"FARM SHOPS"-THE NEW CONCEPTUAL FOOD SOURCE

Going to the back yard of a kitchen garden, plucking a cabbage head or picking a few pieces of okra, using them in the kitchen for preparing the desired dishes and enjoying eating the same is an experience very few can boast of. The thrill and joy cannot be described in any language man speaks or writes to day! Why is that organic food market is growing at a frenetic pace or for that matter evolution of the Locavore movement or Farmers' Markets? It is precisely for satisfying the aspirations of the consumer to have clean, tasty and safe food every day without falling prey to the uncertain quality of industrially produced food available in super markets. If the new initiative reported from the UK is any indication of the shape of things to come in future in the area of fresh produce marketing, consumers may enjoy their foods much more than what is currently available soon. The so called Farm Shop in London is some thing that is out of the world for its concept and execution. Here are some details about the new venture. 

"It's a pressing issue. According to a 2008 Greenpeace report, the food industry is responsible for creating 30% of the world's total annual carbon emissions. "The dominant food production system is based on fossil fuel at every level," says Dr Martin Caraher, Professor of Food and Health Policy at London's City University. "It needs oil to make the fertilizer; oil for the farm; oil for the food processing; oil for the packaging and oil to transport it to the shops," he adds. Among these stages, transport, processing and packaging account for the lion's share of pollutants. The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that between 65% to 85% of food-related emissions in the Western hemisphere is created once produce has left the farm. "This is why these type of projects are much more than feel-good gimmicks, they are absolutely vital as part of a diverse array of sustainable agriculture systems that we must pursue further," says Olivier de Schutter, the U.N.'s special rapporteur on the right to food. For De Schutter, the fact that food is often produced thousands of miles away from where most people live represents an irrational system, both from an ecologic and economic perspective. "Rising fuel prices and the increasing concentration of the population in urban areas is bringing about serious logistical problems for the delivery of food," he says. "Traffic congestion, high refrigeration costs and, after all that, poor quality produce." Food destined for the UK alone travels 30 billion kilometers a year -- adding 19 million tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere -- according to international development agency Practical Action."

One Farm Shop that is operating in London may not prove the viability of the concept conclusively but it can be a model worth improving and developing further with inputs from green house experts. Imagine the thrill and exhilaration in going to such shops with family, choosing the daily need and preparing the desired dishes same day! Probably if this concept spreads, refrigerators and freezers may become past relics of history with archival value! Food industry which is blamed for almost one third of the carbon emissions globally can redeem itself through such novel approach to food production.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE DAY OF RECKONING FOR GM CROPS-REACHING THE DEAD END?

GM foods are facing enormous consumer resistance due to the "trust deficit" that exists to day between the GM food producers and the consumer, mainly because of the "opaque" manner in which the former work. While the safety of GM foods has not yet been established beyond a shadow of doubt, its potential environmental hazard is yet to be realized widely. It is another matter that 80% of the processed foods consumed in the US contain one or more of GM food ingredients, without the consumer ever knowing about it! The emerging consumer awareness about the uncertainties inherent in GM foods is putting pressure on the industry to declare the presence of GM ingredients in packed foods as a part of the label. Though the GM food lobby is powerful enough to deflect criticisms, the recent report that even they are rattled by the emergence of weedicide resistant weeds which seem to have adversely affected the crop yields. Here is a take on this new development with far reaching implications.

