Grassroots Sustainable Food Production and Cooking Movement in Japan
-Revival of under-utilised millets for sustainable future -
Yumiko Otani, ILFA 1
Introduction
A citizen's network called International Life and Food Association (ILFA) is supporting an ecologically friendly life style since 1982. Our activity is based on research and propagation of "Future Durable Cooking". The organization is promoting millets, a traditional food in Japan, for a creative dietary life so that our earth may remain prosperously reproducible even when we will be gourmets (Appendix 1).
We have a research atelier in Tokyo and a life study center with a farm in Yamagata, Japan. Through workshops and seminars, we are conducting training for cooking instructors. We currently have 1000 members supporting our activity. ILFA had already issued six bulletins and four magazines per annum and make an effort to publish relevant books.
We have paid attention to cereals due to the following reasons.
1. It is delicious. Cereals, particularly millet is delicious and is widely acceptable to everyone.
2. Ease of cultivation. It is easy to cultivate organically without the need for agricultural chemicals even in barren soil and/or unfavorable climate conditions. It has possibilities of cultivation even in marginal soils in the mountains.
3. It has excellent durability. As a staple food, it is easy to conserve and cultivate even with only a handful of seeds.
4. It is nutritious with well-balance nutrients. Cereals contain almost all the necessary nutrients needed for a well-balanced nutrition to supply the body's needs.
Since 1997,we have campaigned and promoted the "revival of millets in farms and tables". We firmly believe that the revival of millets will solve the food security problems. We have distributed millet seeds, have taught its cultivation and cooking, and obtained good results through a campaign called "Life Seed Campaign" promoting distribution networks from farmers to consumers. Our plans to further expand our activities at the international level (the convening of the International Millet Symposium) is attached (Appendix 2).
Sustainable Agriculture based on Sustainable Diet & Cookery
In this presentation, I will be talking about diet, cooking and agriculture. Unfortunately, I am not professional in any of these categories because my field of training is on industrial design. I have dreamed the future, where everybody can live a peaceful life in harmony with every other living things. And to realize this dream, I studied both Japan and world history, observed the relationships between nature and human beings, and revitalized traditional knowledge and technologies that can activate our potential ability. As you know, Japan has been very rapid in becoming westernized and industrialized country after the Second World War. Diet was not an exception. I, myself directly experienced this turbulence. To tell the truth, I was positive to this dietary shifting until I got into a university in 1970. As soon as I've analysed the diet, I considered it not ideal because it actually made the Japanese people unhealthy. Since then, I groped for the real relationship between food and life and for the traditional Japanese diet. I would like to talk about Japanese traditional diet just a little bit.
Japanese traditional diet
Before the Meiji Revolution in 1868, when Japan opened the door to foreign countries, the Japanese people did not eat meat. Whole grains such as millets, barnyard, proso, foxtail, finger, sorghum and buckwheat were cultivated in rotation with barley and legume. People mainly ate these whole grains with miso (soybean past fermented with salt), pickles, vegetables, sea vegetables, and some fishes. Leaves and stems of these millets were used to feed animals whose manure was used to fertilize the field where the millets were grown. In other words, they were cultivated in an ecologically sound system.
This diet system allowed Japanese people to enjoy a healthy life. Archaeological research proves skeleton deformity was rare in ancient Japan. Before the Meiji Era, the Japanese people rarely suffered from infectious disease. But westernization that swept Japan after Meiji Revolution completely destroyed this system. Meat, eggs, milk, bread, white rice and sugar were substitute for millets and we now unfortunately prefer eating western foods to Japanese traditional foods. The Japanese traditional diet system based on millets aImost disappeared. Because of this, we now suffer from intractable diseases such as cancer and heart troubles. Many Japanese including children and adults suffer from allergy. I think abnormality is also caused by the dietary shift.
Traditional foods have physiological approriateness owing to a good balance between food and life
After the research to identify the reason why western diet system made the Japanese people unhealthy, I realised that food has three functions. The first function of food is as a source of energy to be used in the internal combustion in our body. The second one is to compose our body. The third one is to control physiological functions. What is the most important is to develop a healthy diet system to appropriately balance these three functions.
The following figure shows the physiological functions of foods. The vertical axis means sodium -potassium or positive-negative balance. Sodium warms and strains the body while potassium cools and relaxes the body. The horizontal axis shows the pH balance of blood. Phosphorus and sulfur increases acidity. Magnesium, potassium and calcium increase alkalinity of blood. The foods are positioned on this figure by their functions.
Blood is normally weak alkaline to neutralize the poisonous acids that are produced in the body. To keep the body temperature normal, we need to eat foods containing sodium. As whole grains, especially millets which are neutral foods, they are good at keeping physiological balance. This figure shows the condition of Japanese traditional diet. You see how Japanese traditional diet system composed by whole grains, vegetables and salt that are considered well balance.
