Like Yoga, it’s time for an International Day of Safe Food

Not only yoga, with health problems accentuating in the recent past, the trend is also increasingly moving towards safe food. But while the popularity of yoga received a shot in the arm when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion of celebrating an International Day of Yoga was accepted by the UN, safe food has yet to get a political backing.

Although Michelle Obama has taken to organic farming in the premises of the White House, and is known to serve chemical-free food to guests, she has still not been able to convince the UN to have a special day marked for safe food. Nevertheless, the preference and intake for non-chemical farm produce has grown globally over the years, and is growing at a phenomenal pace.

According to the Soil Association’s Organic Market Report 2013 sale of organic food has grown by more than 25 per cent since 2008. While in the US it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14 per cent between 2014 and 2018; in India too, the growth looks very promising.

The Indian organic food market is likely to grow by a phenomenal annual compound growth rate of 19 per cent between 2012 and 2016.

Interestingly, not everyone keen on organic food is banking upon an organic certification. For several decades now I have seen farmers in Punjab and Haryana, comprising the wheat bowl of the country, keep a small patch of cultivated land free of chemical pesticides and fertilizers for home consumption. While they drench the crops meant for the market with whole lot of pesticides, they ensure safe food for their own consumption.

I have also watched with interest a silent food revolution taking place. In the entire northwestern parts of the country, more and more households are relying on organic wheat – the Sharbati variety – coming from Madhya Pradesh. The organic wheat that is being imported from MP comes with no certificate. It is only through goodwill and faith that people are willing to pay a higher price for what they are told is a better quality produce. The atta from Sharbati wheat is relatively expensive but people are willing to pay a price for healthy food.

Several years back, India Today (Oct 15, 2007) had reported on its growing appeal in the metros. In a report entitled Grains of Gold, http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Grains+of+gold/1/1561.html) it wrote: "India's granary Punjab still produces the lion's share of the country's wheat. But when it comes to taste, quality and other attributes, Madhya Pradesh's Sharbati tops the charts in demand in the metros. The lustrous, golden-hued grain commands premium price, being re-christened golden or premium wheat in wholesale and retail markets of Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad or simply, MP wheat in major North Indian markets like Delhi.” 

The primary reason behind the increasing consumer preference for non-chemical food products are the resulting health impacts. More and more people now realize that most babies born today carry persistent pesticides and other chemicals in their bodies. Lately, scientists have found 21 different chemicals in umbilical cord blood. With lifestyle diseases becoming more and more common, people are linking it to the food they eat. So whether we like it or not, the world is quietly moving towards safe food.

This will require changes at two levels. First of all, there are essentially two kinds of improved crops that have been developed by agricultural scientists: the high-yielding varieties (HYV) that need chemical pesticides to be sprayed to take care of insects and pests; and the genetically-modified (GM) crops that creates poison within the plant to kill certain kinds of insects, and at the same time require potent chemicals to be sprayed from outside too keep the other pests under control. Agricultural scientists need to now shift research focus towards organic breeding of crop varieties, which means developing crop varieties that are responsive to organic farming methods. 

Secondly, it’s time that the government steps in to encourage farmers to move towards non-chemical agriculture. Every year, huge stocks of wheat in Punjab and Haryana are spoiled in storage. At the same time, huge quantity of Sharbati wheat is imported from Madhya Pradesh to meet the local demand.

You will agree it will make tremendous economic sense for the Punjab (and also for Haryana) governments to encourage farmers to grow wheat without chemicals to cater to the growing local preference rather than allow its chemically-infested wheat to rot. And I see no reason why this can’t be done. If Punjab government can provide a subsidy of Rs 4,000 per acre for the paddy farmers to shift to cotton cultivation, I am sure a similar amount can be provided to wheat farmers to shift from chemical farming to non-chemical farming.   

Source: Like Yoga, it's time for an International Day of Safe Food
http://www.abplive.in/india/2015/01/07/article471236.ece/Like-Yoga-it%E2%80%99s-time-for-an-International-Day-of-Safe-Food

You are what you eat. This TED talk by Robyn O'Brian will change your perception about food for ever.

This is one TED talk that everyone must watch. I am sure once you watch it attentively your entire perception about what you eat will change, and change forever. Here is Robyn O'Brian who tried to learn everything to protect her four children when she learnt that industrially produced food causes a whole lot of health problems. She read everything that was available, and has done amazing research. She talks of safe food, clean food and healthy food. She examines the business model of food companies, the pesticides companies and the GM companies. What she dug out tells you a lot about the food economy. It's time we all knew it. Each one us, as she says can't do everything but everyone can do something. It's your time to do something. Come on, what you do will go a long way in shaping our food economy leading it towards health for all.  

