Alimentación/Food Security
 |
| Ilustration: Giulia Pincella |
La calidad y la seguridad de los alimentos son dos conceptos que preocupan mucho a la sociedad actual. No siempre ha sido así, el desarrollo del conocimiento desde la revolución verde hasta hoy ha sido tan grande y desmesurado que cuesta entender muchos de los cambios que hemos vivido. Hemos pasado de una agricultura tradicional y de subsistencia, a un sistema de producción mercantil y capitalista donde los productos de primera necesidad se han convertido en un lujo para una gran parte de la población.
En la historia reciente podemos concretar el inicio en 1963, con la creación del Codex alimentarius por el “FAO/ WHO Food Standards Programme”. Estas directrices se crearon para asegurar la salud de los consumidores, pero después del paso del tiempo y de los cambios que hemos vivido, podemos decir que los alimentos son seguros? podemos creer que la salud de la población esta por encima de decisiones gubernamentales y mercantilistas? Aunque implantemos sistemas de trazabilidad y control, las decisiones de los líderes mundiales tienen demasiado peso en las decisiones alimentarias.
Uno de los temas mas importantes es el control que ha llegado a tener el ser humano sobre la naturaleza. Ahora cuesta hablar de un alimento natural, ya que el desarrollo cientifico se ha descontrolado, sobretodo en el campo de la genética. Los GMO’s se consideraron una solución tiempo atrás pero actualmente se ponen en duda. Se han explotado tanto que los encontramos en todo el mundo, y a pesar del miedo y desconfianza que generan, el sistema continua favoreciendo su desarrollo y producción. Son seguros los GMO’s? porque se ha ocultado al mundo esta problemática? Podemos volver atrás o ya es demasiado tarde? Si pensamos que es muy difícil volver atrás, la decisiones de las organizaciones y instituciones mundiales parece que no hacen nada para evitar que llegue el día que sea imposible corregir los errores cometidos.
Quality and food safety are two concepts that concern today’s society. It has not always been so; the development of knowledge regarding the agricultural sector from the green revolution to date has been so large and excessive that it is hard to understand many of the changes that we have experienced. We’ve gone from traditional and subsistence agriculture to a system of capitalist commodity production; where staples have become a luxury for much of the population.
In recent history we can identify the start in 1963 with the creation of the Codex Alimentarius through the FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. These guidelines were created to ensure the health of consumers, but after the passage of time and the changes we have experienced, can we say that food is safe? Can we believe that the health of the population supersedes governmental and mercantile decisions? Although we have implemented traceability and control devices, the decisions of world leaders have too much weight in food choices.
One of the most important issues is the control that humans have had to come over nature. Now it is difficult to speak of natural food, now that scientific development has gotten out, especially in the field of genetics. GMOs were considered a solution long ago, now they are in doubt. They have been exploited to such an extent that we find them all around the world. And despite the fear and mistrust generated, the system continues to favor their development and production. Are GMOs safe? Why has this problem been hidden from the world? Can we go back or is it too late? We may be arriving at a point when it becomes impossible to correct our mistakes and yet the decisions of organizations and global institutions seem to do nothing to prevent us from reaching at a point of no return.
In recent history we can identify the start in 1963 with the creation of the Codex Alimentarius through the FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. These guidelines were created to ensure the health of consumers, but after the passage of time and the changes we have experienced, can we say that food is safe? Can we believe that the health of the population supersedes governmental and mercantile decisions? Although we have implemented traceability and control devices, the decisions of world leaders have too much weight in food choices.
One of the most important issues is the control that humans have had to come over nature. Now it is difficult to speak of natural food, now that scientific development has gotten out, especially in the field of genetics. GMOs were considered a solution long ago, now they are in doubt. They have been exploited to such an extent that we find them all around the world. And despite the fear and mistrust generated, the system continues to favor their development and production. Are GMOs safe? Why has this problem been hidden from the world? Can we go back or is it too late? We may be arriving at a point when it becomes impossible to correct our mistakes and yet the decisions of organizations and global institutions seem to do nothing to prevent us from reaching at a point of no return.
