INFLUENCE OF FOOD MARKETING
The influence of food marketing in the eating habits of the consumers in today’s world is immense, especially with the kind of lifestyle that we have adopted. In our routine life, we are so attuned to eat, to work and to sleep that much focus has drifted apart from what is important in our life. We are moving ahead in this fast paced rat race world wherein our work has taken priority over health. It is necessary for us to take a moment and reassess the quality of our lives. We need to understand that our food habits have a huge impact on our physical, mental and spiritual well being.
ROLE OF THE FARMERS
Farmers are the food producers of the world. The problem faced by the farmers is that the supply of produce is constant whereas the demand for produce is volatile. The solution is to create a Constant demand in the marketplace for the farmers to be able to sell the produce they grow throughout the year at reasonable prices. They get stuck in this vicious cycle of having to sell their produce at a lower price in order to survive and yet they repeat it season after season, for they have known nothing else their entire lives. For them, it is respect for their profession and love for earth that prevents them from going in search of something else. They are purely the reason why we still have food produced from land on our tables.
THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE AND SOLUTION
In addition to providing agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilizers to the farmers, we need to fund marketing campaigns in order to sell their produce. Also, educate the customers about the need for healthy and nutritious food by creating awareness about alternatives. For example, rice is low in nutrition and a high volume water crop, whereas millet is a healthy alternative rich in fiber and antioxidants, consumes less water, is drought and pest resistant which is the need of the hour. The farmers should work together to achieve their common interests. Farmers Producer Organizations are being formed and also promoted by the Government. The gap between farmers and consumers is to be bridged by the Government and Private players. Product promotion and Sampling can be done by introducing millets in government schemes like Mid day meals.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE FUTURE
We are moving far ahead in agriculture technologies like hydroponics, precision agriculture and so on but to commercialize it and produce food for billions of people through these technologies is still uncertain. Our protective instinct for earth is kicking in and a lot of awareness about the environment has come in recently. Earth has given us so much, it is our collective responsibility to preserve the environment.
A HEALTHY EATING CULTURE
Marketing can be used as a catalyst to improve the livelihoods of farmers, provide healthy and nutritious food to the consumers and for sustainable agriculture. It is important for people to want to eat more healthy and nutritious food. In order to do that, it is best to cultivate healthy food habits in the children of today. They not only grow up to follow similar diets but will also create an environment for our future, wherein their children will imbibe from them, ‘A Healthy Eating Culture’.