Galapagos Conservancy funded a project to promote healthy eating habits led by Andrea Noboa, a Santa Cruz Island nutritionist. Andrea believes that “everyone is responsible for what happens in our bodies.” Therefore, it is important to understand the importance of changing eating habits and to promote healthy eating.
Up to ten nutrition workshops have been supported on Santa Cruz Island. Around 100 people attended these workshops, which promoted local food consumption, especially seasonal fruits and veggies. Andrea stressed that consuming local products has the primary environmental benefit of reducing foreign species entering Galapagos. She also highlighted the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, as transportation from the mainland generates a lot of greenhouse gases.
Every day large amounts of edible food are wasted or lost, both in Galapagos and elsewhere. This contributes to climate change as well as increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Andrea discusses food waste in her workshops at home, in restaurants, and with farmers whose produce often ends in waste. Organic food is a way to reduce pollution and conserve water and energy.
Washington Tapia, the General Director of Galapagos Conservancy (and its affiliate Conservando Galapagos), believes that sustainably grown food is more nutritious, healthier and more beneficial to the Galapagos ecosystem. For increasing food security, nutrition, and hunger, it is important to reduce food waste and food loss.
Galapagos Conservancy is happy to support Andrea Noboa’s work to educate our community about interconnections between diet, health, as well as maintaining the integrity and diversity of our ecosystems.
Andrea Noboa teaching local Galapagueños about healthy habits © Andrea Noboa