The next figure shows the condition of modern diet. You see the animal food and processed foods have acidity. Eating too much animal products make your blood acidic. To neutralize your blood, you need to eat lot of plant food especially tropical plants. If you eat too much processed food, you need to eat a lot of natural salt. Processing the food makes it more acidic and yin and putting your health in danger. Miraishoku is not just based on traditional Japanese diet, but also tasty, fashionable and suitable for both our environment and our own body.
They can be materials or delicious and exciting cooking
Fortunately Miraishoku was widely accepted by the public and developed into International Life and Food Association in 1994 which has been supported by people who are conscious of their health and environment. Books of Miraishoku were published and the seasonal journal of the association are printed three thousand copies each time. The association has organized numerous seminars and their graduates become cooking instructors who teach Miraishoku in cooking schools. The number of the people who cook Miraishoku increases rapidly. As with the spread of Miraishoku, the underutilized millets are now sold in most all health food stores. Even big department stores sell them. The mass media such as television and newspapers are now interested in underutilized millets, Miraishoku and make some programs on them.
Our life seed campaign has widened a group of cultivation farms
0n the other hand, the number of the farmers who produce millets is decreasing. In the near future they will not be able to produce enough millets to satisfy the demand. We are worried about it and in 1997, we organized the campaign to increase the production of the millets. The slogan of the campaign is "Ecosystem and Human Body Revived on the table". The campaign had two purposes. The first one is to enlighten the people about the value of millets and let them get interested in producing millets. In the campaign, we distributed the seeds of the millets and brochures explaining how to grow millets. The second one is to set up a network between organic farmers and consumers. We opened an exhibition of millets for one month and organized several seminars on millets. As its result, the network of millet producers was organized in1998. A book on millets was published in1999.
In 1999, we organized the third campaign that lasted for two months. During the period of the campaign, an exhibition, some seminars, a party, and cooking workshops were opened many places in Japan. The millets were sold as the material for interior decoration. International Life and Food Association is just a small non-profit organization. But by putting the creativity and knowledge of our members together, we believe we could initiate a new and crucial social movement in Japan. We hope that this movement can expand to other countries and can contribute to revival of underutilized millets. We would like to construct the hopeful future of food and life.
We are looking for a sponsor to help us translate the books of Miraishoku to English and to do research on Miraishoku.
WHY MILLET NOW?
Millet is a generic term for grains, except rice and wheat, such as barnyard millet, foxtail millet, poroso millet, sorghum, and buckwheat. While efforts are being made world wide towards achieving self-sufficiency in food, conserving the environment, and solving health problems, millet is attracting the world's attention as a key crop to overcome population explosion and food crisis. Various works have been started to protect and utilize millet in many countries.
WHAT IS "TSUBU-TSUBU"?
"'Tsubu-tsubu" is a generic term for grains, millet, natural sea salt and pulses in this "Food For The Future" (Mirai-Syoku in Japanese) developed by the author and her friends. "Tsubu" means a grain in Japanese. Tsubu-tsubu express the shape and feeling of grains, millet and natural sea salt and pulses -small, round and full of life energy! In this book, the term 'tsubu-tsubu' is used to describe grains, millet, natural sea salt and pulses in our unique cooking.
Why 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking?
1. 'Tsubu-tsubu' is the time capsule of life
May is the rice planting season in Japan. A grain of rice firstly sends strong roots into the round. Next, a rice plant produces more than 10 stems in a fan shape. In the Autumn, 150 to 200 grains of rice will be produced in each ear of the 10 stems of a rice plant. Overall, 2000 to 3000 grains of rice will be produced from each grain of rice that is planted. Similarly, all 'tsubu-tsubu' millets (various kinds) will produce more than 1000 grains from each grain of millet. If refined, millet will lose this reproduction system.
It is amazing that millet seed that had been found in the ruins of 1500-year-old settlements is still viable. According to an organic farmer in the Shonai-region of Japan where rice growing became dominant, faster than in other regions, various grains were kept under the eaves of houses when he was a child, in case of bad harvest of rice.
'Tsubu-tsubu' millet is the time capsule of life, containing amazing reproduction system. There are 2000-3000 grains of rice in one bowl of rice, packed with life force. A handful of rice expands to a bowl of rice. If you plant them, instead of eating them, you will get a year supply of rice for yourself.
Plant a handful of grains and harvest a year supply of them. Keep a handful of grains again for planting next season. This is the endless supply of food -'tsubu-tsubu'. If kept dry, you will be able to store 'tsubu-tsubu' grains for a long time. When cooked, grains become 3 times bigger and fill our hunger with delicious food. Since I changed to a tsubu-tsubu diet, I have been relieved from the everyday-shopping task, becoming rich in time.
2. 'Tsubu-tsubu' is Mother Earth's milk
When a baby is born, the mother's body produces milk for the baby. In the same way, Mother Earth produces 'tsubu-tsubu' grain for humans. 'Tsubu-tsubu' grain is Mother Earth's milk. 'Tsubu-tsubu' grains contain all the nutrition our body needs. For example, to digest one unit of protein, our body needs seven units of carbohydrates. Every grain contains protein and carbohydrate at around the units of 1:7. The modern diet abandons Mother Earth's milk as well as mother's milk and the ratio is broken. This seems to be one cause of many modern illnesses.
