WORD OF MOUTH: South Africans tuck into traditional food culture to challenge ultra-processed diets
As ultra-processed diets reshape food systems, communities across South Africa are protecting indigenous crops, growing fresh produce and restoring the culture of shared meals.
In South Africa, communities are turning to traditional food cultures as a response to the rise of ultra-processed diets, according to a report by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI). People across Mpumalanga, such as Steenbok and Elukwatini, celebrate the abundance of marula trees by harvesting the wild and domestic fruits.
The marula is used to create traditional beer, while the nuts are consumed during winter months. Traditional practices, however, are being lost across the globe, with diets shifting towards ultra-processed foods. Method Gundidiza, Christie-Ann Dinthe and Nomonde Buthelezi are some individuals in South Africa who are promoting traditional food systems, consuming traditional diets, and resisting ultra-processed foods.
EarthLore Foundation, a South African nonprofit, works with rural communities in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and Masvingo in Zimbabwe to revive traditional seeds and farming rituals. Traditional diets, consisting of fresh, local, and minimally processed foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, are typically home-cooked, seasonal, and tailored to a community's environment and culture.
Compared to ultra-processed foods, traditional diets have a smaller impact on the environment, as they require less packaging and transportation and promote sustainable farming systems.
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