Naturally, sustainability does not equate to being natural. We rely on optimised food to deliver wholesome, sustainably produced food to the expanding global population. Consumers, however, view these as "artificial" and "unnatural". Furthermore, naturalness is preferred. But are purportedly "natural" items also better for you and the environment?
The notion of naturalness is important to customers, and how consumers perceive naturalness has a big impact on the products they choose. Consumers believe that natural foods are healthier and more environmentally friendly, according to Dr. Fabienne Michel, an expert in consumer behaviour at ETH Zurich. Many people also think that natural meals taste better than synthetic ones. But what exactly do customers mean by a natural product?
Factors
Factors including cultivation, production, and the characteristics of the finished product affect how natural something is seen to be. Additional information on consumer behaviour is provided by the "Food Natural Index," which was created in association with Michel and other scientists. The less additives, unexpected ingredients (such thickeners), and processed ingredients a food has, the more natural it is regarded to be. A food is also regarded as being more natural if it can be proven to have been created utilising biological production techniques. There is no single definition of what constitutes "natural," as the phrase "perceived naturalness" suggests.
According to Dr. Szabi Péter, the Medical Director of DSM, unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and vegetables would probably be categorised as very natural on Fabienne Michel's "Food Natural Index." There is a drawback, though: "Foods like fruits and vegetables that contain many micronutrients are often relatively expensive when it comes to energy content." In comparison to fruits, potato chips have seven times more calories per Swiss franc than do the same fruits. People become undernourished or malnourished as a result in various places of the world. Although there may be ample calories, the diet frequently lacks vital elements.
This issue, sometimes known as "hidden hunger," is widespread around the world. Human health might suffer short- or long-term consequences from a shortage of essential vitamins and minerals. According to Peter, "many people eat too much of the wrong things." The difficulty lies in providing them with nutrient-dense, responsibly produced foods at reasonable prices. By 2030, DSM hopes to close the micronutrient deficit for 800 million people by enhancing common foods and providing dietary supplements. It is possible for people to eat healthily thanks to this efficient and well-proven approach of battling malnutrition. To do this, DSM is collaborating with its cross-sector partners like the World Food Programme, UNICEF, World Vision, and Scaling Up Nutrition.
Final Say
Naturally, natural does not always equate to sustainable. Dr. Etienne Bucher from Agroscope discusses the production of food. The difficulties are obvious: "We have a limited amount of space for food production. Population growth and climate change are further factors. Under these circumstances, increasing food production is a challenging challenge. In addition to producing nutritious products for consumers, farming practises must be environmentally friendly. As a result, they must be as space-efficient as feasible. Organic farming is not the best option, according to Bucher: "Per unit area, organic farming yields significantly smaller harvests than conventional agriculture." Plant breeding has historically been responsible for an increase in agricultural production of close to 70%, claims Bucher. However, this development has been stalled for more than 20 years, in part as a result of barriers to innovation, such as the moratorium on genetic engineering. Switzerland and the rest of Europe do not approve of new breeding methods (NBTs). According to Bucher, "We urgently need them to produce higher yields on a smaller area." He says that the idea that NBTs are "not natural enough" is the cause of politics and society's scepticism about them. The study claims that these emotive disputes over genetic engineering from 20 years ago have affected people's perceptions. The new approaches cannot be compared to the earlier initiatives. Furthermore, "natural does not necessarily mean sustainable." Plants lacking foreign genes that are pest-resistant and use fewer pesticides can be bred successfully using NBTs. By providing fruits and vegetables with a higher level of specific nutrients, targeted breeding can also make them healthier. Drought-tolerant plants can also help local agriculture get ready for climate change. If we want more sustainably produced food and healthier food, we must take use of these technical possibilities.
