Prof. John H. Muyonga Presented at NatureUganda Event, 6 th Feb 2014

1. Prof. John H. MuyongaPresented at NatureUganda Event, 6th Feb 2014 FOOD PRODUCTS: THE PROS AND CONS TO OUR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

2. FOCAL ISSUES Human food and nutrient requirements Food intake and health Food production and the environment Suggestions for eating healthy while conserving the environment

3. Like air and water, food is essential for sustenance of life • Food may however negatively impact on human health Grow Think Fight disease Function Repair self Reproduce Work

4. Nutritional Requirements • The requirements of individuals depends on their sex, age, physiological condition, activity, health, among other factors

5. FOODS SUPPLY NUTRIENTS REQUIRED BY HUMANS ENERGY GROWTH AND REPAIR PROTECTION CARBOHYDRATES LIPIDS PROTEINS VITAMINS AND MINERALS WATER

6. Variety of food is required by humans

7. Benefits of an adequate diet • Higher productivity – physical & mental • Better psycologically • Slower aging – mental & physical • Better reproductive outcomes • Proper growth & development among children

8. Poor nutrition resulting in weakness, nutrient deficiencies Increased nutritional needs, reduced food intake and increased loss of nutrients Impaired immune system Poor ability to infections Illness Poor diets are injurious to health Source: Adapted from RCQHC and FANTA 2003

9. Viscous cycle of malnutrition

10. Malnutrition • Malnutrition/bad nutrition: Nutrients intake less than (under nutrition) or more than (over nutrition) required.

12. Levels of Under-nutrition and Over-nutrition in Uganda: Children <5 years UDHS

14. Over nutrition • Intake of nutrients > body needs • Over weight is associated with disease conditions such as diabetes, cancers, coronary heart diseases

15. Over nutrition and disease burden • Non-communicable (diet-related) diseases associated with about; • 46 per cent of the global disease burden and • 60 per cent of all deaths worldwide • Cardiovascular disease alone amounted to 30 % of deaths. • The global burden of diet-related diseases is expected to climb to 57 per cent by 2020.

16. Food production & the environment • Agriculture uses 40% of the world’s land and 70% of its fresh water • Encroachment on natural ecologies including forests and wetlands • Water polluted by nutrients, agro-chemicals, pathogens and salts including phosphates and nitrates • Soil degradation and chemical alterations

17. Food production & the environment • Air • Methane emission from enteric fermentation and handling of manure • Ammonia volatilization from manure • Laughing gas emission related to decomposition of nitrogen • Carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuel for energy production • Sulphur dioxide from fossil energy use

18. Biodiversity Loss Soil Loss and degradation of habitat from clearing grasslands and forests and draining wetland Invasive species out competing natives Killing of wild predators to protect livestock Loss of genetic diversity from replacing thousands of wild crop strains with a few monoculture strains Erosion Loss of fertility Salinization from irrigation Desertification

19. Air & Climate Water Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use Other air pollutants from fossil fuel use Pesticide drift from spraying Dust / airborne particulates Weather alteration from large scale clearing Aquifer depletion Water diversions Increased runoff and flooding from land cleared to grow crops Sediment pollution from erosion Fish kills from pesticide runoff Surface and groundwater pollution from pesticides, fertilizers & livestock Overfertilization (eutrophication) of lakes and slow-moving rivers from runoff of nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers, livestock wastes, and food processing wastes

20. Human Health Nitrates in drinking water Pesticides residues in drinking water, food, and air Contamination of drinking and swimming water with disease organisms from livestock wastes Bacterial contamination of meat Farm worker exposure & working conditions

22. The food we eat and the environment

23. Ecological burden depends on resources required to produce given food

24. Ecological burden of production depends on system used

25. Developments that have increased ecological burden of food production • Genetic selection and manipulation to enhance productivity • Increasing area farmed • Dominance by a few crops and animals • Increased use of inputs, including fertilizers, antibiotics & pesticides • Mechanization • Food transportation over longer distances • More intensive & frequent production • Increased processing & packaging

29. Salt production

30. Palm field • Palm normally planted in areas recently cleared of forests

31. Environmental concerns of sugar production • Approximately 145 million metric tons of sugar produced globally per annum • Sugarcane production associated with highest biodiversity loss than any other crop • Habitat destruction • Intensive water use: Linked to nearly drying up Zambezi, Niger, Indus and Mekong rivers • Heavy use of agro-chemicals • Air and water pollution

32. Ecological burden of packaging

33. Waste water resulting from food processing • A large food processing plant uses >4 million litres of potable water per day

34. One third of food produced is wasted • Poor storage facilities, processing, packaging and distribution infrastructure • Poor production planning • Premature harvesting • High quality standards • Abundance and consumer attitudes

35. Origin and fate of agricultural waste

37. Food and ecological footprint pyramids

39. Eating healthy while conserving the environment • Consume ecologically friendly foods – less meats and more plant based foods • Consume locally produced foods • Minimize consumption of processed or preserved foods • Minimize waste • Choose food with minimal packaging • Compost biological waste • Adopt sustainable food production methods

40. Let thy food be thy medicine! Thank you!!!