The messages in this book are about taking individual ingredients on a grander scale, like education, biodiversity and food sustainability, and blending them to transform our relationship with nutrition. When we understand how interconnected food systems are, from the farm to the fork, we begin to understand how interconnected all life on this planet is. We cannot cook up any form of nutrition education without also remembering the many millions of children who are not food secure. Nutrition plays a vital role in human development, particularly in children, but also when we are adults. Access to nutritious school meals, for example, has been shown to significantly improve learning outcomes. Eating unhealthily is similarly a pressure cooker for our entire system. Adults who eat unhealthily are likely to experience faster cognitive and productivity decline. Ultimately, this book is a call to action. Just as a chef carefully selects and combines ingredients to create a masterpiece, we must carefully consider the ingredients of a healthy and sustainable future – education, nutrition, and a deep respect for our planet and all its inhabitants.
Health and Education Resource Centre