The World Food Day is celebrated around the world on the 16^th of October each year to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and to raise awareness regarding various socio-economic issues pertaining to food and agriculture. This World Food Day, you too can contribute towards the cause of promoting agriculture biodiversity by pledging to eat more diverse foods. Although we may not give enough thought to the subject on a day to day basis, maintaining food diversity is vital for preventing the disappearance of certain species of crops from the planet. Here is how you can help preserve agricultural diversity by including diverse items on your plate.

What has caused a decline in global food diversity?

If you look at the traditional cuisines of different parts of the world, most of them include a wide variety of ingredients and the dishes of a particular season largely rely on the vegetables and herbs available during that time of the year. However, in the present age, most people have replaced these traditional recipes with readily available junk food items and processed foods that do not require much time or effort for preparation. Due to this increased dependence on fast food, many crops are disappearing entirely from the modern menu, which is why these species of plants are on the edge of extinction because harvesting them is not economically viable for the farmers any more. Therefore, focusing on including a larger variety of crops in our daily diet is the best way to preserve agriculture biodiversity.

How to preserve food diversity?

In order to preserve and improve the state of food diversity in the world, individuals need to make the conscious decision to include more locally grown and diverse food items in their daily diet. Instead of relying on frozen or canned vegetables, try to eat the seasonal crops available in your locality. Support the local farmers and try to buy directly from them to encourage them to continue growing the indigenous crops of the region. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables delivered straight from the local farms will have a positive impact on your health as well as on the agricultural diversity of the region.

Where to find local produce and authentic regional cuisine?

The farmstays that dot the rural landscape of India are the best places to taste the authentic traditional recipes of the region. At a farmstay, you will be served the forgotten dishes of the region that are prepared in a rustic manner. This will give you some ideas regarding how to incorporate a more diverse set of ingredients in your daily meals. Also, if you buy food products from a farmstay, then the money goes directly to the local farmers, thereby maximizing their profits. In this manner, by visiting an agritourism center, you can get your hands on the freshest produce while supporting the local farming community and the agriculture biodiversity of the country.
What you put on your plate not only determines your health but also the health of the planet. Let us make an effort this World Food Day to not lose any more species due to our poor diet choices. Make the adoption of food diversity a lifestyle choice so as to discover a healthier you and to protect the vividly hued crops that are the priceless gifts of nature.