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In the world where food wastage and food shortage are becoming common phenomena, the current food and agriculture model proves extreme vulnerability. Transnational agribusiness companies monopolised the industry to a great extent, and as long as they continue prioritising their economic interests over the needs of the people, food crises will continue to occur.
Moreover, these companies seem to have overtaken the pricing mechanism, which leaves individuals with an uncertainty as to what tendencies in economics and their purchasing power are bound to take place. As the world and the commodities market undergo rapid changes, it is imperative to assess the situation and seek new solutions to tackle food insecurity. In 2017, Sara Menker presented the most recent findings of her project ‘Grow Intelligence’ in which she outlined a new approach to predicting the next food crisis. This essay will discuss the strengths of her research as well as apparent shortcomings.
One of the strengths of Menker’s research is the concrete data regarding the potential start date of the next food crisis. At that, the speaker debunked the previous forecast projecting the crisis to start around 2050 and predicted the event to happen in 2027. However, Menker was not an alarmist, for the researcher succeeded in backing up her hypothesis with relevant data. Her innovative approach to the issue was to measure food shortages in calories as opposed to the traditional method of measuring in pounds and stones.
It is abundantly easy to see why such an approach might be beneficial: weighing foods does not provide any information about their value and thus, usefulness (TED 2017). The second solid point that Menker made in her presentation is the concept of calorie import and export. She conducted extensive worldwide research to establish which countries consumed more calories than produced and hence, inevitably became food importers. The findings may help solve a dilemma regarding food aid which some experts find controversial and unsustainable in the long run.
For all the virtues of the present research, one should point out the disadvantages. First, although Manker made a point about foods not being produced equal, the speaker did not differentiate between any food types beyond the calorie content criterion (TED 2017). It is evident that health and wellness are not maintained through calories alone. Camacho and Ruppel (2017) stated that the importance of the total calorie intake is overrated and generates a misconception whereas the sources of calories and nutrient balance are the decisive factors. Moreover, diets low in protein are characterised by decreased energy intake and increased energy expenditure.
Thus, it is safe to say that diets deficient in this macronutrient may lead to overconsumption of other foods, especially rich in fats and sugars, which might aggravate the looming food crisis (Pezeshki et al. 2016). Lastly, one may assume that the report would be more comprehensive if Menker explained how food wastage correlated with food shortages and whether it might account for the next food crisis. Outlining all the contributing factors would make her argument more robust and convincing.
Reference List
Camacho, S & Ruppel, A 2017, ‘Is the calorie concept a real solution to the obesity epidemic?’, Global Health Action, vol. 10, no. 1.
Fang, D, Thomsen, MR, Nayga, RM, & Novotny, AM 2018, WIC Participation and relative quality of household food purchases: evidence from foodaps. Web.
Hammami, I, Garcia A, & Nuel G 2013, ‘Evidence for overdispersion in the distribution of malaria parasites and leukocytes in thick blood smears’, Malaria Journal, vol. 12, p. 398.
Laraia BA, Leak TM, Tester JM, & Leung, CW 2017, ‘Biobehavioral factors that shape nutrition in low-income populations: A narrative review’, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 118-126.
Pezeshki, A, Zapata, RC, Singh, A, Yee, NJ & Chelikani, PK 2016, ‘Low protein diets produce divergent effects on energy balance’, Scientific Reports, vol. 6, no. 25145.
TED 2017, A global food crisis may be less than a decade away. Sara Menker, online video. Web.
United States Department of Agriculture n.d., Parasites, diseases, and control measures. Web.
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