Excess protein in the diet also weakens our metabolism, resulting in many modern illnesses, such as atopy in children. Atopic children are allergic to protein-rich food. Atopy is a symptom of a body that can no longer digest excess protein.
A 'tsubu-tsubu' diet enables us to take necessary nutrition very easily. We do not have to eat 40 kinds of foods every day to obtain all the necessary nutrients recommended by modern nutritional guide. Consequently, our kitchens become simple and our food budget is reduced. Tsubu-tsubu cooking is also very easy and simple.
3. Mineral balance of tsubu-tsubu grain is same as that of human cells
It was recently discovered that minerals in the diet are very important for our health. The mineral balance of tsubu-tsubu grain is the same as that of human cells. We can obtain essential minerals for our body by eating reasonably unrefined grains.
In the human cells, the balance of sodium, which controls contraction, and potassium, which controls expansion, is around 1:20. Too much sodium raises body temperature and contracts the body. Too much potassium lowers body temperature and loosens the body and weakens metabolism. A tsubu-tsubu diet fixes our sodium and potassium balance. Plants and vegetables contain potassium in greater concentration than other foods. Sea salt and animal foods contain more sodium than other foods.
Minerals can be divided into two kinds, acidic and alkaline. Tsubu-tsubu millet and human cells are both pH neutral with balanced acidic and alkaline minerals. Tsubu-tsubu grain is the only neutral food among plants and vegetables. Until recently, not more than a century ago, humans sustained themselves by eating grains not only vegetables or meat. They fed plants and vegetables to their cows. Now we feed grains for our cows and we eat vegetables. This is a fairly new phenomenon. Many cows became sick when humans started to feed them grains, because they did not have the ability to digest grains. Humans had to create new types of cows that could digest grains without becoming sick.
We need to bring back our traditional diet to avoid modern illness. Even though you eat organic food without any additives, without Mother Earth's milk (tsubu-tsubu grain), you can not return health to your body. There are only two choices here: create new types of humans which can adapt to meat and vegetable based diet; or change to a tsubu-tsubu grain based diet.
4. Sea salt supplies essential minerals.
Blood and other body fluids are slightly alkaline (pH 7.4) while cells are neutral. Acidic substances, such as CO2 (carbon dioxide), are generated ceaselessly by metabolism. These acidic substances must be neutralised by alkaline minerals in the blood. Humans need to supply alkaline minerals to their body by eating mineral rich sea salt.
When you are tired, you would like to eat strong tasting food. This is because your body wants a lot of minerals from salt that were lost from neutralisation of acids in the body.
Recently, more people are accustomed to weaker tastes and have reduced their consumption of salt. This could be very dangerous from the nutritional point of view. The body without sufficient salt lacks sodium in the blood and this will lower the body temperature and weaken metabolism. Alkaline minerals are also lacking, so the body cannot neutralise acidic substances. In this situation, the body has no choice but take minerals from bones. If this continues for a period of time, the bones become very weak. Also, non-neutralized acidic substances are displaced from the blood vessels. This kills cells and can lead to disorders in various parts of the body.
Common table salt does not contain minerals other than sodium. Only natural sea salt can sustain health. Sea salt and tsubu-tsubu grains combine in the diet create healthy blood and cells.
5. The combination of three 'tsubu-tsubu' crops grows in healthy soil and the body.
Traditional cultivation of three 'tsubu-tsubu' crops, hie- millet, barley and soybeans has sustained the soil and people's health in Japan. In Tohoku area of Japan, a 2-year growing cycle was used to grow these crops in between winter snows.
In winter, people in Japan used to eat hie-millet, awa-millet, kibi-millet and sorghum. These grains warmed the body. In summer they eat mainly barley which cools the body. Barley was also sometimes mixed with other grains. Potassium-rich soybeans, barley and sea salt were fermented to make miso, a healthy part of the traditional Japanese diet.
We need Mother Earth's life creation energy to sustain our health. 'Tsubu-tsubu' diet, which is based on Mother Earth's energy, gives us all the essential nutrition for our body. Recent physiological study can confirm that the combination of three grains in the diet is very effective.
Since it has a strong life force and is naturally resistant to diseases, 'tsubu-tsubu' millet does not need any agricultural chemicals. According to an elderly farmer in Iwate prefecture, who still grows and eats hie-millet, when farmers practised the cultivation of the three 'tsubu-tsubu' crops, damage from cold weather during the growing seasons was not a problem. The cold weather (wind) is now a serious problem among farmers in Iwate and other parts of Tohoku, mainly because of mono-culture introduced after the World War II.
