MONTREAL (PasseportSanté.net) February 24, 2006 – While certain practices in the agri-food industry are reprehensible, the fact remains that consumers have a responsibility regarding the food choices they make. This is what the participants at the “What do we eat?” For a Canadian food policy ”1.
“The consumer must do his duty as a citizen, which means that he stops to become aware of the pressures that guide his choices at the grocery store or at the restaurant,” said Nathalie Cooke.2, principal investigator of a team at McGill University studying the history of food in the country.
This is all the more important given that the environment is obesogenic, according to Tony Winson, professor in the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph in Ontario. “Grocery stores are ‘colonized’ by low-nutrient products, while restaurant menus offer mostly junk food and huge portions on top of that,” he said.
It is no coincidence that the aisles of grocery stores are full of such poorly nutritious products: 30% of consumers make impulse purchases there. And guess what makes them crack? The fatty and sweet products, of course.
Diabetes specialist, Diane Finegood3 It is doubtful that supermarkets will ever abandon the lucrative agreements that bind them to food giants to promote low-nutrient products. “The food industry is part of the health and obesity problem. She wants to be part of the solution, but I seriously question her ability to promote the notion of ‘eat less’, ”she said.
The right to quality food
Some experts, gathered during this conference, are of the opinion that governments should, as a priority, ensure that everyone has access to adequate food, in the wake of a new food policy in the country.
“Currently in Canada, 28% of the poor have difficulty feeding themselves. And even if they wanted to eat better, healthy foods are practically impossible to find in certain disadvantaged neighborhoods where grocery stores are scarce, ”Graham Riches and Elaine Power strongly emphasized.4, respectively from the University of British Columbia and Queen’s University in Ontario.
To make the supply of healthy foods more accessible, Tony Winson proposes to impose a tax on junk food and products high in calories, but lacking in nutrients. “We could redistribute income so as to lower the cost of buying the best food and promote healthy eating,” he said.
Others have suggested that governments tighten up restrictions on food junk advertising. And why not add the right to healthy eating to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? “But for that,” said Graham Riches, “governments must first recognize their responsibilities. “
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Overexploited resources
Using the example of seafood to illustrate his point, David Cooper pointed out that overfishing has reduced fish stocks to the point where all ocean regions of the globe are now exploited. The impact of overfishing is such that despite the sophisticated technological means used by fishermen to track fish, the number of global catches has been declining steadily since the 1980s. However, should we stop eating fish? “Not completely, but we must stop consuming certain species that are either overexploited or cultivated under conditions that are harmful to the environment,” said Cooper. |
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Some fish to avoid or to favor6 |
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Fish to avoid
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Preferred fish
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Consumers need to feel responsible, not only for their individual health, but also for the health of the planet. David Cooper, from the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity5, recalled that the food production system threatens biodiversity.|
You can read the other news by consulting the index. |
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. Outfit under the theme “What do we eat?” For a Canadian Food Policy ”, the annual conference of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada took place February 15-17, 2006 in Montreal.
2. Nathalie Cooke is Associate Professor and Director of the Canadian Studies Program at the McGill Institute for Canadian Studies. She is also the chair of the conference organizing committee.
3. Diane Finegood, Scientific Director of the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
4. Graham Riches is Director of the School of Social Work at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Elaine Power is Assistant Professor, Health Studies Program, School of Physical and Health Education at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ont.
5. David Cooper is Program Officer at the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
6. To find out more about the fish species to favor or avoid: www.mbayaq.org
