Raj Patel is a well-known authority on dietary regulations. He is well-versed in writing as well. He has written numerous works. One of his most popular novels ever is "Stuffed and Starved." He has held positions at a number of organizations, including the World Bank. Focusing on the sustainability of local resources is presented as the most crucial tactic in his approach to addressing the economic problem and food policies. In an ideal society, the global food crisis would be severe. Even now, there is a constant threat of food scarcity. The persistent threat to food safety is the main topic of this work. Patel asserts that the entire world can produce sufficient food to feed each individual in the societies. However, the problems associated with food crisis arise from the order of priorities applied in most sectors of the economy in the world today. Thus, the best approach to solving these problems should include creating a rebalancing mechanism of sustaining the agricultural sectors in the industry. People should avoid overdependence on other farmer’s products and materials. Instead, the society should focus on developing proper ways of utilizing the local resources in the food industry to promote local food production. I agree with the author in his argument that the economy needs to be re-investigated and rebalanced to ensure sustainable production of food in the world. This is because that is the only gap between food crisis and the current regime of policies. I think Patel’s argument portray a classical scenario in understanding the context of food safety. Currently, people are over depending on processed food products and materials in the economy. We should change our perceptions and feeding lifestyle to enhance a rebalance in the food production and consumption in the market.
Overview of Chapter 2: A Rural Autopsy
Most farmers in the rural areas end up dying yet they produce farm products in their farms
Poverty is a common tragedy in most rural areas in many continents
Inequality is the main contributing factor in the rise and persistence in poverty cases in the societies. Farmers are working but very poor to an extent they can never pay their debts in most places of the rural regions of the world.
The current food policies exploit the farmers in many parts of the society
Inequality progressively promotes poverty among many farmers in India and the rest of the world.
The manufacturers and processors are slowly taking over the food industry from the local producers. They consume the farmers’ products and rewards very little to the farmers.
Overview of Chapter 9: Chosen by Bunnies
The onset of the food processing industry presents the major conflict in food quality and healthy dietary requirements in the societies.
It resulted in the negligence of the effective productivity of local homemade foods and diverted the attention of individuals to an industrial fast food yet slows movement and progress in the health contexts.
People have the right quality food that meets the standards of wholesome consume ability. Good food should be effectively and properly prepared for consumptions
Sovereign food is good for health and effective production in the economy.
The majority of people take less time in cooking at home implying that they consume much of the processed food in the towns and cities.
Patel’s conclusions
Food industry is a pivotal sector of the economy that is useful in both human development and production
To realize better system in the industry, people should focus on local food products grown in their natural environments
Everyone should change preferences and embrace the locally produced foods at the expense of the processed
Empower the local people in the rural setups by creating gaps in the economic market for them so that they can benefit from their local production activities.
Develop fair policies that protect a better return to every player in the food production chain
Provide support for sustainable production chain and local activities that aim at supplementing the deficit in food production in the economy
Enact laws and policies that protect the dignity as well as the freedom of every aspect of the workers in all sectors of the economy to empower farmers.
The future of food production industry
From the readings, it is true that the food industry has numerous tragic cases that require an immediate response within the economic setups.
The society will abandon farming and embrace the processed food products in within the cultures.
However, the future of the industry may become worse if the current cases are not considered and rectified. The first aspect should focus on empowering the farmers and creating awareness on the health benefits of local foods
People are considering more of fast foods and processed foods instead of locally made food. Interesting the amount of time used to cook at home constantly decreases at an alarming rate. Perhaps by 2050, everyone in the societies will be eating in most of the hotels and other fast food outlet centers within the economy.
With the current level of malnourishment among the children and the elder in our societies, there might double tragedy in future if the societies are not sensitized to change their perceptions on food and self-management techniques in the industry.
Conclusion
Based on the reading, the food industry is a crucial component of human culture that requires effective policies that can help regulate the consumption mechanisms. Patel calls for a total transformation of lifestyle and policies to help in regulating and rejuvenating the sectors of the industry. Ideally, it is true that the lifestyle of our societies today do not promote local food production techniques in the industry. However, it craves for processed food products. These products have endangered the health of many individuals within their localities prompting the diversion of concerns in the health sector into the management of lifestyle diseases. Accordingly, the gap in the production deficit lies in the focus of promoting local farmers to produce more of the local products in the industry. Therefore, our new thesis should focus on the techniques of changing lifestyles in the societies. The societies should focus on the ancient ways of living and embrace the production and consumption of locally made food products. This way, we will reverse our cooking times and take more time in cooking at home as opposed to eating the readily available foods in the processing firms and outlets.
