Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 4 • Number 20 • 5th November 2004
Food Insecurity Linked to Decline in Traditional Foods
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Thousands of food producers gathering in Turin, Italy, for the “Terra Madre: A World Meeting of Food Communities” from 20-23 October voiced concerns that the decline in traditional food production was posing a serious threat to food security in a world where hunger affects 846 million people and 35 countries suffer from food insecurity. Nguyen Van Vinh, from a Vietnamese rice growing community, called on farmers to cooperate with governments to confront the globalisation process that has forced farmers to cut prices. “We are among the leading producers of rice in the world, but we sell at 30 cents on the dollar per kilo,” he noted. Globalisation was also thought to impact on the decline in traditional food production by influencing consumer preferences, causing many younger people to prefer “junk food” to traditional dishes. Monitoring the effects of globalisation and trade liberalisation on local markets, supporting the production of traditional foods and diversifying economies were raised among possible solutions to these problems. Participants also suggested that governments advocate the consumption of highly nutritious, indigenous cereals and grains, which are also resistant to extreme climate and disease. The meeting was initiated by the “Slow Food” movement, which aims to promote gastronomic culture, develop taste education, conserve agricultural biodiversity, and protect traditional foods at risk of disappearance.
“Development: Traditional Foods In Fight Against Hunger,” TERRAVIVA, 3 November 2004; “Slow Food Launches Terra Madre: A World Meeting of Food Communities,” SLOW FOOD, 26 August 2004; “A Politically-Charged Food Fest,” IHT, 22 October 2004.
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