Now, without sufficient nutrition from unrefined 'tsubu-tsubu' millet, many people feel that they need to eat a lot of side dishes to make up the loss. Mirai-shoku recommends barely miso (mugi-miso in Japanese) because it balances their staple diet, white rice. Drinking barley-miso soup everyday and using barley-miso as a seasoning introduces more barley-miso in to their diet. Rice-miso (kom e-m iso) has a much shorter history than barley-miso, becoming popular only after World War II. Now we know that 'tsubu-tsubu' diet brings back not only the ecological balance of our body but also that of soils where 'tsubu-tsubu' millet, grains and beans grow.
6. Saving the world from food crisis with 'tsubu-tsubu' diet.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), 12 million children die from starvation and malnutrition every year on this planet. Also 1 billion people on the earth cannot afford to eat more than one meal a day.
Modern technology has increased agricultural production temporarily. However, agricultural chemicals make soil very acidic and excessive irrigation has led to salinization of land, reducing the yields from cultivated land dramatically. Urbanisation and industrialisation have reduced the cultivated land. Over the last 40 years, the area of cultivated land per person has been reduced to a half. Despite this situation, the world's population grows by 90 million people every year and meat based diets (which is inefficient in terms of cultivation) becomes more and more popular. Why are meat-based diets inefficient? In order to produce a kilogram of meat, 4 (for pork) to7 kilogram of grain is required. By 2030, it is estimated that even China, a major food exporter will need another 200-300 millions tonnes of grains.
Meat based diets cause starvation in other parts of the world. Considering the very low food self-sufficiency in Japan (30%), if the Japanese continue to consume meat at the current rate, there will be a serious food crisis. Now is the time to learn and practice a tsubu-tsubu diet to increase food self-sufficiency in Japan. Changing from a diet of highly refined rice to a diet of brown rice increases the efficiency in cuItivation by 2-3 times.
It is impossible, however, to be totally self-sufficient with a diet based on rice, because we lost our rice paddies because of unthoughtful government restrictions (gen -tan). Besides, our population is growing dramatically. 'Tsubu-tsubu' millet, contrary to rice, can be grown almost anywhere, therefore growing 'tsubu-tsubu' millet should be encouraged to increase our food self-sufficiency. 'Tsubu-tsubu' millet were a major food in cold and mountainous areas of Japan until the 1950s. 'Tsubu-tsubu' millet also saved many people from starvation during severe famines. A brown rice and a 'tsubu-tsubu' millet-based diet needs only a 50th of the energy of a meat based diet to grow enough food. In Iwaizumi town in Iwate prefecture, people were almost self-sufficient until the 1960s. They made everything they needed except sea salt. This included various kinds of 'tsubu-tsubu' millet, grains and beans, vegetables, miso, moromi, feeding 10 family members on a hectare of land.
Let us start to enjoy, learn to cook and grow 'tsubu-tsubu' millet! This is the way to avoid a food crisis.
7. 'Tsubu-tsubu' millet protects you from pollution of food and the environment.
The life creation energy of 'tsubu-tsubu' millet is increased by the combining it with other grains in the diet. Modern nutritional studies indicate that rice lacks one essential amino acid. By adding millet to rice, this essential amino acid is supplied. 'Tsubu-tsubu' millet contains Vitamin 817 that strengthens the immune system and is not present in rice.
'Tsubu-tusbu' millet takes much less time to cook than brown rice. A pressure cooker is not necessary. By simply adding millet to white rice and/or combining white bread and white rice with 'tsubu-tsubu' millet dishes, your immune system will become stronger. You will notice that when you change to 'tsubu-tsubu' millet based diet, your digestion system works very smoothly. Furthermore, your metabolism and other body function will become more active, pushing accumulated toxins out of your body.
Your body will become more resistant to various diseases when you eat sufficient unrefined 'tsubu-tsubu' millet. Pollution of food and the environment cannot knock you down. Mirai-shoku (food for the future), which utilizes 'tsubu-tsubu' millet, will facilitate your body functions at maximum level, enabling you to expel even radioactive pollution from your body,
8. Awaken your feminine nature with 'tsubu-tsubu' millet.
'Tsubu-tsubu' millet contains harmonious undulation. 'Tsubu-tsubu' millet introduced in this book has existed since the Jomon period in the northern end of Japan, Aomori. Women grew 'tsubu-tsubu' millet and governed the settlement harmoniously. Archaeological studies found no evidence of conflict in the settlement over several hundred years. Men and women wore simple clothes and enjoyed their life with nature. Archaeological studies of ruins 5000-6000 years ago across the world show the same trend.
Creation and nurturing of life are part of our feminine nature. After the harmonious life governed by femininity, masculinity has become too dominant and caused a humane and environmental crisis. Let us bring back our feminine nature through a ''tsubu-tsubu' diet. Then, let us improve our society from a masculine dominated society to a harmonious and balanced one. I believe this is the hope of men in our society too.
By changing to a 'tsubu-tsubu' based diet, you are awakening the feminine nature in you and society and taking a step towards a harmonious society for the future.
