribute 10% of their bill amount towards this initiative and Beeji De Chole Bhatue also puts in equal amount into the Dasvandh fund. "Every Sunday we provide free food to those in need for the entire amount collected." Beeji De Chole Bhature has tied up Ankit Jhamb's Aao Khilayein and Roshan Kumar's Free Pathshala to execute the weekly distribution of free food. The first drive was held last year. After the class ended at FreePathshala all the children were treated to Beeji De Chole Bhature.
On being asked about how they ensure hygiene and quality, they said, "We make our staff cover their hair entirely and keep their nails trimmed. They are instructed to wash their hands with anti-bacterial soap every time they touch anything besides food, be it their hair or mobile phone. The kitchen and dining area are cleaned several times a day. We hold training sessions with them on an individual basis to drill into them the importance of hygiene and cleanliness." They added, "Beeji De Chole Bhature opened its doors to the public on 31 May, 2017, and the first Dasvandh drive was held on 11 June, 2017. We feed the children studying at Free Pathshala and have so far served them approximately 2500 plates." Small yet effective initiative! Their message on the World Food Day is, "Vandh ke Khao.. We urge all to distribute (vandh) and share food with all those with lesser means than us."
These days pop up restaurant culture has also evolved. It is with this concept that EWI works. When we asked how's pop-up restaurant growing in the market? Sonal shared, "In the age of the rock-star chef, home chefs pop-ups are their go to thing for showcasing their talent. You'll learn that "pop-up restaurant" can accurately describe everything from a parking-lot cookout to a home dining experience. The triumph of modern pop-ups in dining culture shows us just how transient our desires are."
In a similar context, we met with Chef Reuben Ghosh, Culinary Director, Yumlane Foods. Yumlane Pizzas are effectively to the changing culture of wholesome snacking across households, co-works, offices, cafes, events, etc.
We asked him about how the snacking culture has changed in the past two decades. Please throw some light on it. He answered, "Snacking has undergone a paradigm shift in the past 2 decades. We are becoming more open to non-traditional snacking options and hence a high level of customization in the traditional snacking options. From the humble Samosa and limited namkeen options, today's consumers have multiple options. With new snacking options like pizzas, momos, rolls, wraps, nachos etc., today the consumer is enjoying the most in terms of getting wider options and better quality products to choose from." Further, while describing about the hygiene, he mentioned, "Yumlane's pizzas do not have any added preservatives within them as the latest packaging technology is used to preserve them. We also source the freshest ingredients from high quality manufacturers which include vegetables, paneer and cheese with high nutritional value. We ensure that the highest quality standards are adhered to during manufacturing of our products to serve the freshest pizzas to our consumers."
The best part is that it is actually linked with sustainability. "Our business is completely focused & built on food sustainability. We see massive amounts of food wastage due to improper packaging, rationing and the technology used for it. For our products we use the latest technology in packaging, better quality ingredients and best practices in manufacturing to ensure that the product remains fresh and stays for a longer period on the shelves. Thereby, this food innovation is leading to sustainability and Yumlane is making its contribution towards reducing food wastage."
Now, presenting a contradictory truth, while people are dying of hunger and starvation, we have increasing figures of food quantity getting wasted every day. Here are a few eye-openers on food waste and loss:
- Nearly 1/3rd of food that is produced annually, i.e. 1.3 billion tones, gets wasted. Last we checked The World Count, 564,048,080 tons of food lost or wasted globally, this year.
- Total per capita food production for human consumption is about 900 kg a year in rich countries, almost twice the 460 kg a year produced in the poorest regions.
- In developing countries 40% of losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels while in industrialized countries more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels.
- Industrialized and developing countries dissipate roughly the same quantities of food - respectively 670 and 630 million tonnes.
- Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food.
- Global quantitative food losses and waste per year are roughly 30% for cereals, 40-50% for root crops, fruits & vegetables, 20% for oil seeds, meat and dairy plus 35% for fish.
- Food loss and waste also amount to squandering of other resources, including water, land, energy, labour and capital contributing to global warming and climate change.
UN has suggested four ways to help achieve #ZeroHunger?
When we asked Mr. Mohapatra about managing wastes, he suggested three key ways: a) Integrating food into personal health and life skill education - encouraging good food practices by recognizing children as hunger heroes, hunger champions; b) Making food waste a personal issue by raising awareness in schools, colleges and universities, workplaces, etc.; and c) Connecting programs such as food bank and other such systems that collect cooked food for redistribution. He is quite optimistic about achieving this goal. His slogan for the World Food Day 2018 is: "Ending Hunger by 2030 is Possible - #THISISPOSSIBLE - we must do our bit by wasting less and helping others!"
We asked Mr. Ghosh about how they manage waste generated in the process of making food, he said, "Yumlane ensures that there is a maximum usage of all the ingredients and vegetables that goes in the making of our pizzas. A miniscule amount of waste is generated as we optimize the process and ensure we use almost all of our ingredients. Regardless, the remaining amount of waste that still gets generated is used for composting or is recycled, thus ensuring that nothing goes to waste."
This World Food Day let us try to be more reasonable with making wise eating choices and food consumption so others don’t suffer or die due to our carelessness.