Looking beyond short-term feeding solutions, longer-term, more sustainable
approaches must be used. In many cases this involves the empowerment
of local people to take control of their nutritional needs through
access to appropriate food processing technologies. For a large
portion of the world, appropriate, affordable, locally-adaptable
food technology can accomplish the following:
Put more control of the supply of healthy, fresh local
foods into the hands of the local people. This reduces the dependence
on more processed foods supplied mostly by large food companies
whose products are too often expensive and deficient in essential
nutrients. It also enables locals to decide what and how much
value-added food to produce, and where and when to produce it.
It also means that local institutions such as hospitals, schools,
orphanages, retirement or convalescent homes, native reserves
and others can control more of the nutrient quality of their food
supply.
Help feed local people with cheaper, cleaner and more
convenient foods than would be possible from the raw foods directly.
This includes producing and preserving food for extended "shelf-life"
and avoiding spoilage, which is particularly necessary when primary
crops become ripe and are in great supply. Often there is a glut
of certain crops and there is mass spoilage due to inadequate
processing / preserving options.
Create local employment / micro-enterprises with the
development of small and medium-sized food businesses, including
the employment of women for cottage-industry production.
Address the malnutrition needs of the local population
or group either by providing more or better protein and complex
carbohydrates, less fats and/or more vitamins and minerals. The
aqueous food solution also provides much-needed clean water and
is an ideal vehicle for adding key micronutrients such as Vitamin
A, iron and iodine, the deficiencies of which affects over half
of the world's population.
Serve as an educational outlet for teaching people
about nutrition, how to make various foods adapted to local preferences
and to train others on how to use the technology.
|
