For millennia, societies have been sustained by food sources that are indigenous to their geographies. Today, this is evident in the diets of local populations.
In the Northern hemisphere, where the climatic conditions are suited to growing wheat, and where cattle were domesticated with the development of agriculture and human settlements, it is commonplace to have wheat-based foods and dairy products as core elements of daily nutrition, much as they would have been thousands of years ago. Similarly, teff, millet and okra remain popular staple foods in Sub-Saharan Africa, as do potatoes and other tubers in South America, and rice across much of Asia.
Over time, the increase in regional and global trade, and the colonial expansion of European empires, exposed many communities around the world to a greater diversity of food. Agricultural products, such as grains and spices, which could be stored and transported without spoiling, were the most traded. The increased demand for new types of food and flavours led to the practice of growing non-native foods.
Many of the new agricultural products would not naturally grow in certain climates or conditions, so producers had to artificially create new seeds or engineer hospitable environments. This practice was bolstered by technological developments resulting from the industrial revolution in the 1700s and 1800s and the need to feed a growing global population. Innovation and advances in agricultural techniques also improved the efficiency in the production of indigenous crops.
While it is beneficial that a diverse set of foods can be grown at greater quantities across different geographies, in many countries, there are significant implications for sustainability and local food security.In Sudan, for example, there have been experiments with growing wheat, a non-native grain, for local consumption. Despite some successful harvests, the production process is heavily reliant on the importation of seeds, extensive use of fertilizers, and complex systems of water management. The heavy dependence on imported agricultural inputs introduces new vulnerabilities, such as supply bottlenecks due to disruptions in global supply chains, and price fluctuations in commodity markets.
Globally, geopolitical shocks have food security implications for different regions. The war in Ukraine caused severe shortages and price hikes for wheat in many import-dependent countries, and droughts in Eastern Europe in 2010 had implications on political stability and migration in the region around the Mediterranean Sea.
There are various negative environmental consequences of growing or relying on non-native crops that need extensive intervention to thrive. It is often necessary to use pesticides to protect plants from attack by diseases and alien species, and fertilizers to increase soil productivity. The chemicals used in these products can leach into bodies of water and cause damage to ecosystems: for example, eutrophication can occur when synthetic nitrogen and phosphates -- which are commonly used to enrich soil and encourage crop growth -- enter local streams or lakes through the soil and from run-off after rainfall. Naturally occurring algae benefit from these extra nutrients and grow rapidly on the waters’ surface, blocking essential light to other plants and wildlife.
According to the World Food Programme: “Today, 783 million people around the world will go to bed on an empty stomach.”
While technology and innovation will play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, there are lessons to be learned from more traditional food production methods. Focusing efforts on growing indigenous foods will ensure communities have ownership of the food production process and are more resilient to global supply shocks, while limiting negative environmental impacts.
It is therefore essential that we collectively seek to protect traditional food production methods and promote the inclusion of traditional knowledge in policymaking processes for food security.
To support this, Earthna has recently launched the Earthna Prize, which recognises the profound value that traditional knowledge holds in achieving sustainability. The Prize is aimed at celebrating and supporting organisations that are working towards the preservation, integration, adaptation and adoption of ancestral knowledge and cultural heritage to address contemporary environmental challenges.Dr Muez Ali
(Research and Policy Associate, Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future, a member of Qatar Foundation)
