11th Soil & Nutrition Conference: Tina Owens | Nutrient Density Aliance
Between 14 May and 27 August 2024, the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA) is facilitating a 16-week conference about “The state of nutrient density.” During these four months, researchers, farmers, and field pioneers share their insights into their work involving soil health and the quality of the produce we consume.
Overcoming Barriers in Nutrient Density
Tina Owens, a senior advisor with the Nutrient Density Alliance, provided an in-depth look into the significant barriers and opportunities in advancing nutrient density within the food industry. Tina offered a compelling new narrative, starting by challenging the century-old perspective on nutrition science.
Revisiting Century-Old Science
Our current understanding of nutrition dates back to the early 20th century. In those early days, the Polish biochemist Casimir Funk made a groundbreaking discovery while studying diseases like beriberi. He identified an essential nutrient in rice husks, which he named "vital amine" due to its nitrogen content, later shortened to "vitamin." This pivotal discovery highlighted the critical role of certain nutrients for health and set the stage for further research in nutrition. Despite these advancements, our nutritional guidelines have not kept pace with new scientific insights, especially regarding nutrient density.
The Multivitamin Story
Tina also highlighted an important aspect of the nutrition industry: multivitamin products. Many people rely on multivitamins to fill nutritional gaps, but this approach oversimplifies the complexity of nutrition. Just as a multivitamin cannot replicate the benefits of a balanced diet rich in diverse, nutrient-dense foods, our current nutritional standards fail to capture the full spectrum of nutrients crucial for optimal health. This underscores the need to move beyond basic nutritional metrics and embrace a more holistic understanding of nutrient density.
Understanding the Barriers
Several key barriers have historically impeded progress in nutrient density:
Standardized Metrics: The industry's lack of standardized metrics for assessing nutrient density has made comparing data and drawing meaningful conclusions challenging. Currently, USDA tests only 150 molecules from the more than 26.000 present in food.
Belief in Additional Studies: Another barrier is the belief that additional studies are needed before taking action. Tina emphasized that while more research is always beneficial, sufficient evidence already justifies taking nutrient density seriously.
Marketing Challenges: The complexity of marketing nutrient density to consumers has also been a significant hurdle. Explaining soil science and its connection to food quality in a consumer-friendly way is challenging but necessary.
Regulatory Guidance: Tina pointed out that the regulatory framework has not caught up with the science of nutrient density. Current regulations often do not allow for meaningful differentiation of products based on their nutrient content.
Bridging Knowledge Gaps
Tina emphasized that there is still a significant lack of knowledge about the connection between soil health and food quality, even among organic, regenerative, and conventional farmers. This gap in understanding has led to a widespread underestimation of the potential of regenerative practices to enhance nutrient density.
Science-Based Movement vs. Value-Based Movement
Too often, organic or regenerative products end up in value-based movements, where customers make decisions based on beliefs and values. This is due to the use of marketing to reach the heart of consumers and translate difficult-to-comprehend science. However, this is a downplay of the scientific body behind organic and regenerative production systems. This type of production provides produce that is more environmentally safe and healthier.
Pioneering Solutions
Despite these barriers, the Nutrient Density Alliance and other organizations are making strides. Some of the innovative approaches:
Data Collection and Analysis: By collecting and analyzing data on soil health and nutrient content, researchers can develop better metrics for assessing nutrient density.
Consumer Engagement: Educating consumers about the importance of nutrient density and its impact on health is crucial. Simplifying complex scientific information and making it accessible can drive consumer demand for nutrient-dense foods.
Collaborative Efforts: Collaboration between farmers, researchers, and industry stakeholders is essential for advancing nutrient density. By working together, these groups can overcome barriers and drive systemic change.
Food as Medicine
Tina also highlighted the potential of nutrient density in the "food as medicine" movement. This approach recognizes that food is not just fuel but a powerful tool for maintaining and improving health. By focusing on nutrient-dense foods, we can better address chronic diseases and improve overall well-being.
The Economic Impact of Food as Medicine
The food-as-medicine movement emphasizes the importance of high-quality, nutrient-rich foods in preventing and managing health conditions. This approach could significantly reduce healthcare costs. Currently, poor nutrition and diet-related diseases cost the global economy trillions of dollars annually. In the United States alone, diet-related chronic diseases account for over $1 trillion in healthcare costs each year. By shifting towards nutrient-dense foods, these costs could be substantially reduced, improving public health outcomes and easing the financial burden on the healthcare system.
Connecting Consumer Desires with Regenerative Agriculture
Tina highlighted the importance of aligning what consumers want—health, taste, and sustainability—with what regenerative agriculture can deliver. By demonstrating that regenerative practices enhance soil health and, consequently, the nutritional quality of food, we can meet consumer demands more effectively. This alignment is crucial for driving the transition to regenerative agriculture, positioning nutrient density as the "holy grail" for sustainable farming practices.
Conclusion
Tina Owens' presentation underscored the critical need to update our understanding of nutrition and embrace nutrient density as a key factor in food quality. Her insights into the barriers and solutions in this field highlighted the importance of collaboration and innovation in driving progress. By addressing these challenges, we can pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable food system that benefits everyone.