The Cost of Superfoods: Health Trend’s Effects on People and Planet

“Superfoods” like quinoa, chia seeds, and goji berries promise health and vitality. Their popularity has exploded in recent years. But the superfood fad’s impacts on local growers and the environment raise serious concerns. As consumers, what is our responsibility?

The Rise of Superfoods

• The term superfood is loosely defined, but generally refers to foods with supposed health or nutritional benefits.
• Mainstream popularity began in the 2000s, heavily marketed through media and health gurus.
• Superfood restaurants now thrive in major cities worldwide.
• Customers seek out exotic superfoods believing they provide:
  • Weight loss
  • Disease prevention
  • Anti-aging effects
  • Energy and mood boosts
• The superfood industry keeps expanding into new products to meet demand.

Superfood Meals: Healthy or Hype?

Florian Klar owns a superfood restaurant in Germany. He aims to serve healthy, appealing meals by artfully combining local produce with trendy superfoods like quinoa and chia seeds.

He sees benefits in a bowl with diverse ingredients:

• Colorful and attractive
• Provides a variety of vitamins and minerals
• A more balanced meal

But are superfoods superior nutritionally? Not necessarily.

For example:

• Quinoa has comparable protein to whole grains like millet
• Goji berries pack less vitamin C than blackcurrants
• Chia seeds have omega-3s but so do traditional flaxseeds

The Local vs Global Food Dilemma

Klar’s superfood bowls blend local vegetables with goods sourced from thousands of miles away, like sweet potatoes and avocados.

Tradeoffs of imported superfoods:

• Must be shipped long distances
• Lack transparency on growing practices
• Higher risk of pesticides

Benefits of local produce:

• Reduces shipping miles and emissions
• Supports local farmers and economy
• Strict regulations on practices
• Freshly picked ripeness

There are no easy universal answers. But being aware of food source impacts is the first step.

Quinoa: Staple Crop Turned Global Sensation

The quinoa craze shines a spotlight on the complexities of food globalization.

Quinoa’s Andean Origins

• Staple grain of Incas for 6000+ years
• Thrives in poor mountain soils with little rain
• Rotating llama grazing fertilized fields

The Quinoa Boom

• Hailed as a superfood in the 2000s
• Price skyrocketed – over $3000/ton in 2014
• Andean countries ramped up production

But increasing yields had unintended consequences.

Dilemmas of the Quinoa Boom

Rising quinoa’s demand led to industrial farming in Bolivia’s southern flatlands.

Negative Effects:

• Native grazing lands plowed under
• Loss of soil biodiversity
• Short term depletion of soil fertility
• Llamas displaced, breaking natural fertilization cycle
• Farmers abandoning sustainable practices

Positives:

• Improved economic prosperity in quinoa growing regions
• Revitalized ancestral traditions and culture
• Organic certification widepsread

Every complex issue has tradeoffs. But what’s the path forward?

Toward Sustainable Quinoa

Joachim Milz is an agronomist working to improve quinoa sustainability. He advocates:

• Using traditional Andean growing methods optimized for each location
• Ensuring time for soil to regenerate between crops
• Preserving native plant species that nourish soil
• Reintegrating llama grazing to fertilize
• Reforesting to prevent erosion
• Producing biomass and fertilizer naturally on-site

He aims to collaborate with farmers to find ways to meet global demand without depleting the land.

From Superfood Consumers to Change Makers

Creating true sustainability requires engaging all players:

Farmers and Governments

• Implement more ecologically sound practices
• Balance productivity and conservation
• Foster traditional growing methods optimized for each region
• Limit monocultures and expansion into sensitive lands

Food Companies

• Shorten supply chains – source local when possible
• Support fair farmer livelihoods
• Practice and advocate for sustainable production
• Adopt ethics beyond profit motives – “People and Planet over Profit”

Retailers and Restaurants

• Curate ethically produced food and ingredients
• Educate consumers on sourcing practices
• Train staff on sustainability issues

Consumers

• See ourselves as citizens, not just shoppers
• Consider the origins and ethics of our food choices
• Eat more local produce in harmony with the seasons
• View “superfoods” with healthy skepticism
• Demand policy and business changes toward sustainability

When all stakeholders recognize their shared duty to people and planet, a better food system flourishes.

Rethinking the Entire Food System

True change requires systemic solutions. As eaters, advocates and allies, we can all contribute by:

• Supporting local small-scale sustainable farms
• Reducing food waste and meat consumption
• Getting active in policy and politics – vote, organize, speak up!
• Investing in expanded adoption of regenerative agriculture
• Dediciting land to conservation purposes
• Adjusting our mindsets from scarcity to abundance

Beyond Superfoods – Nourishing People and Planet

Superfoods will likely remain popular. But hype around exotic cure-alls distorts how we think about food.

Optimal nutrition requires:

• An ethnically and seasonally diverse diet centered around whole foods
• Emphasis on plants – fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, herbs
• Home cooking with minimal processing
• Mindful eating for pleasure and sustenance

And optimal nutrition intertwines with ethics. The future of food must be good for all people while also nourishing the soil, water, air and other organisms that sustain us.

Superfoods can be part of this vision, but not at others’ expense. As eaters and earthlings, our choices matter. With care, creativity and commitment to change, our forks can help cultivate the more beautiful world we know is possible.