"This is a complex problem," said weed scientist David Shaw in remarks to a national "summit" of weed experts in Washington to come up with a plan to battle weeds that have developed resistance to herbicides. Weed resistance has spread to more than 12 million U.S. acres and primarily afflicts key agricultural areas in the U.S. Southeast and the corn and soybean growing areas of the Midwest. Many of the worst weeds, some of which grow more than six feet and can sharply reduce crop yields, have become resistant to the popular glyphosate-based weed-killer Roundup, as well as other common herbicides. Monsanto Co's Roundup worked well for many years. It became prevalent with the commercialization of "Roundup Ready" crops Monsanto developed to tolerate the weedkiller, making it easy for farmers to treat their fields. But now super weeds have developed a resistance to Roundup, and farmers are scrambling to figure out how to combat their weeds. "We don't have that next technology. We have to get back to the fundamentals," said Shaw, who chairs a task force that is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on how to tackle weed resistance problems. Several farmers spoke out about their struggles at the summit, as did experts from the USDA and crop consultants. "This is our number one issue," said Arkansas crop consultant Chuck Farr. "It is a challenge every day, every field." Harold Coble, an agromist and weed scientist with the USDA, called the problem of weed resistance a "game changer" and said farmers must become more versatile. Too many have simply been relying on the chemicals for too long, he said.

Whether the above development will restrain further growth of the GM food industry is some thing to be watched in future. Already the cost of GM seeds and the high cost of cultivation of such crops are impediments for the growth of the industry. Promised yield increase using GM seeds is not happening in many places where cultivation of GM crops has been popular for some time. If the GM technology innovators are not able to find a solution to this emerging dangers, there is every likelihood of farmers reverting to conventional agricultural practices which may sound the death knell for the GM crops industry.  

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE 2009 L'AQUILA FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE -FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

Africa, once known as the Dark Continent, is no more dark as imagined by many but consists of vibrant nations, many of them working democracies, trying hard to improve the lot of their population. This continent also is the recipient of bulk of the global aid, financial as well as in the form of food, major brunt being borne by the US. Unfortunately not much impact is seen at the ground level for all the money that has flowed into these nations. Civil wars, brutal dictators, frequent droughts, very poor infrastructure, lack of education facilities etc have taken their toll on the none too happy situation many of the countries in the region find themselves in. It was in 2009 that the G8 nations meeting at L'Aquila in Italy dedicated vast sums of money for channelizing into Africa for food and agriculture development at a faster pace. Whether it is due to financial crunch or sheer apathy much of the commitments made never translated into actual disbursement. Fortunately the current head of the US administration has taken a new initiative to rededicate the commitment by roping in many global private sector food companies to undertake the responsibility of rejuvenation of the African continent. Here is a report on this new development.

"President Obama and the leaders of four African countries will introduce the group of 45 companies, the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, on Friday at a symposium on food security and agriculture that will begin the summit meeting of the Group of 8 industrialized nations this weekend at Camp David in Maryland. "We are never going to end hunger in Africa without private investment," said Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. "There are things that only companies can do, like building silos for storage and developing seeds and fertilizers." The alliance includes well-known multinational giants like Monsanto, Diageo and Swiss Re as well as little-known businesses like Mullege, an Ethiopian coffee exporter. The introduction of the group will coincide with the administration's report on the progress of what is known as the'Aquila Food Security Initiative, the largest international effort in decades to combat hunger by investing in the fundamentals of agriculture, including seeds, fertilizer, grain storage, roads and infrastructure. The initiative, first agreed upon by the Group of 8 leaders at their meeting in L'Aquila, Italy, in 2009, was a pledge to put $22 billion into food and agriculture projects. Although much of the money had previously been earmarked for agriculture projects, about $6 billion was new. Almost all of the $22 billion has now been "budgeted and appropriated," and 58 percent of it has been disbursed, Mr. Shah said. "I am confident that continuing into this year and the next, the U.S. and other countries will absolutely meet their commitments," he said. He conceded, however, that not all of the money  is being spent as promised, which has drawn complaints from many nongovernmental organizations and African countries."The grand promise of L'Aquila was, if you build a plan for agriculture, the donors will help them find the resources for it," said Gregory Adams, director of aid effectiveness at Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization. "Now there are 30 plans of varying degrees of quality with shovel-ready projects donors could invest in today, but instead donors have put their money in other things."