The Other Silent Wheat Revolution in Punjab.

For several years now, I know for sure that my parents have been buying Madhya Pradesh wheat for home consumption. They normally would purchase wheat grains at the end of the harvest, stock it in a storage bin and get the monthly requirement milled at the local flour mill. Last week, my father was travelling and so he asked me to ensure that since we have run out of the stored grain stock I should buy wheat flour from the market in a day or so other wise we will have to depend upon rice for our daily meals.

I live in Mohali in Punjab.

The next day I went to the local flour mill. I asked the owner whether I would be able to get wheat atta from Madhya Pradesh wheat. The man at the counter nodded his head. I got a 10-Kg package priced at Rs 32/Kg, a lot higher than what I would have paid for the normal wheat. Atta from Punjab's wheat is sold at Rs 23/kg.

This wheat is not from the fields of Punjab, the food granary. The Sharbati variety comes from Madhya Pradesh.(Pic from web)

To get an idea as to what percentage of his customers were having a liking for MP wheat, I asked him if he could tell me if there are any more buyers for the expensive MP atta. He smiled, and replied: "Well, roughly 60 per cent of my customers buy MP atta from me. Also, a number of those who bring wheat grains for milling also carry MP wheat." I came back and thought of doing a random sample check. I asked a dozen of my neighbours and friends as to what kind of atta they consume at home. At least ten of them responded saying they were eating MP atta.

I don't have the statistics to tell you how much of wheat from Madhya Pradesh is being imported into Punjab, but what I know for sure is that traders are importing a large quantity of wheat at a much higher price -- anything between Rs 2,600 to Rs 3,100 per quintal. Local wheat from Punjab is available at Rs 1,400 per quintal. Besides, the local flour mills, MP wheat atta -- which is actually from a desi sharbati variety is being marketed by a number of companies

What makes the general preference for Madhya Pradesh wheat is that it is chemical free. According to a report in India Today (way back in Oct 15, 2007. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Grains+of+gold/1/1561.html) entitled Grains of Gold: "India's granary Punjab still produces the lion's share of the country's wheat. But when it comes to taste, quality and other attributes, Madhya Pradesh's Sharbati tops the charts in demand in the metros. The lustrous, golden-hued grain commands premium price, being re-christened golden or premium wheat in wholesale and retail markets of Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad or simply, MP wheat in major North Indian markets like Delhi.

Grown mainly in eight districts spread across three agro-climatic zones, the wheat has slowly carved a niche for itself because of its shine, big grain size and a reputation for its flour producing the tastiest rotis by far. And the formula has been perfected through a combination of traditional practices and some unique soil and climatic condition."

What about the wheat farmers? Don't they prefer the MP wheat? Do they not know that chemical fertilisers and pesticides are harmful for their health? Well, they have always known this. I remember when I was reporting for the Indian Express way back in the 1980s from Chandigarh, I had seen many Punjab farmers keeping a separate patch of land in one corner of their crop field for growing wheat for their home consumption. To this plot, they would not add any chemicals.   

Whatever the scientists might say, not only farmers, the common people too have begun the realise the importance of chemical free foods. With health problems accentuating in the recent past, the trend is increasingly towards safe food. Over the years, the preference and intake for non-chemical farm produce is growing, and growing at a phenomenal pace. Interestingly, not all of them are banking on organic certification. The wheat that is being imported from MP for instance comes with no certificate. It is only through goodwill and faith that people are willing to pay a higher price for what they are told is a better quality produce.

This brings me to a related question of grain wastage. Every year, we witness huge stocks of wheat lying in the open for want of storage. Much of it rots. A significant proportion of the stored grains are also rendered unfit for human consumption. Wouldn't it therefore make economic sense for the Punjab (and also for Haryana) governments to encourage farmers to grow wheat without chemicals to cater to the local needs in both the agriculturally frontline States? This will not only reduce the burden of storing monumental wheat stocks but also make the environment safe? At the same time, the reduction in health expenses alone for the people as a result of this shift in production systems and the accompanying thrust on encouraging safe food consumption would be too economical.

If Punjab government can provide a subsidy of Rs 4,000 per acre for the paddy farmers to shift to cotton cultivation, I wonder why a similar subsidy cannot be provided to wheat farmers to shift from chemical farming to non-chemical farming? This will have multiple advantages -- for the producers, consumers and for the environment. #