From a consumer's perspective, the response seems unanimous; in a world where any flavour can be found, a product’s origin and source have become essential information. An exclusive and unprecedented survey called "Food 360", carried out by Kantar TNS for SIAL, found that almost 68% of the French pay more attention to the origin and source of products. "You are what you eat" should compel us to better understand the journey our food makes. The challenge is that in a globalised world where seasons have lost significance and distances have become smaller, it is increasingly difficult to understand the food production chain.
A group of researchers from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) recently conducted a study on the geographic origins of our food crops.
The Geographic origins of food crops: The CIAT study results
It was discovered that nearly 70% of our main food products are of foreign origin. Importing food has grown steadily for the past fifty years, even in countries with high agricultural diversity. Discover success and perception of ethnic cuisine.
The CIAT also studied whether exports play a role in our current diet. The conclusion is that if you're American and you think you can use the phrase "as American as apple pie", then you're wrong! Apple pie is actually closer to being Asian or European. The United States' agricultural economy actually depends on East Asia, Mexico, Central American and the Mediterranean.
"You are what you eat" sounds a bit more complex when looking at the map!
Discover what these interactive maps and graphs tell us about our geography here.