With the American president taking a leading role, there appears to be better chance for the new initiative to achieve tangible results. The realization that GM crops do not lend them selves to easy adaptation to African condition and free distribution of food cannot be an answer to solve African problem is itself a positive development. Strengthening the agricultural infrastructure, ensuring supply of quality seeds and other inputs and helping the farmers to acquire modern skills are priority areas that will receive focus under the new initiative. A sobering thought is how far private players can be trusted to deliver the "goods", as many of them are under the scanner in countries like the US regarding their role in "ruining" the health of the consumers through "bad" food with adverse health consequences. In the forthcoming G8 meeting in Chicago, US can be expected to "stir the pot" and one can only wait to see what "aroma" is generated by these deliberations. In the mean time Africa will eagerly look forward to positive action oriented and time defined help from some of the richest nations in this planet.


V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

INDIAN AGRICULTURE-HERE IS ANOTHER REPORT!

In the "Babu parlor" at Delhi, producing a glossy report is considered the ultimate in assessing the work of any government department or Planning Commission. Whether the claims, promises and projection are achievable or actually achieved within the time frame does not appear to be bothering any one because there are lot of stock "excuses" readily available to explain away non-performance! If all the Babu Reports during the last 50 years emanating from the stables of government departments are collected it may require enormous storage space greater than that presently available with FCI for grain storage! Here is another high sounding report from Delhi which is supposed to highlight the future strategy of the government on agriculture, food, health and other issues concerning the country. Unfortunately it does not make any sense to the common man, steeped in pessimism looking at the track record of performance of the government. Here is a take on this "interesting" report with very little substance but high on platitudes and verbosity. 

"As per the report, the thrust areas for the agriculture sector include enhancing public sector investment in research and effective transfer of technology along with institutional reforms in research set up to make it more accountable and geared towards delivery, conservation of land, water and biological resources, development of rainfed agriculture, development of minor irrigation, timely and adequate availability of inputs, support for marketing infrastructure, increasing flow of credit particularly to the small and marginal farmers. The report highlights the fall in contribution of agriculture to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which has gone down to 13.9% (from 18% two years ago). It notes that this trend is expected in the development process of any economy. Yet, agriculture forms the backbone of development, as 52% of India's work force is still engaged in agriculture for its livelihood and is important for food security and inclusive growth. The report highlights the records achieved in the production of food grains and many other crops. Among the major steps taken in the recent years for improving crop production and productivity, the report specially highlights the contribution made by the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) towards increasing public investment in agriculture and allied sectors. National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) have also emerged as the path breaking interventions which have helped in achieving record production of cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fruits, vegetables and spices during the last two years. Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI) has been started to increase the productivity of the cropping system mainly rice, wheat, maize, pulses through promotion of innovative production technologies and agronomical practices addressing the underlying key constraints of different agro-climatic sub regions. The 'State of Indian Agriculture' report emphasises the need to bridge the yield gap in low productivity regions by technology, inputs and other interventions. Raising productivity also assumes significance in view of increasing demand for land for industrialization, urbanization, housing and infrastructure. The report takes note of the structural changes in the composition of Indian agriculture, leading to diversification into horticulture, livestock and fisheries since the 1990s. Analysing the likely high contribution of these high-value sectors, the report says that the shares of fruits & vegetables and livestock have shown an increasing trend in recent years and have been growing at much faster rates than the traditional crops sector. Given the rising share of high value commodities in the total value of agricultural output and their growth potential, this segment is expected to drive agricultural growth in the years to come. Bringing in reforms to streamline domestic markets and expanding the infrastructure and institutions to connect local markets with national and global markets, will go a long way in improving India's competitiveness and the benefits from trade liberalization. Higher investment in basic infrastructure like roads, canal waters, watersheds, check dams, etc. will attract private investment in other areas of the supply chain. Highlighting the importance of private sector investment, the report observes that the private sector responds much better and faster to the incentive structures. Hence, along with bringing in greater public investment in agriculture, there is a need for bringing in reforms in the incentive structure in agriculture".

