Sei sulla pagina 1di 6

Food,SustainabilityandCulture

By
HeatherBloyer,NevinBrown,
PaigeGoodrich,
LeeAnneNeilson,
FalandeThomas,andDerrellPeterson

Introduction
Thesustainabilityoffoodaroundtheworldhasbecomeanimportanttopicinthepast
fewyears,particularlyinvolvingtheproductionofmeat.Thetopicscoveredinthispaperwillbe
limitedtogreenhousegasemissions,alternatesourcesofproteinadopted(particularlyinsects)by
otherculturesandhowwaterinothercultureshasbeenavitalcontributorinthesustainabilityof
food.Forothertopicsfurtherresearchisneeded.

GreenhouseGasEmissions
TheconsumptionofmeatplaysatraditionalroleinWesternculture.Commonly,itisthe
centeroffamilymeals,andindividualshavechildhoodassociationswitheatingmeat.Recently,
however,peoplehavebeganmakinganefforttoreducetheamountofmeatproductsthey
consumeduetotheirunhealthyassociations.Asaresult,thereisanincreasingsocialtrend
towardvegetarianism.Furthermore,individualshavebeguntovoicenewconcernswithrespect
[P1]
tomeatprocessingandconsumption.

Anuprisingissue,animalhusbandry,hascometolight.Researchhasshownthat
animalfarmingiscontributingtoincreasedmethaneproduction,whichhasincreasedgreenhouse
gasemissions.Now,environmentalconcernsaredevelopingwithrespecttomeatconsumption.
ThisisamajorissueforsomeEuropeancountriesthatrelyheavilyonagriculture,specifically
thatfromcattleherding,asasourceofincome.Unfortunately,iftheissueofincreased
greenhousegasemissionsisnotaddressed,wemayhavebigger,morepressingproblemsinthe
future.
[P1]

Bugs
AccordingtoJulietaRamosElorduyfromtheInstituteofBiologyinTheNational
AutonomousUniversityofMexico,in2009therewere130countriesthatparticipatedin
[H1]
anthropoentomophagy,orhumanseatinginsects.
ThishasbeendatedbacktothePaleolithic

era,beforehumanssubsequentlybeganhunting.Itisnowestimatedthatupto2086speciesare
[H1]
consumedby3071ethnicgroups.

Forahandfulofcountries,bugsareanessentialpartoftheirdiet.Bugsareconsumedfor

differentreasons.ChinaandMexicoviewbugsasadelicacy.Thesagogrubisanimportant
partofthedietofpeoplelivinginIrianJaya,Indonesia,becauseitistheonlysourceoffat
availabletothem.Theyhavetriedtocreategrubfarmsbutwildpigsdevouredthembefore
harvesttime.Thepeopleofthisregionwillnothuntoreatpigsbecausetheycontainlessfatand
calciumcomparedtosagogrubs.SomeIndonesianstodayarenowfinanciallyabletoafford
chickenandnolongerneedtosurvivebyeatingbugs,suchasdragonflies.However,some
parentsaretryingtopreservetheirculturalheritagebyteachingtheirchildrenhowtocatchand
eatthem.EatingstinkbugsonJumilDaycentersontheMexicanculturalbeliefthattheywill
[L1]
provideyouenergyandlifeforanotheryear.

InLatinAmerica,thechapuline,whichisasmallredgrasshopper,hasbeeneatenfor

[H2]
centuriesaspartoflocaldiets.
Thechapulineareoftenfoundaroundalfalfaplantsandoften

caughtusingaconeshapednet.Chapulinesaretypicallypreparedbytoastingwithoilandgarlic
andthenaddingsaltandlemonforflavor.Indigenouscommunities,urbanpopulations,markets,
[H2]
restaurants,andexportersallbenefitfromthisimportantedibleinsect.

