Thinking about food

In these times of gluttony few would have thought that the world could face a food shortage that is not only hitting African countries badly but could also pose a threat to Europe where in recent months rising food prices have started making the headlines.

The time has passed when our concerns were only about ways of decreasing our calorie intake and selecting the correct food. The quantity of food available is being brought back into the equation.

The University can no longer ignore such a serious topic which may soon fill our agenda, perhaps even surpassing any other consideration. Food is a complex matter. It is no longer a question that relates only to agriculture and health. It involves economics, education and environmental issues as well as energy related affairs directly and no longer remotely.

However, food studies are still treated in a fragmented manner at University. The department of Biology has given a lot of importance to studies related to the provision of food, particularly on fish farming.

The microbiology sections has focussed more on the need to prevent food shortage and contamination, such as with salmonella. Some 30 years ago the Chemistry department was interested in the contamination of local crops by parasites and saprophytes.

The Institute of Health Care as well as the Pharmacy department tackled the problems caused by obesity while other medical departments gave attention to the special nutritional needs to those who suffer from a particular conditions, such as diabetes.

For the past 18 years the IHC has been training health inspectors (now called technical environmental health officers) for the Health department as well as technical personnel for the food and beverage industry.

The University's Institute of Agriculture devotes much of its energy to areas such as agricultural sustainability, including the cultivation of fresh vegetables.

The Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) also has a section related to agriculture. As part of the subject of life skills, the Faculty of Education trains prospective teachers to instil in students from an early age the importance of a balanced diet and the basics of food economics, while teachers are called to educate the younger generations to ensure that obesity does not become the order of the day.

There is need for all faculties and institutes at the University and MCAST to come together to adopt a united, consolidated approach to tackling the food problem before it reaches our shores in astronomical dimensions.

The approach to such a challenge must be a scientific one. It may call for the formation of an Institute for Food Science which could incorporate in it the vast expertise that is available on campus ranging from fish farming to specialised communications techniques extending to educational, microbiological and industrial aspects.

Let us face the challenge associated with the food dilemma before it reaches tragic proportions. The talents are available. Through the intelligent use of EU funds we may also be able to propose beneficial solutions not only to Europe but also to the international community regarding the dilemmas facing the world through food shortage and irrational management of food production and distribution.