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We appreciate all 66 people who attended and contributed to the Food Forum. Our energies were present around the globe from San Diego to New Zealand. With over 100 people registering, we know that natural healthy food and a way of life connected to Mother Earth are close to the heart of our community.

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So, what did you say are some of the challenges that we face?

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Less access to real locally grown food and land troubles us and our children

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• Inner city life and work imposes unknown processed ‘on the go’ foods on us. Emerging trends include ‘lab grown meat’ whilst food labels are unclear and often misleading
• Urban living spaces have less farmable land available
• Locally grown natural produce is becoming rarer and more expensive
• Modern raised children’s bias towards standardized industrial produce increases their anxiety towards home grown varieties such as ‘ fresh eggs’
• Growing up in rural communities with abundant access to fruits and foods foragable on publicly available trees is in contrast to barren modern city environments with their fruitless trees
• Physical dislocation and spiritual fracture from the land brings a longing for the remembering of our bountiful Mother Earth and a desire to recover the lost knowledge of her medicinal plants (often called weeds)
• A loss of human dignity with the discrediting of indigenous ‘wholefoods’ and indigenous farming knowledge

Industrial farming and distribution dictates and deteriorates our food and our health

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• Our soils have degenerated because ancestral practices, such as crop rotation and slash and burn, have ceased and have been replaced by industrial scale chemical fertilizers and pesticides that in turn prevent natural regeneration
• Jamaican farm store owner noticed the replacement of natural seeds with Genetically Modified seeds that require chemical fertilizers and pesticides to grow
• We experience many physical, mental and emotional illnesses from a variety of inappropriate substances in our food. These include chemical and hormone laden or genetically modified substances
• Processed food and drinks include concentrated natural sugars and synthetic sweeteners (such as Aspartame) that can quickly become addictive. We notice the negative change in our children’s behaviors which society labels as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) before so called corrective drug treatments are imposed on our children
• Widely marketed and accessible foods such as modified soy can lead to physical changes. For example, higher estrogen (feminine hormone) can lead men to be weaker and even grow breasts

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What practical solutions are emerging from our community?

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When you don’t take care of your health, you’ll take time for your sickness

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• Only eat what’s in season
• Educate our youth in where food comes from, what’s in it and how to grow it
• Everyone should plant something from seeds. If indoors, instead of ornamental plants, try to grow food such as sweet or hot peppers and spices
• Incorporate healthier ingredients to your cooking such as: detoxifying ginger, black pepper and garlic. Find and cook with meats that are less tampered with such as rabbit and duck vs chicken, pork and beef. Reduce consumption of oils and cheeses
• Seek out local farmers and oriental markets that supply more natural ingredients
• Seek out garden-able land or food forests available in your local communities or bring people together to start one.

Our soils are under attack due to a switch from indigenous farming practices to chemicals as is our access to natural seeds which are being replaced by Genetically Modified (‘GM’) seeds. We spoke about Kebtah’s Seeds Of Indigenous Life (SOIL) Project and our plans to expand the one hectare vegetable farm to a ten hectare regional indigenous farm and live seed bank in Bonangana, Togo, West Africa. A project overview is in the Kebtah Projects Section of the members area. To know more or if you wish to contribute now or in the future please contact us at projects@theearthcenter.org and donations are welcome to support this project https://www.irikebtah.org/donate-1

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Your comments and suggestions help us to evolve this Community and the Forum, so please do email us on membership@theearthcenter.org.

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May we continue to share experiences, research and actions that inspire us towards greater responsibility and ownership of our food sources and our connection with the land that nourishes us.