SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS

NOURISHING COMMUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE?

• The capacity to endure• Long-term maintenance of

responsibility• Responsible management of resources• Stewardship of ecosystems, countries,

communities & individuals• Reducing negative impact• Creating positive development• Self-stroking cycles

WHY SUSTAINABLE?• Food is at the heart of our lives, our

health, our economy and our communities• The way we produce our food creates

ripples throughout the system• Depending on unstable markets for our

food creates an unstable base for our development

• Sustainability = security. Creating food security creates health & livelihoods

MODELS-CUBA• “Special Period” after

collapse of Soviet Union• Food imports cut by

80%• Agriculture transformed-

switch to organics & manual labour

• Havana provides 60% of food needs within city environs

• Years to establish

SELF-SUFFICIENCY MYTH• To be truly self-sufficient would mean

huge changes/compromises• It would also demand huge resources for

each family• Diet-what about staples?• Fuel-what about heat & transport?• Water-what about safe supply & effluent?• Relationships- what about others?

SYSTEMS THINKING-INTEGRATED ELEMENTS

SOIL HEALTH• Soil must be constantly nourished and

replenished• Green manure great but requires land

devoted to producing seed• Animals needed for manure- by-

products of eggs, milk and meat. Draft animals too

• Rotation essential for disease and nutrient management- can be done between beds, fields or even farms

STAPLE CROPS• Cereals, potatoes,

pulses etc.• Cereals on a small

scale yield 1.5 tons/acre approx.

• After processing, that’s about 40 x 25kg sacks

• Issues of processing & storage

• How much per family per year?

LARGE FARMS• Valuable for bulk

crops• Yields may improve

on larger fields• Hard to manage

with manual labour• Valuable for

animals or fodder where land is no good for tillage

SMALLHOLDINGS• Can be anything from a small

backyard operation up to 50 acres• Smaller area works better for

mixed agriculture systems• Can support the most diverse

range of crops• Also works with less

mechanisation, so can create jobs• Global trade has made it hard for

small farms to survive• Needs reliable local markets• At the heart of strong local

economies

FOOD DISTRIBUTION• Distributing food is as important to the

customer as it is to the farmer!• Place of sale must be easily accessible

for both• Local produce must be affordable for the

customer• Costs must be reduced to give best

return to the producer• Fuel (transport/heat/light) is the costliest

overhead

MARKETS• Low overheads-small

fee, no bills• Insurance essential-

join traders association• Becoming more

accessible• Timing makes it less

convenient- takes work to develop customers

• You can’t be on the market & on the field at the same time!

BOX SCHEMES/OOOOBY• Box schemes for

individual producers• Weekly distribution• Orders placed

beforehand• OOOOBY is a group

distribution- growers deliver to OOOBY

• Can include secondary produce (bread, jams etc)

• Can be delivered or collected

COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA)

• Membership schemes• Members pay up front• Can be a small farm, or

a section of a large farm• Can be a mix of

seasonal produce, or shares in a bulk crop

• Members typically do some volunteering on the farm

TOPPING UP- HOME PRODUCE

• For most people, space for growing food at home is limited

• Extra space can come via allotments or community gardens

• Food growing skills have been lost, so education is essential

• GIY and community gardens provide the best practical help

• College courses are for serious growers!

COMMUNITY GARDENS• Typically large-ish

gardens with diverse crops

• Main functions are education and amenity

• Members share produce, but will usually only get small amounts

• Important to find a secure site (long-term lease)

• Needs to be low-maintenance

ALLOTMENTS• Need to be easily

accessible- town plots work best

• Use varies a lot• Mostly crops go

to home kitchen, but surplus can be sold or traded

• Good for staples/ bulkier crops

• Not good for fussy crops

HOME GARDEN- PRIORITIES• Having a home garden is

the biggest luxury!• Don’t waste space on

bulk crops• Focus on things needing

more care- “fussy” veggies, poultry

• Focus on things that need to be eaten really fresh, e.g. salads

• Focus on foods that are expensive or difficult to get hold of

SYSTEMS THINKING-INTEGRATED ELEMENTS

RESOURCESCuba- www.powerofcommunity.orgSmallholding- www.smallholding.ieMarkets- IOMST-

www.eventsmarketsireland.comOOOOBY- www.dulra.org/oooobyCSA- www.soilassociation.orgGIY- www.giyireland.comAllotments- www.allotments.ieFacebook Groups-The Community Garden NetworkCSA Ireland