The Value Chain: Food, Nutrition, Agriculture and BRICS, UN, WHO, EU, FAO…
C M (Karin) Blignaut Ph.D (Pr.Sci.Nat)
Expert researcher & Advisor / Specialist FMCG, Online, Changing Consumerism, Nutrition, Food, Africa
Re-view the playing field – it has changed.
Over the last few years, many discussions were held leading to questionable decision and actions with regard to Health and Nutrition on the one hand and the Population Explosion, Agricultural realities and Human Aspirations on the other. This issue is probably keeping many serious scientists, businessmen and concerned politicians awake at night.
This concern is due to statements by governing bodies, what research has shown and the consequences of apparently blind egotism. What is meant by this?
· The new Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhamon Ghebreyesus indicated a move by the organization to a more open cooperation with the private sector and civil society on issues such as Health, Diet, etc. Instead, many countries were (and are) almost indoctrinated to instigate taxes or (even worse) levies to govern these issues. The promised cooperation seems to be so secret that it is invisible. Since nothing has changed, the actions by the WHO makes it possible for governments to make food and beverages more expensive whenever such a government sees fit, irrespective of facts or reliable research. ‘Proof’ has little value. What about the so-called ‘sugar conspiracy’ on which all this is based? Really? (https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6377/747.full) .
This debate is also on the agenda for the BRICS Summit currently underway in South Africa, in the form of discussions to curb obesity and non-communicable diseases. The countries involved are a block to be reckoned with since it does not only include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; it also includes the many countries invited to attend the summit – all with economies in need of a financial boost. Perhaps 'health' is a new investment opportunity for the UN and governments in need? Perhaps the sustainability goals have clouded some people's judgement? Read more about STAX.... (https://iogt.org/news/2018/05/29/sugar-tobacco-alcohol-taxes-stax-help-achieve-sdgs/ ).
To be clear – the term “non- communicable diseases” (ncd’s) include everything from brain defects to ingrown toenails; everything that is not contagious or an accident. In the High level WHO commission during June 2018, decisions on the taxation of (for example) sugar, the decision to make taxation of food and ingredients a viable option to reduce the incidence of NCD’s, had to be vetoed by the USA. This to prevent a decision that would create havoc in countries already suffering from malnutrition, hunger, deprivation and the accompanying non-communicable diseases such as kwashiorkor, marasmus, starvation – all leading to death. Perhaps it is indeed about the investment opportunities provided by STAX? From this perspective it seems as if little has come from the lauded (and applauded) view expressed by the new Director General of the WHO, and nothing probably will. In fact, more guidelines continue to come from the WHO (this time on adolescent nutrition and –pregnancies) to address the gaps in the current guidelines (https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2018/07/25/WHO-clarify-adolescent-nutrition-measures-with-supplementary-guidelines?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=25-Jul-2018&c=mpFNKkQ3Qv82Bpe8OIFbUQ%3D%3D&p2= ).
Agriculture? What about agriculture? It is not part of the WHO sphere of influence, so we should not be surprised to see that the WHO and FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) do not see issues from the same point of view. If decisions in the WHO effectively doom farmers to poverty, hunger and death they seem to argue that it is not their concern…
· What about the European Union? In contrast to the more politically inclined WHO, they seem to follow a ‘prove it before you use it’ policy. Indeed a correct view that wider, proven scientific facts should be the cornerstone of radical decisions with regard to food, nutrition and agriculture. Everyone should hope that this attitude by the EU organizations such as EFSA (diplomatically handled) will change the route to which the WHO and their High Level Commission, seems committed. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1462/epdf ; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2226/pdf ; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4027/epdf ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1WNJizZzO0 ).
· Different Associations and Organizations in several countries also made statements that were apparently brushed aside because it did not agree with the WHO and governmental decisions that would open the door to misery for billions of people. It seems that some countries are in such dire financial situations, that they even conveniently forget the history of food taxes and -levies that (for example) caused the death of millions of Irish citizens and the migration of millions more to especially the United States, due to starvation caused by potato blight and taxation of grain during the reign of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. When people are taxed to death or have no food and no prospects, they migrate – seems familiar in 2018?
