What have (food) revolutions ever done for us?

1. Neolithic Revolution2. Columbian Exchange

(Yes, that’s a revolution too!)

3. Green Revolution4. Supermarket Revolution

5. Nutrition Revolution6. Gene Revolution

Why?

• Cannot domesticate everything– Domestication bottleneck

• Big money for big crops– Stigma of poor people’s crops

• Reductionist mentality – medicinal approach to food– Molecular gastronomy

What to do?

Diversity Reaction

IN

CREASIN

G

COSTS

COMPL

EXITY

TOWARDS P

REVEN

TION

CULTURAL R

ELEV

ANCE

RESILI

ENCE

SUST

AINABILI

TY

Suppl

e-ment

sNutrient Dense/Therapeutic

Fortification Staple Foods Oils

Biofortification of Staple Foods

Food, diet diversity and quality based solutions

Ecos

yste

m Se

rvice

s

Cons

erva

tion

Beha

viors

Lifes

tyle

Know

ledge

Lear

ning A

gend

a

From pills to diverse diets

Nutrition Reaction

Cavendish Common Variety

<5 µg/100g pro-Vit A carotenoid

<8500 µg/100g pro-Vit A carotenoid

South Pacific banana varieties

Source: Burlingame, FAO (2013) and Bioversity International