Article by @Marie_shaktini , communications manager at Sol Semilla.
More and more of us are becoming aware of the global impact caused by our consumption choices, particularly in the area of food.
A reflection on distribution channels leads us to favor the consumption of fresh, seasonal and local products. Indeed, these foods allow us to be in phase with our immediate environment, to provide our body with "nutritional information" adapted to the regions and climates in and under which we live. Our ideal plates would be made up of a significant portion "from here and now", I mean fresh products from short circuits. The development of such a mode of consumption would result in bringing growing areas closer to places of residence. Already today, urban farms and vegetable gardens are emerging... The economic, social and ecological prospects offered by such a development are exciting.
The massive consumption of fresh food from far away is therefore legitimately to be questioned. Having to reach the consumer quickly, they are, for the most part, shipped by plane in sometimes refrigerated containers. This type of transport poses serious ecological problems and should be used as little as possible, reducing as much as possible the consumption of fresh products from other continents is therefore essential today.
Dried, naturally grown and processed foods, which can travel slowly from one distant point to another, may, if they are interesting from a taste and nutritional point of view, be considered differently.
SMART BUSINESS & CULTURAL LINKS
Throughout world history, trade has taken place between peoples. Spices, dried fruits, herbs, grains, and other dried foods have traveled ever greater distances.
Beyond the flavors, colors and nutrients provided, these exchanges have allowed different cultures to forge links, transmit stories, and share knowledge.
This need to reach out to others has been expressed in more or less harmonious ways depending on the era and the region. The plundering of resources, the enslavement of indigenous peoples by their conquerors, the near-destruction of age-old cultures have often predominated and left traces that still mark our current events. The conquest of the Americas by the Europeans - which according to some marks the beginning of globalization - is one of the strongest illustrations of this.
However, today the means, knowledge and awareness we have at our disposal allow us to conceive and practice other ways of trading. We can free ourselves from models inherited from the past.
The superfoods offered by these generous lands can accompany this evolution towards a global diet and flourishing economic exchanges. It is with this in mind that we have invested in the trade of distant superfoods.
PRESERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY
This trade also contributes to the preservation of the Amazonian and Andean botanical heritage.
Indeed, we ask our producers to take the greatest care of botanical species that have become rare and forgotten and are likely to disappear in favor of so-called more profitable plantations. These superfoods (Cat's Claw, Yacon syrup, etc.) are botanical treasures that should be protected. The herbalists or plant aficionados we met in Peru all confirmed this to us, these plants (fruits, roots, vines, herbs, flowers, etc.) are increasingly difficult to find, most of them being decimated by pesticides or weeded by humans who think they are weeds of no interest.
Less and less known even among the local population who, overwhelmed by processed products (food, medicines), are turning away from the cultivation and/or harvesting of these products and their botanical heritage, which is nevertheless so rich.
LOCAVORISM, THE ONLY SOLUTION?
Far from being in opposition to the emergence of the "locavore" movement asserting itself today, the trade we are talking about accompanies this philosophy. The superfoods imported by Sol Semilla can travel slowly, they are not intended to provide a significant part of the daily diet in Europe. Beyond the nutritional, taste and cultural interest that their trade represents, it can also be considered as an example to follow for the future orientation of our world concerning distant trade.
We believe that eating fresh exotic fruits is a luxury that has a real negative impact on the climate. We believe that fruits such as pineapple, mango, coconut, avocados or bananas should be picked when ripe, dehydrated at low temperatures (they are lighter without their water) and transported by boat (the cleanest possible) in order to reduce air travel of sometimes still green products that have not had time to absorb all their nutrients.
In our Parisian restaurant/boutique, a place of discovery and creativity, we reduce our impact by favoring the use of fresh local, organic and seasonal products.
We incorporate superfoods into our dishes and desserts sparingly and tastefully, carefully respecting the products and their nutritional qualities.