EdibleLepidoptera,alsoknownasmothsandbutterflies,arealsoasourceofnutritionfor

[H3]
ruralpeopleinMexico.
InsomeMexicanpopulations,ancestraltraditionclaimsthateating

thelarvaeisasignofpower.Lepidopteraareeatenindifferentdevelopmentalstages,85.41%
areeateninthelarvaestage,8.33%asthelarvaeandpupaestage,and6.25%areconsumedas
[H3]
adults.
Thelarvaeareoftenroastedwithsaltorboiled,andallstagescanbepreservedin

brine.
Otherculturesusebugsformedicinalpurposes.Chineseeatsilkwormpupaanddrinkant
winetotreatrheumatism.PregnantwomeninUgandaeatthesoilfromtermitemoundsdueto
[L1]
itsdensenutrientsthatareneededduringpregnancy.

Commercialenterpriseisadrivingforceforthemarketingandconsumptionofbugsin

othercountries.InBotswana,mopanewormsareahugemarketendeavorandprovidea
livelihoodformanyindividuals.However,theyarefacingpossibleextinctionandattemptsare
beingemployedtoremedythesituation.Cambodiansalsodependonbugsforalivelihood.
[L1]
TheygathercricketsandsellthematlocalmarketsortowholesalersinThailand.

Asthehumanpopulationisincreasing,therewillbeaproblemwithcropproductionand
[F1]
foodavailability.
Foodsustainabilityhasbecomeanissueformanyundevelopedcountries.

ThailandisoneofthecountriesinSouthAsiathatisusingedibleinsectsasasourceoffood.
Insectsarebecomingapopularfoodresource.Thisnaturalrenewablesourceoffoodprovides
[F1]
someoftheessentialnutritionhumansneedsuchasproteins,fats,vitamins,andminerals.

InAmerica,typicalsnacksincludechips,cookies,andcandy.However,inThailand,
snackingisntonlyawaytosatisfyhungerbutisapartoftheirculture.Eatingbugs,insects,and

wormsmaysoundgrosstomany,butinThailanditsadelicioustreat.Sometimesinsectsare
[F2]
cookedwithinthaidishes,butareusuallydeepfrieduntiltheyarecrispy.

JingLeed,acricket,isoneofthemostpopularsnackfoodseateninThailand.
This

cricketisusuallycookedbybeingcoatedwithGoldMountainseasoningsauceandThaipepper
[F3]
powderandthenitislightlyfried.
Insectscanalsobepreparedinotherwayssuchasroasting
[F2]
andstewingthem.

Americansarenotconsumersofbugsandalthoughsomeindividualsaretryingto
convinceAmericanstoincorporateinsectsintotheirdietsasasourceofprotein,itisunlikelyto
[L1]
bereadilyembracedwithoutasignificanteconomicincentiveordirecircumstances.

WaterandSustainability
Waterresourcesarenotalwaysabundantinsomeareas.Inmanyplaceswherewateris
readilyavailable,itisdepletingrapidly.Waterisagiganticportionofsustainabilityforall
cultures.Ifwedonthavewater,wesimplycannotsustainlife.
Manyactivistsarestartingamovementtoswitchovertoalternativeproteinsasafood
sourcebecauseitdoesnthaveasmuchofanimpactonourwaterwayslikeindustrialfarming.

Increasedconsumerdemandmeansthatalternativestomeatandfishcouldpotentiallyclaimup
[N1]
to33percent,oronethirdoftheworldsproteinmarket,by2054.
EthanBrown,CEOand

FounderofBeyondMeat,states,Onepoundofpeaproteinis10timesmoreefficientfroma
[N1]
greenhousegasperspectivethangrassfedbeef.

Farmingistryingtobedoneinnewwayswherewatercanbesavoredforyearstocome.
Somewaysfarmersaresustainingwaterintheirenvironmentarebyusingwaterefficientseeds
indesertareas,trackingagriculturedataforthearea,aswellasadjustingirrigationand

partneringwithotherfarmers.
Wearedrivenbyanambitiousgoal:toimproveourirrigated
[N2]
wateruseefficiencyintheUnitedStatesby25percentby2020.