What the common man is interested is in feeling the result of development at the ground level and unfortunately there is nothing much to show except these voluminous reports. The farmer suicides continue unabated, poverty progresses without any let up, health deterioration of the population is alarming, PDS is hijacked to line the pockets of mafias, land is being grabbed all over the country and scams have become the center of governance! It is not suggested that there is a magic wand that can find solution to the problems country is facing but to have no sensitivity to the sufferings of the citizen is unpardonable. In every walk of life the citizen is being "beaten" hollow by tyrannical policies of administration, whether local, regional, state or central government. Indians are second to none in making sacrifices as long they are shared equally by all but allowing only a few privileged and well connected people cornering all the fruits of development is nothing but criminal!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

     

THE POWER OF "SEEING" THE QUALITY-A FOOD TESTING DEVICE FOR CONSUMERS

It is the ultimate dream of any consumer to be equipped with the power to see through the nutritive benefits of packed foods as the trust between the industry and the consumer is continuously being eroded due to frequent food related health afflictions all over the world. According to some reports the nutrition labeling practices being followed by a major segment of food industry are suspicious in the eyes of the consumer because of lack of transparency in the working of the industry in general. Claims not sustained by irrefutable scientific evidence are the order of the day and it is no wonder that the EU food safety council rejected more than 98% of the label claims submitted by the industry last year! Development of a spectrometer that can be used by a lay man for gauging nutritional quality of a packed food offered for sale in the supermarket, as reported recently, if true may be a powerful tool in the hands of the consumer. Here is a take on this exciting development.    

'A new spectrometer is being developed that will allow consumers to gauge food quality, where they physically purchase it, before they buy it. The device is very small, very inexpensive, and may be able to be installed in smartphones. The researchers envision consumers being able to hold their smart phone above a product, activate the app, choose the food type in question from within the app, and the device will make its recommendation. The device measures starch, water, sugar, fat, and protein content within consumer products. The device works by seeing several centimeters below the surface of the outer packaging of the product, reflecting different wavelengths of light near the infrared range with different intensities. Commenting on the device, Dr. Heinrich Grüger of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresdent, where the device is being developed, said, "We expect spectrometers to develop in the same way that digital cameras did."

There can be many a slip between the cup and the lips but the very possibility that such a tool can be feasible is itself some solace for the much harried consumer who has no where to go if not satisfied by the service provided by the industry. Whether the figures recorded by this gadget will have any legality is a question that will emerge once its use becomes widespread. Even other wise use of the spectrometer for selecting foods which are superior to others will itself provide some teeth to the consumer in demanding better products. It will make every industry to think twice before fooling around with nutritional content figures on the label. Hopefully truthful labeling practices may thus be achievable over a period of time after the advent of this new instrument.  

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE "TIED" FOOD AID-THE HIDDEN AGENDA MUST BE SCRAPPED

It is aptly said that there is no free meal any where in the world and some one has to pay the prices for those meals considered free superficially. For example Americans are considered most charitable people in the world and almost 50% of global "food aid" comes from this country. World must salute the US for its "charitable" disposition. But a little bit surface scratching reveals a different story. Charity means helping others selflessly without expecting any thing in return and if American charity is measured on this scale it may not pass muster. According to organizations partnering the US government in food aid to third world countries there is a hidden agenda in spending more than $ 20 billion by this country as food aid. It appears that, due to "tying" up this aid with self-aggrandizing conditions, Americans them selves are short changing this program through waste and avoidable food losses. Here is a take on this interesting face of food aid.  

