Karel bauwens can we save our planet by changing our food consumption

Can we save our planet by changing our
food consumption?
English paper
KAREL BAUWENS
25TH
OF MAY 2015
Word count: 4.099

Karel Bauwens English paper schakeltraject bedrijfskunde 2015
2
Table of contents:
Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 3
Problems the food sector is confronted with ......................................................................................... 4
Farmers in trouble............................................................................................................................... 4
Climate change and food safety.......................................................................................................... 6
Food fraud........................................................................................................................................... 7
Meat production and -industry are the biggest polluters................................................................... 8
What do people do to cope with these crises and scandals................................................................... 9
Take it easy........................................................................................................................................ 10
Ancient food and old fashion style of living...................................................................................... 10
New concept stores........................................................................................................................... 12
Cru ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Van Cauwenberghe ....................................................................................................................... 13
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Think global, eat local........................................................................................................................ 15
Less is more ....................................................................................................................................... 15
References............................................................................................................................................. 16

3
Introduction
People nowadays no longer think about the care for their daily food. Who is breeding
cattle for their milk and meat? Where do their vegetables come from? Is the fish they are
consuming safe? Why is it that they buy apples from New Zealand and water from Japan? In
this paper, I would like to reflect on the situation and the problems various parties in the
food chain have to deal with. After more than twenty years of experience in the food
industry and having considerable interest in everything that has to do with food, I want to
take a deeper look into the matter.
For some years there has been widespread discussion about the tension between
globalization and regionalization. The recent economic crisis enforced the debate and some
people are convinced that there is no substantial alternative for globalization. Others believe
too little attention has been paid to the disadvantages. They advocate regionalization as one
of the best solutions. Although globalization and regionalization totally differ in nature and
principles concerning development, innovation is necessary no matter how.
Renewal asks for an utmost focus on the underlying problems. There are many
laudable initiatives, but regionalization of agriculture, ecological animal husbandry or energy
saving vegetable and fruit cultivation requires thoughtful management and a lot of efforts in
terms of investments, legal procedures, hygiene regulations and so on.
Caalders et al. (2009) mentions that the problems are significant because of the way
the system is maintained. They conclude that innovation is needed on three levels: a) the
economic level, b) control and guidance and c) renewal of food chains.
An important starting point is: how can people be more involved in the food chain?
Currently, the citizen is mostly the final consumer. Increased involvement in the food chain
might enable people to judge the final product and the way it is produced more critically.
The goal is to build bridges between the person as a citizen and the person as a consumer.
The more this distance can be reduced, the more qualitative food can be. We must move
away from a submissive way of life. The consumer is no longer the quixotic consumer. He
knows what he eats, or at least he wants to know.

4
However, world trade is becoming easier and the food chain is becoming more
global. International and European developments have a profound impact on agriculture and
food production, both in our own country as in other parts of the world. The rising world
population, climate change, the depletion of non-renewable resources, the price volatility
and the GMO1
issues raise a lot of speculation on the free trade markets. In the future, the
agricultural sector is also facing further liberalization of world trade and globalization of food
chains. Pig farmers barely regain the costs of meat production, cereal and corn growers work
at a loss and beef farmers can no longer answer to the pressure of legislation. For many of
them investments, hygiene regulations and the adjustments to the standards and laws are
no longer attainable.
Problems the food sector is confronted with
Farmers in trouble
One of the most important players in the food chain is the agricultural sector. Since
the 1960s the world population has increased significantly. Demographers expect the world
to count over 9 billion inhabitants in 2050 (figure 1). Food production will have to follow this
upward trend, but the pace will differ regionally. Food patterns are also changing in certain
regions. For example, the consumption of animal products is rising considerably, which
means that farmers will have to adapt their way of breeding cattle and growing their food. If
they keep on producing meat and other animal related products the way they are doing
now, the ecological system will not be able to keep up and recover. In 40 years’ time, food
production will have to increase by an estimated 70 percent. Farmers, industry and global
policy will have to think about how they can achieve this while protecting the Earth from
destruction caused by misguided overproduction. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Chance predicts an average global temperature rise of 1.8 to 4°C by 2100. "The impact of
climate change on the quality of life of our planet is still not exactly quantifiable, but many
sectors, including agriculture, today get the question to adjust their working method", says
Dirk Van Gijseghem of LARA2
(2014).
1
genetically manipulated organisms
2
(Vlaams) landbouwrapport = (Flemish) agricultural report

