OPINION

By Mary Karooro Okurut

More humans today commit suicide with the fork than with any other instrument.

This is both a literal statement and pragmatic expression. Why, one would ask. The answer exists in historical, scientific, biblical and contemporary frames.

The ‘you-become-what-you-eat’ mantra is credited to French lawyer and gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who in 1826 is quoted to have said, Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es, the English language rendering of which is “tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are”.

In short, as Indian lifestyle coach Aparna Mishra noted in 2009, the elements of the foods we eat and drinks we imbibe reach every part of the body, helping to build muscles, repair tissues and provision energy. They just don’t become part of us, we become them.

That means our appetite, and the type of food that excites it, can lead us to better health and longer enjoyable life or an early grave. There is a warning about this in the Bible, in the Book of Proverbs 23:1-3, that: “When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.”

Science teaches us that organic foods are richer in nutrients, pose less health and environmental risks and the production is safer for human and nature, meeting the threshold of sustainability. And this is the goodness of most, if not all, of our tradition foods unlike the fast-foods shaping contemporary diet.

This is the gist of the article: a celebration of the return of many with means to our organic foods which we grew up eating. There has over the years been a temptation — well a trend — for the elite (and their families) to ditch traditional cuisine for conventional food whenever they make some money.

The production of these non-organic foods may involve the injection of growth hormones, genetically-modified organisms or higher levels of chemicals either for protection against diseases, growth yields or preservation upon harvest.

The Uganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health has found out that about half of the vegetables on sale in markets across the country have a high concentration of chemicals, exposing consumers to cancer risk. A lot has to do with the profit motive of liberal economics where farmers saturate soils with more chemicals than is recommended in a desperate bid to boost yields.

This pollutes our soils, where they remain for longer duration, diminishing the fertility. In addition, chemicals dissolved in run-off water contaminate open and underground water sources, increasing the cost of treatment and, without it, spelling out danger for human and livestock health.

Of course, the contemporary western culture of consumerism powered by excessive advertising has found a footing in some segments of our society and misled some of our people to find other improper products, particularly foods and beverages, attractive. Most victims here comprise the middle and upper classes with higher purchasing power.

Unfortunately, it is eating ourselves to an early grave, which is totally avoidable, if we change our diet regime. That is a healthcare burden the country can ill afford, yet treating lifestyle diseases costs households a fortune unlike reforming what we ingest and imbibe. The good news is that many of our elite have rediscovered the health benefits and are returning to our organic foods. Yes, our free-range local chicken are now more sought after today and they cost higher than the broilers that poultry farmers produce indoors in their thousands with boosts of growth hormones.

A tray of local eggs costs between sh25,000 to sh30,000 whereas a tray of ordinary eggs is between sh9,000 to sh13,000. Nature creates the big difference both in price and quality. In many upcountry communities, when a local (indigenous) cow is slaughtered for sale, the tail is left on. This is done on purpose. It is an advert that the beef is not from an exotic cow and within no time, the meat is all bought off.

It is inspiring that more of us are seeking boiled foods. The “luwombo “method of steaming meat, chicken and fish in banana leaves has now gained global acclaim. Many corporates drive across towns for the traditional dishes, whether smoked beef from local breed cattle or organically-grown vegetables. Because we cannot live without eating, any person who controls the food chain — particularly the supply of seeds — will control our health as well as our lives.

This is why President Museveni, ever cautious about not only his diet, but that of nationals, withheld his signature on the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill, 2012 unless Ugandan scientists and lawmakers demonstrate how indigenous crops and animal species will be preserved.

It is not that scientific research and innovation is bad. No. Advancements in technology can build resistance of plants to drought, making them survive and thrive in unpredictable weather caused by climate change. Fast-maturing species and higher yields mean food can be produced with speed to meet growing demand and farmers can cash in more.

However, this does not mean unlimited intrusion of science into our food chain where imported seeds and organisms supplant or irreversibly alter the genetic composition of native crops and livestock. Yet, we know that our organic products are healthier and cost more even in supermarkets in western capitals precisely for their par-excellence nutrition value.

There is hope that not all is lost. The return of families with means to the culinary of our forefathers shows households are taking the gospel of “we are what we eat” seriously. Our people have a saying: “Kwoyebwa emiriire yawe orarakwo” (When you abandon the way you used to eat, you sleep hungry). In more ways than one, we had abandoned the way we used to eat and have been paying a heavy price healthwise.

It is not prudent to feed badly and spend highly for the rest of one’s life to regain health lost to bad food choices.

The writer is a Senior Presidential Adviser on Public Relations