"The US provides roughly 50% of food aid globally at an estimated annual cost of $2bn. But unlike many other major donors, virtually all American food aid is "tied" and must be bought from US suppliers and transported on US ships – even if there are cheaper alternatives. The report urges Congress to relax these restrictions and curtail "monetisation" schemes, where aid agencies are given US food to sell off in developing countries to finance their projects. Such reforms to the farm bill, which covers the bulk of US food aid programmes and is up for reauthorisation this year, could pay "enormous anti-hunger dividends" for those most in need, says the report, while saving millions in taxpayers' money. "Food aid is a vital part of US foreign policy, but we are shortchanging millions of hungry people with unnecessary red tape," said the AJWS director of advocacy, Timi Gerson, in a statement. "US policies are ripe for reforms that will save lives now and reduce the need for aid later by enabling local farmers to thrive." A January 2012 study by agricultural economists at Cornell University found that buying food products locally leads to average cost-savings of more than 50% for cereals like wheat, and almost 25% for pulses like peas and lentils. However, it found that some processed foods like vegetable oil are potentially cheaper to buy and ship from the US. The study also estimated that procuring food locally, or distributing cash or vouchers, results in an average time-saving of nearly 14 weeks. It suggested a more flexible approach to food aid programmes, with aid agencies allowed to choose between food aid shipped from the US, locally or regionally purchased supplies, vouchers and cash transfers, depending on the situation and specific objectives".

It was not long ago that critics were pointing fingers at the US government for its subtle attempts to tie the economic aid in Africa to buying GMO seeds from American companies without realizing the long term effect of promoting such activities on the economic conditions of poor farmers in this continent. Ideally any aid given should be without strings and as far as possible the real value of the aid must be maximized by buying materials wherever they are cheaper. Of course the foreign aid to a poor country has many ramifications and making such aids most beneficial to the recipient country must be the priority.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

NATURE'S BARCODE-A NEW TOOL FOR DETECTING IDENTITY OF FOOD

Food fraud is now acknowledged to be a universal phenomenon and safety management agencies in many countries are exasperated by the ingenuity shown by the fraudsters in thumbing the government vigilance system with more and more sophistication in their strategy. It is true government agencies with enormous resources and facilities invariably catch up with the criminals but due to tremendous diversity of foods manufactured and complex chemical composition of many of these organic cocktails, it is next to impossible to have an iron-clad case against adulterated or quality compromised foods. Recent development of a low cost technology that makes use of the presence of isotopes of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in almost all foods may provide an answer to the prayers of food safety vigilante for such a tool to hunt down adulterators and fraudsters indulging in such crimes. Here are some details about the new development which is pregnant with long term implications for the food industry. 

"Until now bar codes, certification seals and electronic ID chips have been the main tools to cement consumers' confidence in food products. But as the recent fish and olive scandals show, they're far from foolproof. Food can be substituted or adulterated at any point in the supply chain, often without companies knowing. Enter the "optical stable isotope analyzer," a not-too-sexy name for a device that could provide a lot more certainty about a product near the end of its long journey to the consumer. Already in use to measure air quality and detect gas leaks, the technology, created by the Silicon Valley firm Picarro, can also detect isotopes in food. Hydrogen, oxygen and carbon — found in everything from hamburger to oranges — leave a detailed signature behind illustrating the weather, plant type, growing conditions and manufacturing processes. Picarro calls it "nature's barcode." By analyzing the isotopes — versions of common atoms that have slightly different masses – in this barcode, the Picarro device can detect minute differences in the chemical composition of foods".

Food adulteration is more common with high cost foods like olive oil, honey, caviar, saffron, spices etc and the incentive for tampering with these foods is extraordinarily high. While economically motivated adulteration can be tolerated to some extent, it is the activity of fraudsters indulging in food adulteration using unsafe substances that poses real challenge. Of course ideally no adulteration can be condoned and those who indulge in such practices must be punished severely and mercilessly as part of a deterrent policy. Whether availability of techniques such as the above will still guarantee safe foods to the denizens is still an uncertainty because unless there are adequate technical personnel and physical infrastructure put in place for safety monitoring of products at the processing place as well as the market place, no matter how efficient the instrument may be, the fraudsters will still get away!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com