5
Climate impact will have to be reduced, but apart from this, the farming industry will
have to face an even bigger challenge in changing their way of producing agricultural crops
and adapting their techniques to the new climatological conditions.
"The depletion in the future of fossil fuels and non-renewable raw materials can be
an obstacle for the food production", knows Van Gijseghem. The highly mechanized
agriculture, which also depends on fossil fuels for fertilizers, will probably have to switch to
more sustainable alternatives. Price fluctuations of food products are, according to LARA,
strongly connected to those of fossil fuels and commodities. Over the next few years
observers assume that food prices will stabilize at a lower level than the peak of 2008, but at
a higher level than before that time. Price volatility and complexity in pricing worldwide
bring about great uncertainty to farmers, both in the EU and beyond. The importance of
GMOs increases every year. In 2009 the area used for GMO agriculture comprised 134
million hectares worldwide. GMOs put on the market today, were primarily developed to the
farmer’s benefits. The LARA report states that the aim of GMOs is, both with regard to public
as to private research, the improvement in nutritional value and industrial applications.
Figure 1: population in billions. Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The
1994 Revisions; U.S. Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base
and unpublished tables.

6
Nevertheless, Europe is hesitant to go along with the GMO story, which is reflected in the
limited area of GMO crops.
Although trade in agricultural products makes up less than 9 percent of all world
trade, it is very important to the WTO3
. The agricultural sector must be aware of a further
liberalization of world trade and a globalization of food chains in the future. Within the EU4
the agricultural sector pays much attention to respect for the environment and a range of
other aspects, such as natural diversity, multi crops planting, organic breeding and balance
with the natural environment.
Climate change and food safety
A second problem the food sector is confronted with is climate change. As the global
temperature is rising, some regions are dealing with drought. Other parts in the world are
confronted with more rainfall and higher humidity. Those phenomena are infecting the
crops in a direct or indirect way.
Uyttendaele and Hofstra (2015) concluded in the Veg-i-Trade5
project that climate
change may endanger food security in several ways. Temperature rise causes a higher risk of
contamination by and growth of disease-causing germs. A higher temperature stimulates
mold formation. Vegetable growers are thus inclined to use more protective products. In
case of heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers, the irrigation water can infect the crop with
unwanted intestinal bacteria. Yet it is not all doom and gloom. Strong UV radiation of the
sun and the many bacteria naturally present on the plant, can also take out these unwanted
germs quickly.
Research done by Veg-i-Trade examined the impact of climate change and
globalization on the food safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. In this context, there has been
research on viruses, bacteria and pesticide residues on fresh fruits and vegetables. Because
climate change endangers both food security and food safety, the current control systems
that monitor the quality of our food need to be adapted. Expert survey carried out within
3
World Trade Organization
4
European Union
5
Veg-i-Trade: project financed by the EU to investigate “Impact of Climate Change and
Globalization on Safety of Fresh Produce”

7
the Veg-i-Trade project shows that the required adjustments and the capacity to accomplish
them will be different for each region and will depend on the type of business.
The executed field studies and statistical analysis show a link between contamination
of fruit and vegetables and climate variables like temperature and precipitation. But
researchers say that more than one scenario has to be taken into account as regional
differences can occur. The influence of the environment is important. For years it was
standard procedure to look at climatic changes, but this was hardly applied in the field of
food safety.
For example, a preliminary study by Veg-i-Trade about growth and production of
mold in tomatoes (figure 2), evidenced by a scenario analysis, shows an increased risk of
infection for Poland can be expected by the end of this century. In Spain on the other hand,
it will perhaps even be too hot for mold. In addition, the danger of infection can occur in
other food: through fish and shellfish we can also come into contact with unwanted germs
or toxins because seawater is getting warmer.
Food fraud
Another problem in the food chain – and more dangerous to the consumer – is food
fraud. Organized crime gangs are widely manipulating inferior products and sell it as good
and high quality nutrition.
Figure 2: mold infects tomatoes. Source: www.foodlog.nl

8
As supply and demand of food produce on the global market is price sensitive, some
suppliers, traders and producers of food articles become inventive to chisel with the quality,
the quantity, the administration or the obliged correct labelling of food. Milk is diluted with
water, cheap cheese is sold as expensive qualitative origin cheese, labels are put on cans
which do not contain the quality which is marked on the label, meat is handled as premium
quality but is in fact barely good enough for animal feeding, fish is sold as fresh but is
perished in reality, inferior alcohol and wine is sold as high quality Chateau wine and good
quality liquor and so on (figure 3).
All over the world food fraudsters are very inventive. Europol6
announced that they
and international counterpart INTERPOL7
has taken more than 2,500 tons of food in
confiscation. The operation took place in December 2014 and January 2015. The food safety
authorities of 47 countries, including Belgium and some neighbouring countries,
participated.
Meat production and -industry are the biggest polluters
The last and certainly not the least important problem that I would like to cite, is the
global consumption of meat and fish.
6
Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency (https://www.europol.europa)
7
INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization
(http://www.interpol.int/About-INTERPOL)
Figure 3: food fraud. Source: http://naturally.lumarseafood.com

