Food and Agricultural Ethics: A bridge to the future and a science of human survival

Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, who is considered as the father of medicine once said “We are what we eat”, this phrase is still relevant even after several centuries. Food is the primary source of energy and building material for the human body. The type, amount and quality of the food is directly related to the sustenance of the body and mind of human beings. For example, since we were an embryo, our bones, organs, and skin were  built from the proteins, carbs and fats from the food that our mother ate during pregnancy period. After we are born, we started to consume food ourselves which helped our body to grow in different periods accordingly. When we become an adult, though our body is not growing up anymore, but we still need food to maintain the vital body functions. Such a description of human life cycle and the role of food in it would explain the importance of the Hippocratic quote. Modern medical science affirm that an unbalanced diet can cause hypertension, cancer, heart and blood vessels diseases, obesity, and diabetes. Due to the radical changes that occur in the food habits of our citizens in the last few decades, there is a profound increase in the number of food- borne disease cases in India.

Moreover, it is clear that various characteristics of the food that we consume can directly influence the psychological attributes too. Consuming nutritious food not only contribute to the optimal brain health but also positively supports and even improves our cognitive function. Maternal diet has a very decisive role on the behavior of the offspring. The maternal diet has a vital role in epigenetic changes in the fetus, which has been linked with fetal brain tissue development and later contribute to the behavioral disorders in children. Poor prenatal diet was considered one of the reason for increasing ADHD symptoms and conduct disorder problem(https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160818085803.htm). Mental health of our citizens are deteriorating in the last few decades due to the negative radical shift happened in their food habits. This underlines the vital importance of producing and consuming nutritious and healthy food, and the indispensability of promoting healthy food habits in the contemporary society.

The health of the citizens is the greatest wealth of any nation. So it is the grave responsibility of the government to formulate rules and policies that ensure the food safety to its citizens. The society must support their efforts and follow the guidance given. One of the serious challenges that India is facing today is the struggle to eradicate food adulteration. Food is a double-edged sword, which can affect a human body positively and vice versa. It is scientifically proved that lack of a well-balanced diet along with unhealthy lifestyle can dwindle the natural body functions and deter the mind to achieve its maximum potential. The result is the total regression of an individual.

In order to assure the health and wellbeing of the citizens, it is indispensable to uproot the production, provision and consumption of artificial and contaminated foods. It is a very urgent task in India because the food contamination has been deeply rooted from our daily groceries to life saving medicines. The fact that even infants’ milk products are adulterated attests the gravity of this problem in our society. Adulterated food is dangerous because it may be toxic and can affect health and it could deprive nutrients essential for proper growth and development of a human being. The worst part is some adulterated food even causes cancer, the most life threatening disease.(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/rightpath/food-adulteration-2984)

Radical increase in the number of cancer and other life-threatening diseases in India in the last few decades can be associated to this widespread practice of food adulteration. Food adulteration is crime against humanity. Since food adulteration endangers health of the citizens, which is the greatest asset of any country, it is to be considered legally as a crime against Nation. Nutritious food has a vital role in fostering the overall health of the citizens and without which, no Nation can develop into a wealthy one. Thus to produce and distribute healthy food to fellow-citizens becomes an integral part of loving one’s own motherland. A radical shift in the education and in the collective conscience of the citizens are of prime importance in order to triumph over this battle against food adulteration. An institute of Food and Agricultural Ethics can contribute positively to this paradigm shift in the collective conscience and culture of our citizens. 

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food, says Hippocrates. “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need”, says an Ayurveda Proverb. All these quotes suggest that the medicine should start from the dining table. If medicine has to start from the dining table, it should have to start first from the agricultural field. Here is the importance of Agroecology and biodiversity. 

The emergence of the Corona Virus COVID-19 pandemic necessitates a radical rethinking about our concept of human immunity. The strength of immunity is decisive factor to combat with this Virus. Our immunity is very much linked to the food that we consume. The recent Research conducted at the University of Bonn, in Germany demonstrated that regular use of Junk Food could sabotage our immune system. The immune system reacts similarly to a high fat and high calorie diet as to a bacterial infection (https://www.labiotech.eu/medical/junk-food-immune-system).Research done at the University of Bonn showed that junk food is correlated with a strong inflammatory response in the body, which resulted in an overly active immune system, as well as changes in our genetic coding. When exposed to such chronic inflammation, we are more likely to develop a number of health issues, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, and even autoimmune conditions, including arthritis or IBS.                    (https://thriveglobal.com/stories/nutrition-and-wellbeing-is junk- food-sabotaging-your-immune-system/. So a radical re-examination of our food habits is of absolute importance in the Post- Covid period. A renewed interest in food and agricultural ethics is very important in order to combat with similar types of pandemics that the humanity has to face in the future. The most inexpensive way of acquiring adequate immunity to combat with these types of viruses is to consume healthy and nutritious food. This scientific truth increases the importance of food and agricultural ethics in the contemporary society.

The industrial revolution has brought about new technologies with immense power. Due to the unplanned and unethical management of these technological developments have induced undesirable effects on biosphere and consequently become source of pollutions, greenhouse effect, global warming and soil erosion. Moreover, the global climatic change have caused to the insurgence of many infectious virus diseases which hitherto is not aggressive to the human persons. Therefore, the protection of environment is of uttermost importance in order to assure human survival and a better quality of life on earth. The more we exploit and degrade our environment, the more ecological imbalance we create; ultimately putting the very human existence at risk. The ultimate base of any civilization is healthy ecosystems. They provide us with clean and pure water and air, preserve soil erosion, regulate the climate conditions, reprocess the nutrients, and they supply us with food, medicines, and other services for entertainments. Thus environmental ethics is also an integral part of Food and Agricultural Ethics.

All over the world, we can observe now a drastic change with regard to the production, distribution, preparation, and consumption of food. Recent technological innovations and developments in the field of agriculture, manufacturing and processing of food have contributed to the radical change in the human interactions with food and agriculture. The phenomena of globalization, urbanization, socio-cultural and political developments in trade and public health have altered the patterns of consumption of food. In an attempt to navigate this complex panorama of technological and social advancements with regard to the food and agriculture, as well as the ethical issues they may raise, we are pondering to the Food and Agricultural Ethics. These radical shifts occurred in the contemporary society, necessitate a serious scientific and academic attention to the ethical issues pertinent to food and agriculture. 

Take into account the urgent need of a scientific and academic ethical reflection with regard to food and agriculture in order to preserve the health of the citizens, which is the greatest wealth of any Nation, Bishop Mar Remegiose Inchananiyil, Bishop of Thamarassery, has taken an epoch-making decision to become a pioneer in India to promote the study and research in the field of Food and Agricultural Ethics by starting an institute exclusively dedicated for it. This institute is the first of its kind in the whole of India. The prime mission of our institute is to assist students, academics, and the public to navigate themselves scientifically and intellectually in the field of Food and Agricultural Ethics.

Food and Agricultural Ethics is a systematic interdisciplinary study of human conduct in the areas of food and agricultural sciences, that is, the human conduct in the field of cultivation, production, distribution, preparation and consumption of food are examined in the light of Ethical o Moral values and principles. Food and agricultural ethics in fact a bridge to the future and a science of survival, without which no survival of humanity is ever possible. We should endeavor towards creating a ‘new civilization’ in the world, where all citizens get sufficient healthy and nutritious diet, where farmers and food producers get a decent and dignified life, and where the ecological balance of the Biosphere is respected and protected. The aim of our institute is to fulfill all these noble dreams of the humanity with appropriate intellectual and academic integrity.

Rev. Dr. Abraham Pulinchuvattil PhD

Director, IFAE