By Fiona Flowers
The University of Maryland emphasized the cultural, economic and environmental benefits of ethnic crops during a lecture on March 26, commencing a series of virtual food sustainability presentations discussing agriculture and nutritional security.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources invited Nadine Burton, a farm management specialist at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, to examine food insecurity among immigrant communities. A Jamaican native, she encouraged developing more education on crop production, emphasizing the importance of traditional cultural foods and recipes among migrant populations.
“Food plays an essential role in our culture,” Burton said.
She said that a larger market for ethnic crop production could benefit immigrant communities grappling with food insecurity, discussing strategies to establish more diverse food systems.
“When migrants leave their home, the one thing that we cannot take with us, physically, is our food,” Burton said, “when we go to the store, we cannot find fresh ingredients to prepare [cultural foods], and so that becomes a great need.”
During the presentation, Burton highlighted an assortment of traditional Jamaican crops with their nutritional and economic benefits, including Malabar spinach, cassava vegetables, African nightshade, hot pepper and Jamaican pumpkin.
“People are looking into these crops and their use and their active ingredients and converting them into supplements because they know that there’s a need and people will buy them,” she said.
Assisting small farmers in growing and producing ethnic foods will produce joint benefits, Burton said, and these crops should be recognized for their financial and cultural significance.
“It is an economic opportunity for small farmers,” she said. “I’m using [my] platform to say, ‘hey, we are struggling to compete with a giant market. So here are some niche products.’”
Abani Pradhan, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science and the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, serves as a co-chair of the food sustainability lecture series. He said that the discussions are an opportunity to promote agricultural expertise among the UMD community.
“[Our] goal is to increase availability and access to safe and nutritious food through education, entrepreneurship and research,” Pradhan said.
The theme of the 2024 lectures is Mental and Physical Health, as outlined by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, with more guest speaker sessions scheduled for April 9 and April 23. Those interested in attending can register online.
Meredith Epstein, a senior lecturer and advisor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, served as an event moderator for the session. She credited an undergraduate class in the Institute of Applied Agriculture program for hosting the lecture.
“I have a classroom of students in front of me,” she said. “The [zoom] chatbox has been quite active, which is very exciting. There’s been some great conversation.”
Featured Image: Screenshot of Zoom lecture with Nadine Burton on March 26. Photo by Fiona Flowers.