Get Ready! This New Concept Will Change How You Look at Food

Photo c/o @this_is_essential

If there’s one thing that 2020 has taught us, it’s that a regular audit of our health and wellbeing is mandatory.

Like most people, this year was transformative when it came to lifestyle changes. Monitoring our social media consumption, going on regular walks, reflecting on the state of our careers, and trips to the market to fill our baskets with a rainbow of wholesome harvests, overtook our regular fast-paced lives.

There’s no doubt that there have been notable shifts in all our priorities and, for the most part, in a positive direction. In fact, recently here at This Is Essential we found ourselves reflecting on our food systems, the issue of gut health, the environment and the overall pursuit of healthier eating habits. And if you were to look for a connection that binds all these topics together – the root of the issue if you will (pun intended) – it would be farming. The impact farming has on the world and the overall state of our health is undeniable.

The Big Word: Agroecology

We came across a word that seems to cut across the food ecosystem; a holistic, solution-based approach that brings with it a sense of empowerment. That word, is agroecology.  It’s a big word. May not be easy to pronounce or remember but what truly matters, is what it means. Agroecology is an approach to farming that works in tandem with nature rather than against it. It uses mostly natural methods and techniques to maximize yields and minimize any detrimental environmental effects.

Given the rise of non-communicable diseases, food security issues and environmental disasters, this approach may go a long way in creating a more sustainable way of living. And while we appreciate the idea of ‘getting to know your farmer’ as a means to understand whether harmful chemicals have been used to produce the food that you so trustingly bring into your homes, what if you didn’t have to? What if we could adopt a system of farming that is safe, profitable and good for the environment?

If you’re still curious about what agroecology actually looks like, here’s a photo series by Route to Food Initiative in partnership with Michael Khateli. In honor of World Food Day, we hope this will inspire you to consider a new way of looking at food.

*This article is a paid-for partnership with our friends over at Route to Food Initiative. To learn more about the Agroecology, head over to routetofood.org.