SomeexamplesofwatersustainabilitywithinverydryclimatesareinLima,Peru,and
Africa.
ThehillsaboveLima,Perureceiveabout1.5centimetersofraineachyear,butfog
[N3]
fromthePacificOceanmovesinfromJunetoNovember.
Largenetsareusedtomakeuse

ofthefogasawaterresource.Theselargenetscapturethefogandfilteritdownintoapipe,
whichcollectsthewater.Inanextremelydryclimate,thevillageofBellavista...isproducing
[N3]
2271litersofwateradaywithsevenfogcollectors.
Furthermore,inplacesliketheSahara

Desertwhereitiscompletelydry,watercanstillbefoundundergroundwithintherocks.
Farmershaveworkedcollectivelytolinktunnelstotheirvillagestofarmandhaveacontinuous
watersourceforsustainability.ForsomeareasofAfricawherewaterissparse,sometribes
dailychoresaretospendhourscollectingwaterandfoodtosustainlivingintheharshclimate
[N4]
theychose.

Conclusion
Inconclusion,foodsustainabilityisanimportantpartofourfutureandculture.Without
food,lifeandculturewouldnotexist.Greenhousegasemissionsareharmingtheproductionof
sustainablefoods.WhiletheWesterncultureoffarmingmeatsisagoodsourceofprotein,its
consequencesareoverwhelming.Insectsshouldbeconsideredasanalternativeproteinsource
duetothefactconsequencesarealmostnonexistent.Lastly,themaintainingofourwatersupply
couldprovetobeoneofthelargestcontributorstofoodsustainabilityandshouldreceive
attentioninmaintainingourfoodsupply.

WorksCited
[N1]Clark,Leilani."AlternativeProteinCouldMakeUpOneThirdoftheMarketby2050."
CivilEats
.28Apr.2015.Web.

[N2]"GrowingFoodMoreSustainably."
DiscoverMonsanto
.Web.28July2015.

[N3]Cho,Renee."TheFogCollectors:HarvestingWaterFromThinAir."
StateofthePlanetThe
FogCollectorsHarvestingWaterFromThinAirComments
.ColumbiaUniversity,7
Mar.2011.Web.28July2015.

[N4]Nighthawk."SaharaDesertSecrets:WaterUnderTheSaharaNATUREAND
WILDLIFE."
ExplorersJournal
.10Aug.2012.Web.28July2015.

[L1]Menzel,Peter,andFaithD'aluisio.
ManEatingBugs:TheArtandScienceofEatingInsects
.
MaterialWorldBook,insidecover,1998.Print.

[P1]Grlk,Serkan,GkhanUzel,andzlemTuran."ImpactsofCattleandSheepHusbandry
onGlobalGreenhouseGasEmissions:ATimeSeriesAnalysisforCentralEuropean
Countries."UniversityofUtahMarriottLibrary,2015.Web.22July2015.

[H1]RamosElorduy,Julieta."Anthropoentomophagy:Cultures,EvolutionandSustainability."
EntomologicalResearch
(2009):27188.Web.24July2015.
[H2]VanHuis,Arnold,JoostVanItterbeeck,HarmkeKlunder,EstherMertens,AftonHalloran,
Giulia Muir,andPaulVantomme.
EdibleInsects:FutureProspectsforFoodandFeed
Security
.Rome:FoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations,2013.Print.
[H3]RamosElorduy,Julieta,JosMPMoreno,AdolfoIVzquez,IvonneLandero,Hctor
OlivaRivera,andVctorHMCamacho."EdibleLepidopterainMexico:Geographic
Distribution,Ethnicity,EconomicandNutritionalImportanceforRuralPeople."
Journal
ofEthnobiologyandEthnomedicine
(2011):122.BioMedCentralLtd.Web.24July
2015.
[F1]Gahukar,R.t."EntomophagyandHumanFoodSecurity."
InternationalJournalofTropical
InsectScience
31.03(2011):12944.
CambridgeUniversityPress
.Web.3Aug.2015.
[F2]Wiens,Mark."HowtoEatScaryInsects,Worms,andBugsinThailand."
Migrationology
FoodTravelBlog
.11Dec.2012.Web.3Aug.2015.
[F3]"ThaiInsectsPopularSnackFoodinThailandImportFood.com."
ImportFood.com
.Web.
3Aug.2015.

Potrebbero piacerti anche