Losing Biodiversity, Losing Flavors

We can see the causes and effects of biodiversity loss all around us. Only one variety of banana or pineapple for sale in every grocery store. Or the miles and miles of corn and soy you pass as you drive the roads of Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, or the windshield effect that there are far fewer dead insects on our windshields as we drive those country roads. Biodiversity refers to the awesome array of life on earth, everything from microbes to insects, to plants, to animals, to entire ecosystems. We’re right now in what’s being called a biodiversity crisis in terms of the number of species we’re losing and the increasing pace at which that loss is happening.

The primary driver of species loss is our global agricultural system. In other words, the way we grow our food. And as we lose those varieties and breeds of animals and plants, we don’t just lose their genetics, we lose their unique tastes and flavors too. I’m Jerusha Klemperer and this is What You’re Eating, a project of FoodPrint.org. We aim to help you understand how your food gets to your plate and to see the full impact of the food system on animals, planet and people. We uncover the problems with the industrial food system and offer examples of more sustainable practices as well as practical advice for how you can help support a better system through the food that you buy and the system changes you push for.