Essence and Economic Impacts of Food: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract

The number of food insecure people may not have changed much despite the global campaigns especially in Africa where for centuries people dined and lived on natural, wild and organic food sources which supported their health and vitality although adjudged crude and inadequate.  The West may have attained significant mile stones in food security for a price. Modern (western) food condiments and feeding patterns which the elites in Africa are subscribing to seem to be programmed to impoverish human health and in the process enriching the pharmaceutical industries. The emergence and adoption of western food culture and feeding regimen has heralded the emergence of diseases and sicknesses hitherto little known to most Africans. The basic essence of food is to ensure body growth, repair of and maintenance of body tissues and regulation of vital processes. Any food form that ensures you visit a doctor is poisoning no matter the taste and packaging hence the need for not only food security but also adequacy. Food security is also an important component of economic development and germane to global economic agenda.  Food adequacy supports economic and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of any government by enhancing the citizens’ health thus broadening productivity and economic opportunities. This is important because food presently is a big industry globally and can earn big profits and make a difference in the economy because it can impact economic development in many different forms. It can affect health and education and because it plays important roles in health and education, it can plausibly impact economic growth and development especially human capital formation and is a necessary tool to spur economic growth.