There are two ‘Indias’ within the country - an observation that has been made often to highlight the dichotomy between the rich and poor. While we want the world to view us as emerging superpower, it is ironic that millions living live in stark poverty. On one hand we have tones of food being wasted due to lack of storage facilities and on the other there are millions who cannot afford one meal a day. The different topics on the theme ‘Food’ in the May issue of One India One People bring out this contrast. The issue also brings into focus the growing demand for convenience food and subsequent growth of the food industry in India. There are also topics that show the way to good health. In sum, there is plenty of food for thought.   

May 2011- Food For Thought

In the lead article ‘Corporatisation of India’s agriculture: A ticking time bomb’, Sachin Jain, development journalist and social researcher, warns us of large corporations that have taken control of every facet of agriculture, even consumer behaviour and consumption patterns. As a result, he says, farmers can no longer decide what they want to grow and it is becoming increasingly unclear what kind of protection the government policies will provide them.      

 Sachin Jain

    

Siddharth Shankar, 

In ‘Inflating prices, deflating stomachs’, well-known economist Siddharth Shankar, notes that food inflation is a serious cause for concern and is here to stay for a long time. But taking effective measures such as increasing production and productivity, and reducing wastage and consumption can contain inflation to a certain extent.

It is a shame that every fifth hungry person on this planet is an Indian. Bhaskar Goswami, agriculture and trade policy analyst, writes that the reason why people go hungry in India is not scarcity of food but an ineffective public distribution system. Adding to the problem is food inflation. Only an honest and effective PDS can prevent malnutrition and death due to hunger.

Bhaskar Goswami

Loveleen De

                                                          

Though convenience food has received flak from environmentalists and nutritionists it is being lapped up like never before. While it is important that the ultimate user is aware of the nutritional content of the food and makes a choice to have or reject it, Loveleen De, freelance writer, says it would do good for consumers to pause and think at what cost is this convenience.

Noted nutritionist, health activist and founder of THAC (The Health Awareness Centre, Mumbai) Dr. Vijaya Venkat emphasizes that eating fresh, wholesome, natural, organic food is the key to good health. She urges people to keep off fast foods, as they are full of chemicals, unhealthy and offer no real nourishment.

Dr. Vijaya Venkat

Piyush Mehta

    

Piyush Mehta, G. M., Corporate Communications, Morarka Foundation, highlights the many health benefits of Organic food, which is fast gaining popularity as it is free of toxic chemicals and adulteration, which ensures a healthy life.

Ummeayman Rangwala, nutritionist with Protein Foods & Nutrition Development Association of India (PFNDAI), Mumbai, says that the boom in the packaged food industry has been largely due to consumer demand for convenience food, change in lifestyle of the middle income group and the shift from need-based to indulgence-based consumption.

In Women go carting, Soma Mitra tells us about Project Sukanya, a unique retail venture started in Kolkata by a social entrepreneur, where goods are sold on roadside mobile kiosks called ‘bou carts’ that are run by women.   

In Face to Face, Disha Shetty has a tete-a-tete with young entrepreneur-farmer Ubei Husein from Mumbai, who is trying to get farmers and consumers closer with his unique venture ‘Hari-bhari tokri’.                                              

Dr. Sukant Khurana

In the general section, Austin, Texas based researcher Dr. Sukant Khurana and his junior collaborator Brooks Robinson, raise concern about binge drinking in India, but say “Prohibition will not end the party”. Rather than banning alcohol they advocate spreading information on alcohol abuse to make a difference.     

Breathtaking Ladakh

                                                    

Know India Better features breathtaking Ladakh. Quirky, feisty, impish, feral and ridiculously photogenic. Savage roads etched across a lunar emptiness; a soulless desert where rocks bleed colour. Brittle stone walls which in its lazy folds hide unending valleys; brilliant blue skies capering beyond the grasp of earth’s snow-clad fingers. Akul Tripathi rides to this difficult terrain across the mountains -- Ladakh and agrees that it is Worth Every Gasp!

 Akul Tripathi

                                                 

                                                         Great Indians profiles

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