Until a few decades ago – when not even the notion of supermarkets existed – most Maltese households kept a few rabbits, chickens, even a pig or a sheep in their backyard. This household husbandry supported family life with a side dish of bread from the village baker and fresh produce from the farmer.

There is a degree of nostalgic charm in how past generations used to cook and eat. But there is also a valuable lesson. Our forefathers knew the true shape and form of their food. Moreover, food did not arrive on supermarket shelves through a complex itinerary of food miles, rather, the journey consisted of a simple one-way ticket from backyard to fork. They literally knew what they were eating.

In 2004, journalist Felicity Lawrence wrote a seminal book, Not on the label: what really goes into the food on your plate. She dissected the main conundrum that flavours the food we eat today: on the one hand, we increasingly spend thousands of hours watching cookery shows as a form of entertainment and, on the other, we are spending less time preparing and cooking our meals.

Her bestselling exposés of the food business also showed how modern meals are served on a bed of food scares and conflicting information.

Are food supplements good or bad for us? Is the fate of battery hens an evil that is necessary to feed the world’s appetite? And why do First World states throw away huge amounts of food that would be enough to feed starving countries?

This confusion feeds on ignorance, lack of the right information and too much wrong information, respected studies and others sponsored by food producers as well as a disregard to where the food comes from, as long as it is cheap and abundant.

A study on antimicrobial resistance recently published by the European Commission found that nearly three-quarters of the Maltese people thought antibiotics should be used on animals meant for human consumption. Moreover, 35 per cent strongly feel that this should be done. These statistics assume greater significance when considering EU regulations and reports of misuse.

The European Commission study also found that the Maltese people were the least informed about the EU’s policies on giving the medication to farm animals. Moreover, more than 70 per cent of Maltese respondents did not know that, in 2011, the EU had voted to ban the use of antibiotics for treating livestock unless under strict conditions

Various studies show that the use of antibiotics on farm animals can lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria that are, in turn, a threat to humans and to the animals that we eat. This is a major threat to public health. Last year, a report commissioned by former UK prime minister David Cameron concluded that the use of antibiotics in agriculture is fuelling human resistance to drugs.

The report acknowledged that the proper use of antibiotics is essential and offers benefits for food production. However, excessive and inappropriate use, both to stop the development of infections in animals and to increase their weight gain, is detrimental to both animal and human health. This not only puts human lives at risk but also drives up medical costs.

Food is the most basic yet an essential element in life. However, not just any food will do. Knowing our food and where it comes from is key to survival and well-being. The generations that came before us are ‘living’ examples of that.