Links
Globalization threatens indigenous foods, says UN agency
The rich diversity of food in indigenous communities across the world is threatened by the spread of Western eating habits through globalization, a United Nations agency said Tuesday.
According to a recent study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about three-quarters of the genetic diversity once found in agricultural crops has been lost over the last century,while ethnic communities in far-flung parts of the world can pick from a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
The FAQ study pointed out that western industrialised nations rely heavily on four commercial crops"wheat, rice, corn and soy. Traditional foods frequently contain very high levels of micronutrients that are good for the body, and the introduction of processed foods is causing health problems in some communities.
"The shift away from traditional food resources to commercial, convenience foods is often accompanied by an increase in diet-related disorders like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure," said Barbara Burlingame, FAO senior nutrition officer.Globalization threatens the nutritional treasure troves that researchers found in communities such as the Karens in Thailand, near the Myanmar border, where 661 inhabitants can choose from 387 food species.