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Before you put another quarter pounder on your barbecue or eat your next T-bone
steak, keep in mind that eating meat is destroying our planet. This might be put somewhat
simplistically, but all research on the matter comes to the same conclusion: the production
of meat and food for cattle puts a lot of pressure on our planet.
The American documentary ‘Cowspiracy’ as recapitulated by Dirk Draulans (2015),
describes the meat and fish industry to be the most harmful industry in the world. The
documentary filmmakers even speak of a kind of conspiracy: they wonder why
environmental groups are not more active against the industry and suggest that their lives
are threatened because they are stirring in this unsavory pot. The latter is of course severely
exaggerated. But it is true that scientific reports show that for years environmental damage
has been caused by the cattle industry and that these insights are not translated into policy
measures.
Meat production contributes to global warming, large-scale deforestation and water
pollution. It causes one-fifth to one-third of the emitted greenhouse gases, which is more
than the emissions caused by transport. And the manure of animals infects the soil and
water through polluting nitrates. Strange that the implementation plan of the World Summit
on sustainable development in 2002 makes no mention of meat consumption. Neither does
the renewed sustainable development strategy of the European Union of 2006.
In the Belgian policy vision of 2013 it is said that “the social and environmental
impact of our production and consumption in the field of foods” should be “significantly
reduced” by 2050. The key question is to what extent reducing or modifying meat
consumption can lower the negative impact of livestock farming on the environment.
The crucial question remains whether consumers will adapt their meat consumption
on sufficiently large scale on behalf of climate goals. Some voices plea for an environmental
tax on meat consumption in order to speed up the sensitization process. The good will of the
consumer will not suffice.
What do people do to cope with these crises and scandals
The problems are diverse and immense and solutions cannot be achieved overnight.
Nor can we, as small end consumers, deal with the great causes such as overproduction,

10
pollution and abuse. These matters should be contested by the local and the global
governments. Yet we are also responsible. We are part of the food chain. So what can we
do?
Take it easy
Whether crisis has to do with it or not, books as ‘Ons Kookboek’8
of KVLV9
, ‘Dagelijkse
Kost’10
of Jeroen Meeus and ‘Puur Genieten’11
of Pascale Naessens show us that cooking
with normal products and ingredients that are easy to find is very popular. As opposed to the
culinary bibles in which recipes are found with tedious lists of ingredients that have to be
obtained from ten different delicacy shops. Nor meals which require difficult manipulations
for which years of studies in renowned hotel schools are needed are dragging house wives’
hearts away. What do you find on the dinner table on weekdays and even on holidays?
Recipes from grandma's notebook prepared in a ‘new style old fashion way’ taught by
popular television cooks. They teach people once more what good and honest food is with
respect for the product, the producer, the way to prepare and to enjoy it. And some of them
go a step further and pay attention to ‘less meat’, ‘more vegetables’, ‘organic is better’,
‘cook healthy’ and ‘take care about the environment’.
The modern house cook doesn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen either. He or she
wants to enjoy the moment together with invited friends and show them how easy it is to
combine cooking, serving and having a good time. So, they banish complicated preparations
which require hours of previous work. They rather look up a healthy tapa style menu in one
or another popular TV chef’s book. Preferably with as little ecological footprint as possible.
Ancient food and old fashion style of living
People return to old-school food in periods of crisis. Geyzen (2011) shows a clear
relationship between crises and the popularity of nostalgic food. For this culinary research,
Geyzen analyzed articles and recipe sections of three women magazines of the period 1945-
2000.
8
Our Cook book
9
Koninklijke Vereniging der Landelijke Vrouwen = Royal Association of Rural Women
10
Daily Fare
11
Pure Enjoyment

