The Food-Health Nexus: the potential of agroecology

Emile A. Frison

www.ipes-food.org. @IPESfood

Our food systems are making people sick.

HOW WE PRODUCE, DISTRIBUTE, MARKET, PREPARE, EAT AND DISPOSE OF FOOD HAS A SIGNIFICANT AND GROWING COST TO PUBLIC HEALTH

The Food-Health Nexus: the potential of agroecology www.ipes-food.org. @IPESfood

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION

CONTAMINATED, UNSAFE & ALTERED FOODS

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

FOOD INSECURITY

UNHEALTHY DIETARY PATTERNS

5 CHANNELS OF IMPACT

www.ipes-food.org. @IPESfoodThe Food-Health Nexus: the potential of agroecology

Impact Channel 1: OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS People get sick because

they work under unhealthy conditions.

Pesticides are responsible for an estimated 200,000 acute poisoning deaths each year – 99% of those in developing countries.

Impact Channel 2: ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION People get sick because

of contaminants in the water, soil or air

Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) causes annual health costs of $217 billion in the EU (1.28% of GDP) and $340 billion in the US (2.33% of GDP)

Impact Channel 3: CONTAMINATED, UNSAFE & ALTERED FOODS People get sick because

specific foods they eat are unsafe for consumption.

In 2010, there were an estimated 600 million cases of food-borne illnesses and 420,000 deaths.

Impact Channel 4: UNHEALTHY DIETARY PATTERNS People get sick because

they have unhealthy diets

According to one study, obesity has roughly the same economic impact ($2 trillion USD) as smoking or the combined costs of armed violence, wars and terrorism.NCDs have become the No 1 cause of death

Impact Channel 5: FOOD INSECURITY People get sick because

they can’t access adequate food at all times.

2 billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies and over 820 million suffer from calorie deficiency.

THE HUMAN AND ECONOMIC COSTS ARE SEVERE AND GROWING

• Chemical-intensive monocropping

• Intensive livestock production

• Mass production and marketing of ultra-processed foods

• Development of deregulated and dangerous supply chains

WE KNOW WHAT’S LEADING TO THESE HEALTH IMPACTS

• Food systems drive poverty & climate change, creating the conditions for poor health:

Food systems responsible for 30% GHG emissions Food systems drive ecosystem degradation (e.g. loss of pollinators) Food service (#1), dishwashers (#2), & farmworkers (#7) among lowest-paid in US

BRINGING THE CONNECTIONSTO LIGHT

The multiple challenges of our current food systems

Triple burden of malnutrition• Hunger, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity &NCDs

Negative impact on health• Pesticide poisoning, antibiotic resistance, nitrates in drinking water

Environmentally unsustainable• Biodiversity losses, water pollution, soil degradation, GHG emissions, unsustainable

use of natural resources, low resilience …

Social inequities• Poverty, disempowerment …

Neglect of cultural values

Directly associated with current food systems based on industrial agriculture

A different paradigm: diversified agroecological systems

Delivering on:

- Economic,

- Environmental,

- Health,

- Social and

- Cultural

dimensions

Different pathways, a common goal

Economic outcomes of diversified agroecological systems

Total productivity =

Income +

Resilience and stability +++

Environmental outcomes of diversified agroecological systems

• Keep/put carbon in the soil: turns agriculture into a solution rather than a problem

• Boost biodiversity• Restore degraded land• Improve ecosystem services:

Water and nutrient cyclingPollinationPest and disease management

Outcomes of diversified agroecological systems: Virtuous cycles

Nutrition and health outcomes of diversified agroecological systems

• Diverse, healthy diets

• Avoids the negative health outcomes of industrial

agriculture: pesticides/antibiotics/nitrates

• Increased levels of beneficial nutrients, such as omega

3 fatty acids, and antioxidants such as polyphenols…

http://www.ipes-food.org/images/Reports/Health_FullReport.pdf

Social and Cultural outcomes of diversified agroecological systems

Social:More employment Employment throughout the year Closer links with consumers

Cultural: Cultivation of diversity of traditional crops Integration of traditional knowledge

What prevents change: 8 Lock-ins

Market concentration in multiple sectors

• 3 companies control 60% of commercial seed market.

• 7 companies control majority of fertilizer sales.

• 3 companies share 71% of agrochemical market.

• 4 firms account for 97% of private R&D in poultry.

• 4 firms control up to 90% of the global grain trade.

Concentration of power

http://www.ipes-food.org/images/Reports/Concentration_FullReport.pdf

Changing the

paradigm

Measuring what matters

Recommendations

Develop new indicators for sustainable food systems. Shift public support towards agroecological production systems. Support short circuits & alternative retail infrastructures. Use public procurement to support local agroecological produce. Strengthen movements that unify constituencies around agroecology. Mainstream holistic food systems approaches into education and

research agendas. Develop ‘food policies’ at all levels. Support on-farm management of agrobiodiversity

It is Possible !

The transition is already underway…

@IPESfood

The Food-Health Nexus: the potential of agroecology · The Food-Health Nexus: the potentialof...

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