9. 'Tsubu-tsubu' is the origin of life, bringing life force, a volition, receptivity and harmony
Tens of thousands of years ago, Japanese wrote "Katakamuna" in their original hieroglyphics. The book "Soji-sho" (by Tamie Uno) translates and explaines "Katakamuna", It says that every sound was a soul called koto-dama which contains the expression of the whole creation in the natural world. For example, ine (rice plant) is the combination of two meanings. "1" means the origin of evolving life. Examples are "iki" (breath), "ikiru" (live) and "ido" (well). "Ne" means the origin of the whole creation. Examples are "ne" (root ot sound) and "nemuru" (sleep).
Mr. Kusakawa, the author of "Zakkoku Hakubutu-shi" ( -- of Millet), has said that all grains with husks were called "awa" which was the staple diet in the ancient orient. He also said that all the hulled grains were called "kome" (uncooked rice).
From these facts, we can deduce that the ancient Japanese called grain "ine", the origin of life. According to the Katakam una, lawal means life force, a volition, receptivity, characterized as harmony.
Please feel the harvest of 'tsubu-tsubu' millet and grain as "the origin of life". Touch them with the understanding that they are "the origin of life" and they bring harmony into our mind and body.
10. Unhulled 'tsubu-tsubu' millet contains all the deliciousness of grains.
'Tsubu-tsubu' millets are fruits of Mother Earth's life force. A grain of 'tsubu-tsubu' millet holds various life factors and tastes very nice.
In combination with vegetables (gift from M other Earth) and sea salt (concentrated life force of the sea) 'tsubu-tsubu' millet offers infinite opportunities for our cooking.
Our body will fully function by eating delicious food. When the balance of 'tsubu-tsubu' millets and grains, vegetables and sea salt is achieved, delicious food will be created, nurturing our cells in the body and soul.
Our body will be very ill if we are accustomed to strong tasting food and spoil our tongue. Modern gourmet highlights these stimulus and strong taste. The more modern gourmet food we eat, the sicker we will become.
Learning the real deliciousness in 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking is the quickest way to bring back your original taste. As you are eating really delicious 'tsubu-tsubu' food, your original taste will be awakened. This is very refreshing and comfortable. We can also be fully satisfied. The first step toward this satisfaction is experiencing 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking.
11. Saving children with 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking.
Traditional and healthy diet of brown rice, millet, miso soup and a little bit of 'nitsuke' (boiled and seasoned vegetables) can no longer make our children satisfied. We may risk their psychological nutrition by taking their habit of eating those side dishes from them. The food, which does not offer emotional satisfaction, can not be transformed into the energy of children's body, despite those ingredients are 'healthy'.
That is why 'tsubu-tsubu' modern cooking menu has been invented. Utilising unique colour and texture of 'tsubu-tsubu' millets, we can easily create 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking versions of ham burgers, fried chicken, meat sauce, gratin, pizza, hot dog, and so on. 'Tsubu-tsubu' cooking offers unlimited potential food.
We can easily stop eating meat with 'tsubu-tsubu' diet. Many people become sick from eating too much sweets when they suddenIy stop eating meat (for various reasons). With 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking, however, we are safe and healthy. 'Tsubu-tsubu' cooking also offer the opportunity to children who do not like meat to enjoy 'tsubu-tsubu' meaty cooking.
AII 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking introduced in this book are very delicious and popular among many people. Non glutinous awa naggette , for instance, is so traditional in taste that few people realize that is made of non glutinous awa millet. Traditional in taste and modern by the look is the strategy of mirai-syoku (food for the future).
It is seriously sad fact that mother's cooking in modern times is rich in toxins (eg. artificial seasonings). Also those ingredients are produced at the expense of many people and the environment. Modern children, being sufferer as well as assailant of many people and environment, can be very much helped by 'tsubu-tsubu' cooking power.
Appendix 1.
International Millet Food Forum
Objectives :
1. Networking and information exchange among those who work for conservation and re-creation of millet food and traditional food culture in Japan.
2. Networking and information exchange with organizations abroad which work for conservation and re-creation of millet food and traditional food culture.
3. Advocacy works towards the government and society.
International Millet Food Forum was established on August 28th, 1999, by 169 promoters who had actively worked for food issues in Japan and other countries. The objective of this forum is to provide a platform for information exchange, research, and advocacy work for sound dietary life that is suitable to the mechanisms of nature and human body. Millet, which is traditional staple food, is a symbol of our movement.
Modern dietetics and food culture should be re-examined from both sides of ecological cycle of the environment and physiological cycle of human body, and a paradigm shift is needed from modern dietetics to holistic, comprehensive dietetics. Research projects are also necessary for simultaneous changes of modem agriculture and the dietary habit. Overall, the ILFA aims to propose a revolution of food and dietary habit in the society using millet as a key food.
Promoting members of the forum, now over 250, are from various backgrounds. Our message is clear: "Let's promote our movement towards a food revolution, having millet as a symbol of re-creation of food culture."
