Why our Food System Needs Radical Change

Our current food system is complicated and most people don’t quite have a grasp on how connected this system is to a lot of our most pressing social issues we face today. Our food system affects every person on this planet, yet most of us think little about it, or don’t care to know about how our food gets to our tables and all the impacts along the way.  

We won’t get into all the food system’s complexities (as that would approach a novel length and not a blog post) but, we can start with nutrition and how the current system is not set up to nourish the end users (which is all of us). 

Currently It is set up to maximize output from the land and production facilities, and thus maximize profits as much as possible for the stakeholders along the supply chain. These stakeholders are not currently incentivized or rewarded in anyway for producing real food, or nourishing food products, which is kind of crazy when you think about it. 

This is why I am calling for radical change in our food system. It must be set up to provide nourishment, otherwise it should not exist. 

What has become abundantly clear over recent decades, is how ultra processed our foods truly are, along with the staggering impact on not only our health, but our environment and marginalized groups that work in this industry as well. 

The current landscape: Foods are mostly ultra processed and packed full of cheap ingredients, that may play on our neural pathways to make their consumption intoxicating and crave-worthy. They also come in packaging that is often covered with some sort of health claim (think cookies that are enriched with Vitamin A and boasts that on the front to nudge the consumer to justify its purchase and consumption).

As a nutritionist, my hope is to have people eating real food that actually nourishes them and allows people to live a happy, healthy and full life, while avoiding the development of lifestyle caused illnesses. 

Its not all doom and gloom though and we are far from helpless! We have opportunities every day to form this industry and how it serves us, simply through our food choices, what we buy, and which companies we choose to support. 

It will take time but things are already starting to change as consumers demand better quality foods, less sugar, less processed ingredients and more transparency. It is up to all of us to become educated on food to at least a minimal degree and do better. We must also not succumb to the sophisticated marketing messaging that makes processed food craveable. We need to set a solid foundation for eating real food in our younger generations, so we can stop this negative feedback loop of consumption of processed foods.  

That in turn will change what retailers stock on shelves and will impact what manufacturers make. 

The power is within all of our hands. 

Will you join me in calling for and culminating radical change in our food industry? 

We will dive into how we got to where we are in future posts as well.

 Is there anything you would like to learn about the food industry, something that has shocked you? Comment below!