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04:56
Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
Regional food culture and development
Mark L Wahlqvist1, Meei-Shyuan Lee
1Asia Pacific Health and Nutrition Centre, Monash Asia Institute, 8th Floor Menzies Buliding, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia. mark.wahlqvist@adm.monash.edu.au
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|March 30, 2007
Summary
Local food culture, influenced by origin and processing, impacts community health and economics. Preserving traditional food knowledge and sustainable systems is crucial for future food security.
Area of Science:
- Food Science and Nutrition
- Agricultural Economics
- Public Health
Background:
- Food culture is intrinsically linked to geographical origin, food acquisition, and processing methods.
- Sustainable agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, and fishing are vital for economically viable communities and their food cultures, alongside maternal literacy and healthcare.
- Growing consumer demand for
- food integrity
- highlights the importance of understanding food origins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the intricate relationship between local food production, food culture, and community well-being.
- To identify challenges and opportunities in maintaining nutritional adequacy and diversity within regional food systems.
- To emphasize the need for documenting and preserving traditional and indigenous food cultures for future generations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of factors influencing food culture, including locality, processing, and trade.
- Assessment of nutritional outcomes related to food diversity and agricultural practices.
- Utilizing geo-satellite surveillance and mapping to identify regional food problem
- hot spots
- and biodiversity centers.
Main Results:
- Food production alone can be precarious, with local food cultures having strengths and weaknesses in meeting nutritional needs.
- Geographical or socio-economic constraints can limit food diversity, potentially leading to nutrient deficiencies (macronutrients, micronutrients, phytonutrients).
- Regional food cultures can offer health and economic advantages, but require good governance and respect for traditional knowledge to ensure food security.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need to respect, retain, and document traditional food knowledge and sustainable food systems.
- Focusing on specific regions like African food cultures, North East Asia, and migratory food habits can provide valuable insights.
- Resilience and ingenuity in food systems are evident, but monoculture and lack of diversity pose significant risks of food system failure.
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