Our Direction Towards Food Revolution
Seven visions:
1. Sustainable agriculture without using chemical pesticides and fertilizers
2. Food without additives and not over-processed
3. Dietary life rooted in tradition and local environment
4. Dietary life in harmony with physiological mechanisms of human body
5. Dietary life in harmony with ecological system and rules of nature
6. Dietary life based on traditional staple food
7. Food self-sufficiency within a country.
Key words for food revolution: recovering "links" and "balance", recovering diversity, diversity, simplification, a part of daily life, sustainable agriculture, utilizing cyclic system in nature, self-sufficiency, tradition, localization, co-existence with nature, fair trade, grain-based diet, importance of micronutrients such as minerals and enzymes, links and balance between nutrients, no food additives, whole foods with minimum processing, based on vegetable food
Modernization of food that needs to be re-evaluated uniform, complicated, as a leisure, irrigation agriculture depending on synthetic pesticides and fertilizer, commercialization, industrialization, modernization, imports dependent, westernization, environmental destruction, exploitation, neglecting grains, dietetics that puts emphasis on calories, three main nutrients (starch, protein, fat), components, and amounts of each component, food additives, over-processing, based on animal food
Appendix 2.
Three proposals of International Millet Food Forum
National/International Millet Food Research Center
Eating millet is to recover the diversity in staple food. The forum proposes to establish an international research institute to study millet from various aspects such as environmental conservation, coping with food crisis, sustainable agriculture, traditional food culture, food and health, history, culture, cultivation, preparation, etc., and to present the fruit of the research to the society.
To make this happen, the forum promotes a mutual exchange of information between the members to accumulate the achievements of our research.
Millet. Day
As a first step towards re-evaluation of food guidelines based on tradition and the local environment, the forum proposes to set a "Millet Day" once a year. The Millet Day is to hold open seminars about millet in various places and other events related to millet for promoting people's understanding about millet and traditional food culture.
Also, the forum proposes to introduce millet to school lunch at least once a month. Along with the millet lunch, lecture can be given about a history of millet and traditional food culture including millet, and pamphlets written about the millet dishes of the day and millet itself can be distributed to the parents. Millet in the school lunch would provide an opportunity for food, agriculture, and environmental education.
Standards for labelling of ingredients
The number of the people who cannot eat animal food or who have to restrict animal food or sugar is rapidly increasing. Many of them are in trouble when they are eating out. It is important to develop guidelines of food based on traditional and vegetable food, and as a first step toward that direction, the forum proposes to develop the standards for labelling of ingredients.
For example, in India, most people are vegetarians, and 70-80% of the dishes at the restaurant is vegetarian and 20-30% of the dishes are in the corner labelled as "Non Veg." If there is labelling of "veg" and "non veg", and "with sugar" and "without sugar", people can easily choose their meals.
International millet Symposium
-Background Information
Global trend to re-evaluate a millet diet
Many countries are examining the highly nutritious grain, millet, as an important part of their programs for improving food self-sufficiency. The Seed of Survival (SOS) project in Ethiopia is a good example. The project was started by a non-governmental organization to save traditional millet seeds and to rediscover traditional food culture. Now the SOS project is being developed under the government support.
In India, a National Millet Research Center has been established in Bangalore with the participation of 8 university agricultural departments across India. Dr.A. Seetharam, the director of the research center at Bangalore (AICSMIP), also coordinates the International Small Millet Network which has previously hosted 2 international conference on millet.
At the international level, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) organized an international workshop on ”Enlarging the Basis of Food Security:Role of Underutilized Species" examining on millet and other crop at Chenilai (Madras) in February, 1999 in conjunction with M. S.Swaminathan Research Foundation in India. Over 30 millet research institutes participated from all over the world. From Japan, Ms. Yumiko Otani, representing the International Life and Food Association (ILFA), joined the workshop and spoke about the importance of cooking skills. Ms. Otani also called for in International Exchange Project (Food for the Future -International Millet Cookery and Food Culture Exchange) which has now begun.
Diminishing Japanese traditional food culture and millet
In Japan, more millet was produced than rice until the first year of the Meiji Period (1867). Millet saved the lives of many people during the war when food was scarce. Even in the late 1970's many mountain villages grew several varieties of millet and people were healthy and self -sufficient. However, after World War ll, millet has disappeared completely from government nutritional guidance, shops and mass media. Millet is about to be forgotten by most Japanese and to disappear from their agricultural lands.
Only 50 years after World War ll, the Japanese people have lost their traditional food culture and largely adopted a western style and imported food culture. Enormous amounts of chemicals are now used to produce food, including artificial fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, flavourings and preservatives. These chemicals have threatened our lives and polluted our environment. Many people now worry that the new diet does not suit Japanese and that chemical poisoning is occurring. Geriatric diseases are now common in children. Rates of cardiac disease and cancer are also increasing very rapidly. Many children have suffered eczema since birth. This disease had been considered an urban disease, arising from polluted air and water in cities. But children in rural areas are increasingly suffering from this disease despite relatively clean air and water. We believe these diseases have rapidly increased because the Japanese diet has changed too quickly for our bodies to adapt to the new foods and from chemicals in our food and our environment.
