How Geopolitics Impact Food

Photo Credit: Generated using AI (Gemini)

Several years ago I found this amazing tea company that is based in Texas called Rakkasa Tea Company. The founders are ex-military and while they were deployed overseas, they spent time with locals drinking tea. When then left the army, they decided that they were going to import premium tea from current war zones and post-conflict countries to help revive those economies and promote peace. I thoroughly enjoy their tea, especially ones that comes from Myanmar. I get their newsletter regularly and it will not be a surprise that there are often shortages, especially for their Burmese tea. Knowing what is happening in that part of the world, it is amazing that they are able to obtain this export. Also, it is understandable that there will be shortages as these are small farmers and the labour involved of producing hand rolled tea is worthy of enjoying the hot beverage. When I see news outlets and social media melting down over shortages of certain foods, taking another look at why it is a viral sensation and its impact requires more scrutiny.

2013 was the International Year of Quinoa. I was working in natural foods store when every second customer was asking “Where can I find Quinoa?” Oprah discussed on her talk show about how she was eating this grain for her clean eating diet (and her comments on food could move markets, read here about Oprah vs the Beef industry). The food became incredibly popular and it moved from the niche international aisle to the healthy food section almost immediately. It was also a time when Celiac disease increased in awareness and is a great alternative for those sufferers who could not enjoy gluten pasta or bread. The economic boom was enormous for the Andean farmers of Peru and Bolivia, but it also impacted the local diet now that American consumers were interested in the product. In this case, the economic benefit of selling this product allowed the community that harvests quinoa to diversify their diets to nutrient dense foods that they would not have been able to purchase before the quinoa revolution. Sometimes viral food trends can be a boon for developing countries and a new marketplace can help economies that need it.

Sweet potatoes are a staple in many cultures and the varieties appear to be endless. Adding it to you coffee, ice cream, or doughnuts is surprising to many westerners but the Ube, which hails from the Philippines, has become a sensation. It’s light, sweet, and vanilla-like flavor is incredibly popular online and boasts nutritional values as it is high in healthy carbs, vitamins, and fibre. Ube is so sought-after that the Filipino government “indefinitely banned the exports of fresh ube, citing a scarcity of planting material and the need to prevent other countries from growing the yam so that Manila can make the most of the global demand.” Ube is not difficult to grow as it is cultivated from other pieces of the tuber and can be grown outside of the Philippines. During this freeze, sales will not be restricted for Ube that is processed or frozen so that they are still able to capitalise on the market, but limit access so other countries are less likely to take advantage of the booming market. Recognizing the interest in locally sourced food products is crucial to ensure that the export is successful. Benefiting from a TikTok trend is also a risky bet as the next big thing may be around the corner and there will not be as large of a market for the Ube.

Have you tried avocado on toast? Of course you have! It exploded everywhere in the early 2010s and has become a staple on breakfast menus today. Avocados are a healthy fat and its simplicity makes the meal more enjoyable. This fruit comes from southern Mexico but there are also roots that span into the Andes Mountains (clearly the best food come from Central and South America, but I am biased). When the boom for avocados erupted over ten years ago, there was one group that poised to take advantage of the market. Organised criminal groups are usually associated with drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and kidnapping. Adding protection money for businesses that produce avocados is also on that list in the state of Michoacán, where they harvest around 5.5 billion pounds a year. The avocado capital of the world has encountered the dark side of having to deal with narco-traffickers. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime outlines that “between 2005 and 2015, homicides fluctuated between 17 and 24 per 100 000 people per year in Michoacán. Then, between 2016 and 2021, as the production value of avocados exploded, homicides increased as well, reaching 54 homicides per 100 000 people (2 628 in total).” The situation has become so difficult for residents that they have fled their homes to migrate to the United States. In the podcast “Caliber 60” the story of Linda’s struggles and how it intertwines with a food product that is purchased largely by the country she is seeking refuge in, is a powerful reminder that there is much more to the food on your plate. There are geopolitical and geoeconomical impacts on what we purchase and what happens along the supply chain. It’s worth considering both the pros and cons as you explore your product’s origins and whether it’s a positive choice.