Where does food come from? How does it give us energy? As children, we may have wondered, and observed that the answer to these questions is something that we walk on every day. Soil has and always will play a vital role not only in the environment but also in human nutrition.
Nutrition is a vital part of health and development with regard to improving infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy, and lower risk of diseases.
Many of us believe that the fruits and vegetables in the grocery stores are of high nutritional value. There are still many who believe that these fruits and vegetables carry fewer nutrients than those that were available years ago, and likely say that what our ancestors ate were richer in nutrients than what we are eating today.
Presently, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has become highly food conscious. But the numbers show otherwise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 149 million children under 5 years are too short for their age (stunted); 45 million children under 5 years are too thin for their height (wasted); 39 million children under 5 are overweight or obese; 33% of women of reproductive age have anaemia, and 15% babies are born with low birth weight.
Now, how do we reverse the nutrient decline? Changing farming methods is one of the game changers in producing healthy produce for a balanced diet. There are numerous agricultural practices that could be used to improve the nutrient output and improve the health of all people who depend on agricultural systems for their sustenance. Good farming practices are essential in ensuring the quality of the soil, thereby assuring that the crop yield has a healthy nutritional value.
While the Green Revolution helped tackle India’s hunger for more produce, today we are stuck in a condition where the food system is designed to deliver more calories than the necessary nutrition. WayCool tries to counter this by assisting farmers throughout the ‘Seed to Sale’ process using our Outgrow farming methods practised at our OARS farm. The OARS is designed to link farming practices in soil health to crop nutrient density and help promote food security.
Our discussions with farmers begin with soil health. We educate them on the benefits of soil testing, and how it directly affects the health of the plant. Testing soil health is the first step in treating nutritional deficiencies in the soil and cultivating a better yield. This enhances soil health, boosts yields, and encourages environmental-friendly farming.
We also advise farmers and FPOs on the types of inputs needed for the best production in their fields by connecting them to the right seed suppliers.
In most cases, without access to knowledge, farmers are often forced to rely on the whims of nature, intermediaries, or neighbours to decide what to cultivate on their property. Our agronomists collaborate closely with farmers to analyse their existing cultivation patterns, reorganise their cultivation mix, and assist generate prospects for year-round supply.
WayCool believes that research is key to understanding how nutrients can be ingrained into the produce starting from the soil itself. With a vision to feed 1% of the global population, WayCool follows the trail of nutrients back to the soil so as to reap what we sow in the form of nutrient-rich produce.