Re-examination in the US: redirected goals for improving the American diet
In the last 30 years, increasing rates of modem diseases have dearly cost the American government. A special committee, chaired by Senator McGvem, was formed more than 20 years ago to examine these modem diseases. Their report; published in 1977, concluded that the diet of Americans was causing ill health. The committee formulated goals for improving the American diet, insisting that more unrefined grain and vegetables, less meat, eggs, dairy products, fat and sugar were the keys to restoring health. The committee considered the ideal diet to be that of the Japanese people during Kamakura era (12C-15C). Subsequently, a new food pyramid with unrefined grains as the basis of a good diet was published by the American government.
Need to re-evaluate current nutritional guidance
In contrast to the American situation, no re-examination of Japanese traditional diet has been done. Also, no fundamental re-examination of the modern Japanese diet has been done using information from modern physiology. For many children who can not tolerate animal foods, modern Japanese diet guidance can not be of help. The number of people who have stopped eating animal foods and sugar has been increasing dramatically. More advice based on Japanese traditional diet became available, but not enough. And because nutritional guidance based on the modern Japanese diet is still dominant for Japanese school meals, a lot of diet advisors can not deal with the situation and are confused.
We should realize that rapid changes in the Japanese diet have been causing human health problems and environmental destruction. We need to re-evaluate both the traditional Japanese diet and the modem Japanese diet. We should ask our government to re-examine the traditional Japanese diet which did not rely on meat, eggs, dairy foods and sugar, from historical, climatic, and modem health perspectives. Also, let's request our government to reflect the results of this re-evaluation of our traditional diet, and develop and promote new dietary guidelines that suit Japanese people and our environment. I also believe that we, adults, must help our children to eat suitable food for a healthy body and environment.
Yumiko Otani, ILFA
A table for sound life
It is really remarkable that human beings have adapted themselves to the variable environment. They have acquired to eat anything edible and survived changes of the climate and the environment throughout their history. A significant fact in the history that we need to realize, however, is that people have survived in good health without animal food in such places as Japan, Southern India and the other parts of the world. Not only people but also more than 80% of animals are herbivores, and primates such as chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas are all vegetarians.
Physiological research is also proving the facts that vegetable diet is superior to animal diet in terms of health. Considering the food and environmental problems in the world today, if at least 80% of the world population goes back to the original, vegetarian diet where the land is productive enough to support it, or if at least 80% of the food they eat is changed to be from vegetable sources, it would provide a considerable solution. Such a diet would not harm people or the natural environment, which makes you feel refreshed and peace in mind, and you may even feel each cell of your body will be activated by the real deliciousness.
Let' s enjoy 'Tsubu-tsubu' vegetarian!
"Tsubu-tsubu' is a term of endearment for grains of Hie, Awa, Kibi, sorghum, buckwheat, wheat, rice, quinua, all of which had been our staple food j since old times. Unrefined grains, especially the grains full of wild energy contain; natural sugar, milky contents, high quality vegetable protein in plenty. With grains, we can make various dishes and sweets full of flavour, taste and full body, even if we do not use meat, eggs and fresh cream. The method of cooking is very simple.
We can recover the health of our human being and earth day by day as we ecological, enjoyable and tasty diets.
Appendix 3.
Interview on the Earth: Autumn and Winter 1999/2000
A Survival & Tasty Cookery for a Sustainable Future
"Eating is a Way of Managing Your Life, Cooking is Technique Used to Create Your Power of Life"
ILFA; Food for a Future Studio "Fu" Yumiko Otani
Yumiko Otani founded the people's network, ILFA (International Life and Food Association) to promote "food for the Future" or "Survival Cookery." She helps consumers to be aware which food to eat, based on the rules of nature.
ILFA runs the Life Study Centre "Atelier of Life," nestled in a beautiful valley, at the foot of Mt. Iide in Yamagata Prefecture and The Food for a Future Studio "Fu'" located in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward. She actively promotes Food for a Future, publishes a magazine called "Heart Net" and holds seminars as well.
GV: First and foremost, what exactly is "Food for a Future?"
Otani: "Food for the Future" means survival & tasty cookery for a sustainable future, using traditional ways of cooking skills and locally grown grains (include millets) and vegetables. Locally grown grains and vegetables are highly nutritious and the organic farming restore vital energies in your body, as well as reconnecting you to your immediate environment.
It's ideal that whole grains make up to 70-80% of your diet. What is important is that whenever you eat rice or bread, you shouldn't eat anything that is overly refined. Because whole grains provide an optimal balance of essential nutrients needed for your body and overly refined foods do not contain any nutritious value. Human beings are born possessing a wealth of vital energies. The more that we grow, the more these energies increase. On the other hand, in today's world, the older people get, the more they lose their vital energies.
A connection and balance between our food from the earth and our diet is necessary to maintain a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle. If we return to eating locally grown organic foods, we will be able to bring back healthy body and the earth. "Food for a Future" is survival food that enables us to reconnect once again with the natural world.
GV: What are you doing to make "Food for a Future" more widely known?
