That is why public markets and solidarity markets are important. Our markets provide great variety. People can buy a type of carrot called the “crotte”. They can buy a blue potato whose name escapes me. Do you understand? We have a great variety of products available. Our local producers are slowly bringing back older strains of produce. I think people are being educated. You can buy turnips, black radish, and so on. That kind of produce had disappeared from our diets. Almost 147 kinds of corn were being produced in 1893. In 1983, that number had dropped to barely 17. I am not sure how many there are today.
As standardization increases, so do major consequences that make us more vulnerable to a food crisis. That is because our food production lacks balance. Exportation does not inhibit variety and diversity. However, if producing a single kind of produce is easier, that is the kind that will be produced.
When potato variety dropped to only four different kinds, a disease developed that resulted in a famine. Nearly one million people died of hunger.