BUCKWHEAT IS A FUTURE SMART FOODS?
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BUCKWHEAT NUTRITION FOR SPORTS ATHLETES & CHILDREN HEALTH
Do you have questions around, climate change, sustainability, protein, nutrition, nutrient-density, or plant-based food?
Future Smart Foods
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has defined future smart food (FSF) as:
Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) that are nutrient dense, climate resilient, economically viable, and locally available or adaptable.
FSFs are a promising way to address the challenges of the future food system. They are nutrient dense, climate resilient, economically viable, and locally available or adaptable.
FSFs have the potential to play a major role in addressing the challenges of the future, including climate change, malnutrition, and population growth. They can help to improve the resilience of food systems, provide diverse and nutritious diets, and create economic opportunities for farmers and rural communities.
NUS are crops (and livestock) that have not been fully exploited for their potential to contribute to food security and nutrition. They are often found in traditional farming systems and are well-adapted to local conditions.
Some Examples of FSFs include:
Crops: buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, millet, sorghum, cassava, sweet potato, cowpea, pigeon pea, lentil, chickpea, mung bean, faba bean, African yam bean, winged bean, winged bean, moringa, baobab, and cactus.
FSFs can be consumed in a variety of ways, including fresh, dried, ground, or processed into food products. They can be used to make traditional dishes, as well as new and innovative products. For example, a study by the FAO found that FSFs can provide more nutrients than staple crops, such as rice and wheat, and that they can be grown in a wider range of environmental conditions.
Buckwheat is categorized as a FSF because it meets all of the criteria for FSFs:
Nutrient Density: Buckwheat is a good source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Climate Resilience: Buckwheat is a drought-tolerant crop that can be grown in a variety of climates.
Economic Viability: Buckwheat is a relatively low-maintenance crop that can be grown using relatively low-cost technologies.
Local Availability and Adaptability: Buckwheat is found in traditional farming systems and is well-adapted to local conditions.
In addition to these criteria, buckwheat is also a versatile crop with a wide range of potential uses. It can be used to make a variety of food products, including pancakes, noodles, cereals, and beer. It is also used as a livestock feed and as a green (organic) manure.
Buckwheat has the potential to play a major role in addressing the challenges of the future, including climate change, malnutrition, and population growth. It is a sustainable and accessible food source that can help to improve the nutritional quality of diets and reduce the risk of malnutrition. Buckwheat can also help to promote biodiversity and create jobs and livelihoods in the food chain.
By promoting the production and consumption of buckwheat and other FSFs, we can help to create a more sustainable and equitable food system for all.
In addition to these benefits, buckwheat is also a sustainable food choice. It requires fewer resources (agriculture inputs) to grow than other crops, such as wheat and rice. It also produces less greenhouse gas emissions.
Here are some specific ways that buckwheat can contribute to a more sustainable food system:
Reduce reliance on monocultures: Buckwheat can be grown as a rotational crop to help improve soil health and reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
Increase biodiversity: Buckwheat is a flowering plant that attracts bees and other beneficial insects. This can help to improve pollination and increase biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems.
Provide food security: Buckwheat is a relatively low-maintenance crop that can be grown in a variety of climates. This makes it a good food security crop for developing countries and regions that are vulnerable to climate change.
Overall, buckwheat is a promising future smart food that has the potential to contribute to a more sustainable and food-secure world.
Saint Michael Foods since it was founded by Peter Yupangco, was intently focused on sustainability and nutrition value. Peter chose buckwheat because of its versatility and health benefits that most people raised in European (Eastern including France) and Asian nations already know how buckwheat contributes to their nutrition. Little is known that buckwheat nutrition for sports, athletes, children contribute to balanced health.
Peter raised the bar with buckwheat by creating great tasting functional foods and beverages and elevating the nutritional value of buckwheat by making it digestible and gut-friendly. SInce BUCK Products were introduced into the Canadian market in 2020, including buckwheat mylk (dairy milk alternative) , buckwheat gelato (dairy-free frozen desserts) , buckwheat complete nutrition (meal supplement) powder with protein peptides, the consumers of fell instantly in love with BUCK and it's great taste. In 2023, other BUCK food products will be introduced including buckwheat porridge (alternative to oats or oatmeal) and also buckwheat baby food.
A big thank you to our North American farmer friends that work tirelessly to keep North America fed. By the way, did you know that buckwheat is known as the "Hail Mary" of grains (that's for another blog post). Thank you Peter for sharing the benefits of this neglected and underutilized buckwheat and also for all your impactful and inspired food creation.