Otani: We hold regular "Survival Seminars on Food for a Future" once a month for three month. The seminars are designed in such a way that participants can gain an understanding of the fundamental purpose of "Food for a Future." The first step in to understand the mechanism of our body, the mechanism of nature and the relationship of life and diet.
We have also opened our Food for a Future Studio "Fu", in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward, to introduce people to very tasty healthy food. The Tsubu Tsubu Cafe is located on the ground floor where people can enjoy 100% sugar-free vegetarian waffles and cakes, brown rice coffee and bancha (dark green tea). The Fu restaurant is on the second floor where the menu includes a creative millets lunch of the day. Various ingredients are available on the third floor. Our study room is on the fourth floor. We also have cooking classes, and run a catering service that delivers food to parties and to eco-gatherings.
GV: What made you start "Food for a Future? "
Otani: Ever since I was a little girl I have had a strong sense that people should take special care of each others' lives, and should live their own lives as fully as possible. I longed to achieve freedom by being self-sufficient in terms of the food I ate. However l didn't think that I could be self-sufficient in meat, daily, coffee and sugar based diet so I gave up on it. At the age of twenty-seven, I started a commodity planning design company to become economically independent .
In my free time I travelled a lot, and enjoyed seeing how people ate in different countries. But when I was thirty years old, I encountered the surprising fact that people can live on brown rice (whole grains), salt and water alone. I realized how harmful the modern diet can be; that is, how it can indirectly damage people as well as nature. Then, while practicing grain-based vegetarian diet, I started researching the possibility of returning to traditional diets of Japan. Based on my findings, it is possible. I was surprised at how delicious Millets (the traditional local grains) were, although they had been largely forgotten.
GV: What types of foods would you recommend for the modern Japanese diet?
Otani: I suggest rejecting nutritional science. The tendency of modern nutritional science to conduct detailed investigations into each individual nutrient, undermines the importance of a holistic approach to the "connection and balance" of food.
In today's world, to be gourmet' means to seek novel and special products in the local area, or praise the luxurious foods popular in Western nations. However, this daily gourmet' diet exceeds the capacities of both nature, and our bodies, to cope. By this I mean, that neither the natural world nor our bodies have the ability to deal with the high consumption of animal protein, pesticides and other manipulations.
GV: However, it doesn't seem easy to get away from a meat and fish based diet; is it important to do so?
Otani: We cannot continue these diet forever. The proposal of Future is not to do without meat or fish but to change the definition of gourmet' and to adhere to a much healthier lifestyle. It means remembering the true taste of food and eating what we ought to eat anyway, which will in turn heal the environment.
With "Food for a Future ", various grains are used as side-dishes. For example, we cook "mabo-dofu" using millet instead of minced pork. Certain cooking techniques are used in a way that grains can become a proper substitute for meat and fish, in terms of flavour and volume. In this way, you can change your eating habits without too much difficulty. The original meaning of gourmet can be defined as someone who is knowledgeable about food. I hope that someone with a lot of sound knowledge about the foods, which understands environmentally friendly and physically and spiritual y healthy cookery and diet, will be called a real gourmet' in the future.
GV: Do you think that people's ideas about food have changed over the last ten years?
Otani: I guess so because almost everyone seems interested in natural food recently. However, in most cases people get so confused by wrong or poor information then they give it up. It's sad that people are just too busy to eat "properly" and end up returning to "unnatural" processed food. In addition, there are some shrewd companies around, which take advantage of people's interest in natural foods selling super-expensive foods, or foods which are not truly natural at all.
GV: Could you give us a few words about the next millennium?
Otani: We will start a campaign proposing to government that the advice and recommendations currently offered by nutritional science be completely reversed. We will also start exchanges with people in regions where rare varieties of grain still exist to work together on the future food. The places where such grains are still to be found are the poorest places in the world, but at the same time they are the places where the most natural and traditional wisdom about food remains. Therefore, as the human race rethinks its values and lifestyle and rebuild our food culture, these poor areas will have a very important role to play.
ILFA's Tokyo office and Food for a Future Studio "Fu."
Opening Times: 11:00am-7:00pm. Closed on Sat. Sun. and holidays. Lunch Time: 11:30am-2:00pm (No dinner hours) 1-17-9 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0014
Two minutes from Exit 4 of Edogawabashi Station (Yurakucho Line) TeI03-3269-0129 Fax 03-3269-0627 Email: info@ilfa.org
Books by Yumiko Otani
Food for a Future: Published by Meta Brain, Y1952.
An easy introduction to Food for a Future.
Millet Grainy Cooking: Published by Meta Brain, Y2400.
A collection of 148 recipes using millets (traditional grains).
1 ILFA (International Life and Food Association), 944-1 Oishizawa 999-1212 Oguni-machi Nishiokitama-gun Yamagata 1-17-9 Sekikuguchi Bunkyo-ku Tokyo Japan, Tel. Nos. 0238-65-2775, 03-3269-0833, Fax No. 0238-65-2056, 03-3269-0627
Email: millet@ilfa.org