"All I need is one rice, and one wheat flour. Why is Bio Basics offering so many varieties?"
a friend from the US asked me.
Hence this blog.
Short answer:
For the same reason that we eat so many dals, vegetables, & fruits.
Long answer:
Diversity is inherent to Nature.
Diversity of plants, crops, trees and anything Natural.
Even among human societies, diversity is not uncommon.
Be it languages, thumbprints, rituals, or cultures.
So it is but natural to have several varieties of crops.
And several varieties of crop categories.
It is just the Nature of things!
We have in the last century or so, lost tons of Diversity of crops.
Be it rice, wheat, tubers, or millets.
We have some diversity left among pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
So just because we are exposed to just one rice or one wheat all through our lives, we don't have to accept it!
So what's in it for you?
Seven "selfish" reasons to eat diversity:
- Nutritional benefit: Each crop has a different micro-nutrient profile depending on the soil, terrain and climate of where it was grown. More diverse your food, more nutrition your bodies get.
- Taste & flavour: These myriad micro-nutrients translate into different tastes and flavour profiles.
- Diversity of dishes: Different flavour profiles lead to different dishes associated with various regions and cultures.
- Closer to Nature: Our bodies change all the time, so best to eat what is local, seasonal and natural to your place.
- Small farmer friendly: Food Corporations love a single homogenized commodity, because it is easy to scale. Nature loves diversity, and small farmers. Whose side are you on?
- Food security: Climate change can wipe out many a species of plants and animals. As it is, 75% of what we eat today comes from 12 plant species. So best to diversify.
- Celebrate the richness of our lives: Our lives need not be drab and same-old same-old! The food and crop heritage of India is rich. Enjoy it!
So let's eat Diversity over Homogeneity.
