WHERE FOOD COMES FROM

Long ago, people only ate what could be grown locally. Today, with modern transportation, people in richer countries can find food from all around the world – such as coffee from Brazil, rice from India, and olives from Italy – in supermarkets. Tropical places export crops such as mangoes and bananas, while countries with huge farmlands supply the world with cereals.

BASIC FOOD CROPS

Crops like rapeseed and sugar cane are grown in vast amounts because they can be used in many different ways, not just as foods, but also for products such as fuel. After they are harvested they are usually processed and sent to manufacturers to make other foods or goods.

1. SUGAR CANE

After sugar cane is harvested, it is processed to extract sucrose (ordinary sugar). It can be eaten as it is but more often is used to sweeten other foods.

2. SUGAR BEET

The sugar syrup extracted from sugar beet is used in many products, including drinks, feed for animals, and even fuels known as biofuels.

3. SOYA BEANS

A great source of protein and vitamins, soya beans can be used to make milk, textured vegetable protein, tofu, and flavourings such as soy sauce.

4. RAPESEED

Fields of yellow rape produce rapeseed, which is usually turned into oil for cooking or used in food products. It is also used in animal feed and biofuels.

5. PALM OIL

Palm oil is semisolid at room temperature. It is used in everything from ice-cream to pizza dough, as well as in products like soap and cosmetics.

6. SUNFLOWER SEEDS

We can snack on raw sunflower seeds but most of the crop is processed to produce oil for cooking or to be turned into spreads like margarine.

CEREALS

Plants producing grains used as food are called cereals. Most grains are ground into flour or turned into flakes, which are then used to make food such as muesli and porridge, or bread, cakes, and biscuits. Many are ingredients of what we call breakfast cereals.

VEGETABLES

Although many people like to grow vegetables in their garden, most of us buy them in greengrocer shops and supermarkets. Potatoes are popular in many parts of the world because they can be used in many ways. Vegetables like cassava and yams are part of a traditional diet in Africa but are now exported to countries with multicultural populations.

DAIRY

The most popular milk produced around the world is cow’s milk. It is used in drinks and in cooking and also to produce cheese, butter, ghee, and yogurt. Water buffalo milk, used in Italy to make mozzarella cheese, is the second most popular milk globally.

MEAT

For thousands of years, animals have been reared to provide meat. Most large farms specialize in just one type of animal, raising cattle (cows and bulls) for beef, pigs for pork, sheep for lamb and mutton, and deer for venison. Pigs are the most popular because their meat can be used in many ways.

FRUIT, NUTS, AND SEEDS

Tropical fruit like bananas and coconuts, and Mediterranean fruit like oranges, lemons, and limes need sunshine and warmth to grow. These major crops in warm countries are exported (sent abroad) to colder places that do not have the right climate to grow them. Fruit can be picked and eaten straight away, used to make juices, or added to recipes. Grapes are also harvested to make wine, and olives to make oil for salads and cooking.

In "Picturepedia - An Encyclopedia On Every Page", project editor  Lizzie Davey, DK Penguin Random  House, 2015, UK, excerpts pp. 198-199. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.