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Geyzen states that the difficult post-war years, economic crises and several political
deadlocks had much influence on articles and recipes in women's magazines. During
economic crises the government promotes agricultural politics to stimulate domestic
production and to counter import. During the economic crisis of the 1970s, women's
magazines also campaigned for ‘trusted flavors’ and ‘home recipes’. The uncertainties of the
crisis asked for something to hold on to, which was found in ‘grandmother's recipes’ (figure
4) and ‘Flemish style cooking’. The number of references to foreign recipes in this period
declined considerably.
As proven by sociology and marketing studies, the recent focus on ‘flavors from the
past’, ‘traditional dishes’ and ‘grandmother's recipes’ is largely caused by globalization and
industrialization of the food chain. We became industrial eaters largely depending on food
produced in a mechanical way. In addition, supermarkets are flooded with a range of foreign
products. The consumer often doesn’t know the geographical origin of these goods. Where
does the food on our plates come from and which path did it follow? When the consumer is
faced with food crises that are inseparably connected with industrialized food production,
such as the dioxin crisis in the 1990s or the recent E. COLI bacteria crisis, a dormant distrust
surfaces. A search for trust and confidence is the result. In addition to globalization and
Figure 4: old fashion menu. Source: www.tgkdesigns.com/p/1844-
vintage-old-fashioned-style-reception-menu

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industrialization of the food chain, however, other factors trigger the longing for ‘trusted’
flavors. Economic and political crises, for example, also bring uncertainties and this is
translated to terms such as ‘traditional methods’ or ‘grandmother's style’. This was
especially the case after World War II and in the 1960s. During these periods lots of ‘home
made’ recipes were far-out. And again now, 2008’s crisis makes products from local farmers
combined with home grown products popular. A new trend which is followed by clever
marketers and distributors.
New concept stores
Under the catch-phrase: ‘it doesn't always have to be the cheapest’ some conceptual
thinkers must have been inspired to throw up a food shop that isn’t selling just food.
Following the example of what many professional catering managers already know from the
wholesalers as ‘all-under-one-roof’ and ‘top quality’, projects were set up which are
accessible to the private customer who is looking for quality products, rather than for the
cheapest alternative.
Cru
In November 2014, the first establishment of Cru (figure 5) opened its doors. A new
department of the Colruyt group, but one which has nothing to do with the traditional
supermarkets as we all know them. “In this times of hurry, people are looking for moments
of tranquillity and joy”, explains Cru concept store manager Jean-Pierre Roelands. Here you
don’t rush to fill up a shopping cart and leave.
Figure 5: Cru by Colruyt Group. Source: http://www.brusselnieuws.be

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Cru is a market place where you can smell, taste, see and discover fresh products as
meat, fish, vegetables and fruit but also cheese, wine, in house roasted coffee and flowers.
In the demo kitchen you can get some inspiration of what to do with your purchases.
The setup of the store has an artisan feel. Bakery, fresh fish market, cheese counter,
coffee roaster, and so on. The Cru store works together with passionate tradesmen en
suppliers. Wines are imported directly from the producer. The staff is trained by the partner-
supplier or they are experts in their specialization. The product range is premium quality,
well looked for and not the same like elsewhere. Another kind of loaf of bread can be bought
here, tea blends are made by their own herb grower and the consumer can wallow on a well
invented assortment of fruit and vegetables in season. No mass retail nor big volumes to
counter high prices. Cru does not want to depend on its supplier’s market power. They want
good collaboration with the best product for the client as a result.
But Cru is not about shopping alone. It is also about the shopping experience in the
store. Staff give advice, products can be discovered. In a cozy corner coffee or tea can be
enjoyed and wine can be tasted at a small price. It is all about authenticity, but Cru makes
use of modern technology. Entering the store, you get a tablet to do your purchases. If there
are any questions you can look it up or you can add wishes to your shopping list. On the long
term the social pillar needs to be developed so customers can exchange ideas and recipes.
The tablet also plays a central role in the payment system of Cru. The client will scan his
purchases himself and he will settle the bill without the traditional checkout. It is all about
confidence and trust. For those who prefer to shop without the tablet the Cru-app can be
downloaded or they can quickly go through the self-scan. Though the latter service is
limited. At the payment terminal Cru goes for paperless. The invoice will be mailed digitally
to avoid paper waste as much as possible.
Van Cauwenberghe
A second example of a concept store, is the Van Cauwenberghe food and dining store
(figure 6), which is more or less like the Cru concept and already exists for some years. A
tasteful idea of the Van Cauwenberghe family which is already known for three generations

