Food Security and Nutrition as the Neglected Missing Links in Cultural Evolution: The Role of the Sociotype

Abstract

Food security and nutrition were major drivers of cultural evolution by enabling sociotypic development and communal living after the Neolithic agricultural revolution some 12,000 years ago. The sociotype unites concepts from the sciences and the humanities; in concert with the genotype it determines an individual’s phenotype (observable traits and behavior), and together they advance societal culture. As such, the sociotype relates to an individual’s dynamic interactions with the surrounding social environment through¬out life and comprises three domains: the Individual, Relationships, and Context. Nutrition affects each domain, respectively, by ensuring the following dimensions of food security: utilization (metabolic fuel and health); accessibility (physical and economic); and availability (the right to nutritious food for all citi¬zens). The sociotype is influenced by multiple factors, including diet–gene interactions, allostasis, micro¬biota, oxytocin, and culturally through mate selection, family bonds, social communication, political ideol¬ogies, and values. Food security, sociotypes, and culture form a complex adaptive system to enable coping with the circumstances of life in health and disease, to achieve sustainable development, and to eradicate hunger. The current geopolitical unrest highlights the absolutely critical role of this system for global security, yet many challenges remain in implementing this paradigm for society. Therefore, sustainable food security must be considered a fundamental human right and responsibility for safeguarding the survival and progress of the sociotypes of humankind (Homo cultures) worldwide.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Food Perceptions, Food Preferences, Diet Quality, and Health in a Food Desert Campus

“…Although it is widely believed that genetic taste sensitivity to bitter compounds may influence preferences and consumption of foods with bitter undertones such as cruciferous vegetables [5], and subsequently health outcomes, our study does not provide conclusive evidence of the same. Biological factors interact with culture and environmental factors to determine eating choices and dietary patterns [11,41,42]. Thus, taste intensity perception used as an indicator of food preferences must be interpreted in the context of such interaction [43].…”

“…In addition, there were observations of associations of sex and ethnicity with diet quality as well as cognitive and health outcomes. Although these findings may partly be driven by physiological factors, these are likely more significantly impacted by sociocultural and built environmental factors and systemic inequities [41,42]. Future research should consider the complex interactions of diverse factors such as taste and flavor perception, sex, ethnicity, prior exposure to foods, and other socioeconomic and environmental factors for assessment of food preferences and health.…”

Improving adherence to the Mediterranean Diet through a bio-psycho social and sociotype approach

“…Social aspects of sustainability are tightly linked to cultural dimensions. A sustained level of culture and ( 5 , 14 ) traditional knowledge is in fact absolutely necessary to ensure sustainable development, to find the right solutions that align economic considerations with environmental protection and influence politics at a national and international levels ( 15 ).…”

Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals: a call for more science

“…The SDGs convey the necessity for incorporating diverse knowledge systems to meet the targets. Different views have been expressed about the value of describing societies in terms of transitioning from an agrarian to an industrial society and, finally, to a knowledge-based society ( 5 ). However, consensus seems to exist on the general need for knowledge to initiate societal changes.…”