Nutrition and food systems: From soil to soul

Boitshepo Bibi Giyose | Wednesday November 11, 2026 06:00

This is after a hiatus in delivering this weekly column in 2014 after a good 10 years of talking with you. I am sure many of you have been wondering where I disappeared to. Well, I had taken on another demanding International Nutrition, Food Systems and Dietetics. And we are now living in a world and era where so much has happened and more is chaining every second right before our eyes. Due to environmental soil degradation and of course mostly due to climate change. Whether you believe in it or not, climate change and variability directly affect our agrifood, nutrition, health and development systems.

Let be more specific. Due to climate change, the world is experiencing more rises in temperature, seasonal shifts, heavy rains, floods and unprecedented cold spells. These changes directly affect farmers’ agricultural production and productivity levels. The small holder family farmers are getting less and less yield as the soils are nutritionally depleted. Moreover, they are now left no choice but to buy hybrid Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds which by their very design cannot reproduce. This is a phenomenon and reality very foreign to us in Africa.

This means that a farmer cannot replant a seed from the harvest they have. Therefore, farmers have to follow suit and buy seed from foreign global companies at exorbitant prices every planting season. This, coupled with the heavy use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides that lead to more soil degradation and poor soil health. So how does all this tie with our nutrition and health, plus a sustainable food system? The inescapable truth is that we all eating less nutritious diets and unhealthy foods. These foods no longer contain enough levels of all the essential vitamins and minerals we need for a fully functional and protective system and immunity to multiple ailments. The essential vitamins and minerals are very critical for the prevention and mitigation of all three forms of malnutrition i.e. undernutrition (wasting and stunting), micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity.

What then is the result? Straight away is poor quality diets high in refine starches, saturated fats, salt and sugar. These contribute to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as heart diseases, high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, cancers, arthritis. Having noted the serious downside of poor diets, what solutions are in our midst? The answer is not as difficult as one might imagine.

Getting back on the track of reducing all the above “poisonous” food would set you on a path to real dietary, nutrition and health transformation. Increasing the consumptions of whole less processed grains, legumes, pulses, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Here let me emphasise that the traditional, indigenous local foods harvested from the wild paly a great role for our nutrition. Unfortunately, due to the advent of fast foods whose outlets are booming there is a tendency to look down upon our wholesome natural foods from our good soils.

The transformation of our food systems and nutrition can and does make improvements in daily lives in a sustainable manner. Starting from organic farming with organic seeds to provide the best nutrition from our own soils to our souls. In the real sense, everything starts with a good seed and good nutrition. A well-nourished body leads to better overall health and productivity with acute focus.

Thus leading to improved individual, household and national economic development. Picture this, according to numerous studies; for every Dollar spent on nutrition, the return on that investment exceeds well over $20. But if that $1 is not spent on good nutrition the loss is well over $35. The point here is that putting money into a healthy diet and nutrition is the best investment every person and government can do.

To this end, I would like to remind us all that the first 1000 Days of a child development from conception into two is the most critical stage of human physical, brain and neuron development for later academic and other endeavors. After the first 1,000 Days then comes the next 8,000 Days of preschool all the way to tertiary education and professional occupations. So folks, the writing is on the wall.

Great nutrition is the Alpha and Omega of human and national development. Improve your nutrition today for a better and fulfilling tomorrow. From good quality seed to the healthy soil, then to our plates and souls. We sure can all make small but incremental changes for our own nutrition, vitality and lasting health.