From a nutritional point of view, the scales
are tipping in Turkey. Overnutrition is placing Turkey's population at risk for
obesity and associated chronic diseases such as diabetes. At the same time,
undernutrition adversely affects one in ten children in Turkey under 5 years of
age.
Dr. Dyno Keatinge, Director General of AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center,
discussed the problem in a lecture presented today at Ankara University's Faculty
of Agriculture. "Over the last 40 years we've focused on overcoming hunger, but
our success in increasing the production of staple crops has come at a great cost,
both to agricultural diversity and community health," said Keatinge. "You can't live
on bread alone and be healthy."
Increasingly, people in the developed and developing world alike have diets
high in carbohydrates and fats. In many developing countries, more than 70%
of diets now consist of just one staple. While staple crops such as rice or maize
are important for food security, they don't provide much protein, vitamins, or
other vital micronutrients. The emphasis on starchy staples leads to higher rates
of obesity—a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, type 2
diabetes, and other chronic health problems that strain already-stretched health
care systems.
"The key need is for balanced diets," said Keatinge. "Vegetables are our best
source of the vitamins, micronutrients, and fiber the human body requires for
health. They add much-needed nutritional diversity to diets."
Yet vegetable consumption in most countries, developed or developing, is
well below recommended minimum standards. Even in Turkey, which has the
second highest level of fruit and vegetable consumption of 30 OECD countries
(Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development), recent trends point
to a decrease in consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. In a country where
a significant proportion of the population over 20 years of age is overweight or
obese, it's a pattern for concern.
The concept of balance and diversity extends to agriculture and economics.
"Vegetables are less risk-prone to drought than staple crops, as they typically
have a shorter growing time," said Keatinge. "They can maximize scarce water
supplies and soil nutrients."
Growing vegetables is one of the most potent means available for small-scale
farmers to generate income on and off the farm. A labor-intensive activity,
vegetable production creates jobs, particularly for women. It encourages
entrepreneurship in marketing fresh produce and processing the harvest, which
helps develop rural infrastructure and strengthen local economies.
