From atta and aloo to apples, many of our dietary staples originated abroad, finds a study

If you've been exclaiming at the profusion of foreign veggies and fruits in your local market, you may be surprised to know that it's not a recent phenomenon. Of all the food grains, vegetables and fruits grown and eaten in India, about a third originally came from some foreign land. In terms of calories, such food items account for 45% of all calories consumed in the country.

At the global level, 66% of calories consumed are derived from foreign origin foods on an average as is 71% of production.

This data was gathered and analysed by an international team of scientists studying interdependence of the world's countries on each other's foods. The study, covering 177 countries and 132 types of fruits and vegetables, was led by scientists from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)....................Read more

Source: The Times of India