What about the views from Associations and Organizations or the media in different countries? It can be accessed at the following internet sources (more sources are available on request):
The American Dietetic Association: https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/?loc=db-slabnav ;
American Medical Association: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2669739 ;
United Kingdom: Read the Draft Carbohydrate and Health Report from the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition;
Brazil: https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/opiniao/2018/02/saude-e-liberdade.shtml (not in English) ; https://clipping.cservice.com.br/cliente/viewmateria.htm?materiaId=37524795&canalId=238668&clienteId=0HNG5iWp6gM=&avaliar=&uit
The Media: https://www.usnews.com/news/news/articles/2018-06-01/un-health-agency-backs-away-from-call-to-tax-sugary-drinks ;
https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-obesity-fitness-fatness-20180117-story.html
· Who Benefits?
Follow the money made from this debacle….
It goes back several decades and varies between specific ingredient boards or –companies to current celebrity chefs. All making millions (if not billions) in whatever currency it is measured.
Who pays the price?
We do – the rest of us, all of us – even worse, our children and grandchildren for generations to come – not just in money, but in attitudes to food, psychological body image issues and more. It started with one bad decision that is snowballing into a disaster with the instigators laughing to the bank.
All of the above lacks one other aspect –
The consequences…
Over the last 24 months especially, the interaction between the different parts of the food value chain became crucial.
The following Venn diagram may seem very complicated and overdone – yet this is the most basic depiction indicating interactions that are at the basis of the life we are currently living and what we already know is to come:
When there is an influence on any part of the interactive components (Agriculture, Production, Processing, Manufacturing, Retail and Consumers), the impact is felt on all sectors.
Countries should especially be concerned about the ‘Consumers and Retail’ part of the diagram. Consumers at the lower income levels as well as those on welfare, homeless and jobless, hungry, hopeless – are becoming restless. The hope that they had in their governments and political parties (and their much acclaimed freedom in the case of the former colonized states), seems to be dwindling in front of their eyes. They are apparently starting to think that the promises made before elections do not result in anything (according to reports by e-NCA). Actually, they are worse off every month of every year while governments talk, discuss, communicate, take countries into unrepayable debt and use any excuse to get more and more money out of taxpayers…
In South Africa, consumers are already very uncomfortable with the 1% VAT increase and the exorbitant price of petrol. According to an analysis by e-NCA more money is now spent by consumers on fuel than on purchasing vehicles...
In Haiti the government had to rescind their indicated increase in the price of fuel due to civil unrest – leading to resignations and no price increase.
If additional taxes or levies on food and ingredients are really understood by the masses struggling to make ends meet …. What then? Telling them the taxes and levies are going to make them lose weight, be healthier, and live longer – only to have them dying jobless of hunger long before the time, may not help…. especially when they do not see this miracle of weight-loss, no diabetes, no heart disease, no emphysema, no Alzheimer’s Disease, no Parkinson’s Disease, no strokes, no amputations, no eye diseases, no dental caries, no whatever, not happening.
The world has changed, people are not as gullible as they used to be -- consumers are changing, Artificial Intelligence is a reality putting jobs in jeopardy, and technological advances are leaping ahead …. everyone has a cellphone through which access to knowledge previously undiscovered by millions, are available right now. The only time in history remotely similar was during the Industrial Revolution, and with knowledge comes insight, and with insight comes ….? This is perhaps what the proponents of additional taxes on food, beverages and ingredients should bear in mind while they are locked in discussions and signing agreements.
The explanation of the Venn diagram details? That is a discussion for another day.
EAST AFRICA CRUIDE OIL PIPELINE TIS-PROJECT COORDINATOR- WASCO ISOAF-TZ
6 年Very analytical article even if having a huge challenge in my originated