14
as experts in food business. Based upon the Spanish ‘mercados’ this experience market is a
Walhalla of aromas, tastes and delicacies. They call it the handicraft in a contemporary
outfit. Here you'll find fresh articles from many local crops, harvesting and catches. Often the
cultivation is organic and in harmony with nature. Special cheeses, Spanish ham, fresh fish
and meat, special tapenades and delicious chocolate. Everything is handmade and not
available in the regular supermarket. Think of pure or authentic and it can be found here.
Exposed in islands every department is worth a visit. The special trained staff helps with
shopping, recommending products, advise and tastings. The costumer can have a coffee, can
take breakfast or may even enjoy lunch at noon in the bistro bar. Again, it is much more than
shopping.
Figure 6: food and dining store Van Cauwenberghe. Source: http://look-out.be

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Conclusion
Think global, eat local
It is an eye opener when some of the major problems are put in a short list.
Overproduction, overconsumption, pollution, fraud and so on are serious matters and it is
our governments’ duty to deal with these challenges and to find solutions.
Meat from Argentina, green beans from Kenya, asparagus from Peru, apples from
New Zealand, even water from Japan: the world is our village and so we get articles from all
over the world. It is, after all, on store shelves, it looks attractive and it is cheap as well. As
consumer we make a choice, not only of a finished product but also of the mode of
production and the commercial practice. Do we realize what we choose? We have to be
aware of the circumstances in which products are cultivated and animals are raised. Did the
farmer get a fair reimbursement for his efforts? We also have to keep in mind that not all
food can be as good as the trader claims. The (low) price we pay is sometimes out of balance
with the (high) quality offered. Can it be done the other way around?
Less is more
Less meat and more vegetables: not easy to put into practice but it might be a new
way of life. Organic food, home grown ingredients and fair trade products are not obvious to
find, certainly not as all these goods are not stocked under one roof, but they should be part
of our daily consumption. Some action will have to be taken to make our world a better
place. But let’s start with ourselves, shall we?
As consumer, we can try to change our purchasing behavior. However, does the
solution lie in the consumption of local products? Is compensating meat consumption by
vegetarian alternatives the way forward? Less cattle and more vegetables need more
cultivatable land, is that feasible? Stop buying "Fairtrade" apple juice from South America
may lead to a smaller ecological footprint, but what about our social compassion? No longer
Kenya beans in our supermarkets, and only buy local alternatives may seem a good idea, but
can our farmers meet the demand and keep the beans affordable or will they soon become a
luxury product? And ultimately: can a country be self-sufficient altogether? Good equilibria
must be sought and found.

16
References
Caalders, J. et al, December 2009, Close to home – About regionalization of food chains and
a greater role for the consumer, (BUITEN, Consultancy Economy & Environment)
InnovationNetwork Report 09.2.225, Utrecht, The Netherlands
De Bock Joram, November 2014, Photo report: Cru, the covered food market of Colruyt,
picked from the internet on the 28th
of March 2015,
http://www.gondola.be/nl/content/fotoreportage-cru-de-overdekte-versmarkt-
van-colruyt-76063
Draulans Dirk, Knack Wednesday 18/03/2015, copy article + picked from the internet via Go-
press on the 27th
of March 2015,
http://academic.gopress.be/Public/index.php?page=reader&issue=211062
Geyzen Anneke, 2011, Crisis stimulates popularity historically food, picked from the internet
on the 25th
of March 2015, http://www.vub.ac.be/nieuws/2011/12/20/crisis-
stimuleert-populariteit-historisch-voedsel
Think Global, eat local, picked from the internet on the 05th
of April 2015,
http://www.vormingplusmzw.be/denk-globaal-eet-lokaal
Uyttendaele M. and Hofstra N., 2015, Climate change brings food safety at risk, picked from
the internet on the 22th
of March 2015, http://www.vilt.be/klimaatverandering-
brengt-voedselveiligheid-in-gevaar
Van Cauwenberghe, Food store Van Cauwenberghe Destelbergen, picked from the internet
on the 29th
of March 2015 + own experience from previous jobs, http://www.van-
cauwenberghe.be/Eetwinkel/index.html
Van Gijseghem Dirk, 2014, LARA,
http://lv.vlaanderen.be/nl/voorlichtinginfo/publicaties/studies/sectoren/landbouwr
apport-2014
Vilt, January 2011, Liberalization world trade and food chain is becoming more global, picked
from the internet on the 22th
of March 2015,
http://www.vilt.be/Wereldhandel_liberaliseert_en_voedselketen_globaliseert

17
Vilt, February 2015, Food fraud is an ailment on every continent, picked from the internet on
the 25th
of March 2015, http://www.vilt.be/voedselfraude-is-een-kwaal-op-elk-
continent

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