A Snack’s Journey From the Farm to Your Mouth | Aruna Rangachar Pohl | TED

Summary

The speaker narrates the journey of India's popular biscuits, highlighting the inefficiencies and hidden costs of industrial farming. Using Devraj Pai, a small farmer in Gujarat, as an example, they illustrate the cycle from wheat farming to processed biscuits. They emphasize the environmental and economic impacts, advocating for sustainable, local production. The story then transitions to the success of Saudati Farmer Producer Company in Karnataka, showcasing how 10,000 small farmers have transformed their livelihoods through collective action and green practices. The speaker calls for valuing food through the lenses of climate and community, urging a shift towards a greener, fairer food system.

Takeaways

• 🌾 The script tells the story of the journey of wheat from a small farmer's field in Gujarat to becoming biscuits, highlighting the inefficiencies and environmental impact of industrial farming.
• 📈 Devraj Pai's wheat is sold for 22 rupees a kilo and bought back as biscuits for 120 rupees a kilo, illustrating the significant markup in the processed food industry.
• 🚚 The industrial farming model involves long distances in transportation, contributing to high fuel costs and emissions, which are part of the hidden costs to nature.
• 🌍 The speaker emphasizes the need for green production and consumption, especially in a rapidly modernizing country like India, which is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
• 🌱 The India Foundation for Humanistic Development aims to rejuvenate productive landscapes equitably and sustainably, working with small farmers and indigenous communities.
• 🌳 The story of Anand and the Saudati Farmer Producer Company Limited showcases how collective strength among farmers can lead to better farming efficiency, higher incomes, and direct trading with buyers.
• 💰 Profits from the Saudati company are reinvested or distributed among farmer shareholders, promoting a more equitable economic model.
• 🌿 Transitioning to organic, multi-crop farming systems through natural farming trainings helps in sequestering carbon, which can be traded for revenue, benefiting the entire community.
• 📊 The use of an app called FoodSign allows for tracking and tracing of production practices, capturing the carbon sequestered on farmers' lands.
• 🏭 The Doorstep incubator program supports micro enterprises that add value to local produce using renewable energy, creating a circular food economy.
• 🔄 The script calls for a reset in the food system, connecting culture to policy, and promoting a shift from a broken to a green and fair food system.
• 🌏 The speaker concludes by urging individuals to value food from the perspective of climate and communities, and to make conscious choices in their food consumption.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the script regarding the production of biscuits in India?

The script discusses the highly polluting industrial farming model and the inefficient supply chain that leads to the production of unhealthy, sugary biscuits at a much higher cost to both the farmers and the consumers.

Who is Devraj Pai in the context of the script?

Devraj Pai is a small farmer from Gujarat who grows wheat on his one-hectare farm. His wheat is part of the long and inefficient supply chain that ends up in the production of biscuits.

How much does Devraj Pai sell his wheat for, and how much does he buy the biscuits for?

Devraj Pai sells his wheat for 22 rupees a kilo, but he buys the biscuits made from it for 120 rupees a kilo, which is almost five times more.

What is the India Foundation for Humanistic Development and what is its vision?

The India Foundation for Humanistic Development is an organization set up by the speaker to rejuvenate productive landscapes equitably and sustainably. Its vision is to work with small farmers and Indigenous communities to promote natural farming, green enterprise development, and habitat conservation.

What is the Saudati Farmer Producer Company Limited and what does it do?

Saudati Farmer Producer Company Limited is a company with 1,000 farmers as shareholders and co-owners. It operates at scale, eliminates middlemen, and trades directly with big buyers for higher prices, which helps the farmers earn at least 25 percent more.

How does the Saudati Company help farmers improve their farming efficiency and income?

The Saudati Company helps farmers by operating at scale, which allows them to raise finance, bulk purchase farm inputs, and trade directly with big buyers. This improves their farming efficiency and allows them to earn more and avoid high-interest micro loans.

What is the significance of the transition from chemical-based monocrop agriculture to an organic, multi-crop farming system?

The transition to an organic, multi-crop farming system is significant because it promotes sustainable and climate-resilient farming practices, which are better for the environment and also help in sequestering carbon.

What is the FoodSign app and how does it help in tracking the carbon sequestered on the farmers' lands?

The FoodSign app is a tool that helps track and trace the production practices of the farmers. It captures the tons of carbon sequestered on their lands, which can then be traded to earn carbon revenues.

What is the Doorstep incubator program and how does it support local communities?

The Doorstep incubator program supports farmer-producer companies and their shareholders by linking them to micro enterprises run by women and youth. These enterprises add value to local produce for local markets using renewable energy.

How does the script suggest that the local circular food economy can benefit a whole district with a million population?

The script suggests that by transforming individual small farmers into a joint venture managing a large area of produce, a local circular food economy can be created. This can have a significant impact by providing affordable, sufficient, and culturally appropriate food for the entire population.

What are the three underpinning principles mentioned in the script for creating a green and fair food system?

The three underpinning principles are: 1) A climate-resilient farming system that uses existing natural resources to improve productivity and farm incomes. 2) A production system that adds value close to the source and conserves natural resources while ensuring fair value to both producers and consumers. 3) A value system that protects nature and people's rights, promoting equitable ownership and joint decision making.