How food diversity is continuously decreasing?

All over the world, food is grown from genetically engineered seeds. These seeds not only grow food faster but also give higher yields. With this change, mankind began to have plenty of food, but they lost a great deal of fragrance and taste. There are various reasons for this negative change.

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One of the reason is that these genetic seeds need different fertilizers and pesticides to grow so that they can give the desired yield. This process also did not allow the food to remain fragrant and delicious. Some experts claim that such foods are also low in nutrients. They contain a small amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as compared to the foods of the past. It means in the cycle of increasing production, man has disrupted the natural system of food development.

This new problem facing humanity is described in detail by the British researcher and journalist,Dan Saladino, in his book, 'Eating to Extinction'. He prepares documentary programs about food. During the preparation of these programs, it was revealed to him that man is gradually erasing thousands of foods from his chain. This is another negative aspect of modern man which is evident from research.

It should be noted that the area of ​​forests is decreasing every year due to new constructions and creation of fields on the planet. Scientists say that hundreds of species of birds and plants are becoming extinct every year. Destroying other divine creations is a matter of great concern.

From elephants to small insects, help humans in one way or another. Thankfully, their importance has been realized in developed countries. That's why both governments and people there have taken concrete steps to protect wildlife.

Marine and plant species are also becoming extinct in the oceans. This is also due to human activities due to which carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases are increasing in the atmosphere. Large amount of these gases are absorbed into the oceans and water has become acidic. Many delicate marine animals and plants cannot survive in this acidic environment. Thus, their species becomes extinct.

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Diversity in almost all aspects and spheres of human life is gradually disappearing and uniformity has come to them. For example, wherever you go in the world, you will see the same shopping malls. Rows of closets in these malls show brands with similar names from Karachi to London and from Sydney to New York. The same kind of uniformity has crept into our food system. Over the last hundred years, advances in science and technology have made it possible for us to go anywhere in the world and eat our favorite food anywhere. This rarity has created a "food uniformity" that we have never seen before in human history.

Seeing the abundance of food and drink, we feel that there is a lot of diversity and variety in food. But when one thinks a little, one realizes that this diversity of foods has spread all over the world in the same way. In fact, it is not food diversity but human-specific foods that are being preferred.

Never before in human history has there been so much uniformity in food. Five or six generations of human beings have passed during the last one and a half hundred years. In the meantime, as much has changed in the food sector, it has not been born in the last one million years. At least 40,000 generations of human beings have passed in this one million years. It's as if the style and speed at which we're eating has never been seen before. This food experiment is a unique and modern product.

It is clear from the above facts that man has started relying on selective foods to survive. During the last one hundred years, due to the negligence and carelessness of human beings, many valuable foods have disappeared from the world. Reliance on a specific diet is a modern wonder. Take soybeans, for example. Until 1970, it was limited to China. It was then made into food for chickens, cattle and farm fish. These items are now eaten by billions of people. The uniformity of this type of food has become a world wonder.

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Nutritionists are now appealing to governments as well as the public to do their best to preserve food diversity. One way is to eat a variety of local foods and promote their use. Local foods not only fill the stomach but also have historical significance; they include history, local identity, taste, culture, geography, genetics, science, creativity and art. Appreciate and promote these local foods . This will make it possible to maintain valuable food diversity.

Thank you for reading! Stay Safe!👋😌

References:

1- https://phoenixvitallife.com/the-importance-of-food-diversity/

2- https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2019/05/13/How-the-food-industry-can-help-slow-biodiversity-loss