week 1 lecture - the sacred beginnings
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome To Week one of Foodshed
sustainability
With Jennifer Santry
Who is Jen Santry?
Who is Jen Santry?
IntroductionsWhy are you taking
This class?
What Do You Know Already?
What do you want to learn about in this class?
How Does this Class
Work? Syllabus & Canvas
Sustainability
Activity
Find a partner.
Brainstorm at least FIVE successes and problems associated with agriculture and food today. Write separately on sticky notes.
Stick each success or problem in appropriate category – economic, environment, and social.
Abundant food supply in the developed world Fresh fruits and vegetables available year-round Cheap food Luxury foods such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and
spices easily available around the world Effective food preservation technologies
(refrigeration, freezing, canning, packaging) Convenience foods Mechanization produces high labor efficiency Improvements in soil conservation Availability of agricultural inputs for quick solutions
to productions problems
Successes in Today’s Agriculture:
Continuing soil loss Food safety (e. coli, antibiotic resistance, toxins and
pesticides) Water pollution Habitat loss Continuing hunger Air pollution; odors Failing farms Declining communities Water depletion Energy use Obesity Climate changeChronic diseases linked to agricultural chemicals Farmland loss to development
Problems in Today’s Agriculture:
food•shed [\'food,shed\] -noun: a region or area from which a population draws its food
How Do We Define a Foodshed?
How do you Define your
Local foodshed?
“Foodshed” – used 80 years ago in “How Great Cities are Fed” by W.P. Hedden
Describes the flow of food from producer to consumer
Geographic area where vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, meat, and grains feed citizens within the region
Answers the question: “Where does my food come from?”
Can include:Farmer’s MarketsCommunity supported agricultureSales to local restaurants and institutionsFarm-t0-table programs
What is a Foodshed?
Historically – eating within a LOCAL foodshed was the ONLY way families gained access to food!
17th and 18th centuries – food was grown in an area of less than 50 miles
Connection to foodshed and landAte seasonallyAte what was availableGrew, cooked, preserved, canned…
Foodsheds in American History:
US’s Foodshed is global – international grocery chains
Lost connection to the food and the landSomeone else is growing it, harvesting it…Increase in food wasteIncrease in food miles – distance 1,500 or more…Food available anytime of the year, almost
anywhereSoil degradation, pollution… - environmental costsInhumane treatment of workers No local dollars to support local economies –
disappearing small farms…
Global & Industrial Foodshed:
More sustainable ways of producing, distributing, and consuming food
Global to regional – decrease in milesIndustrialized to small farms –
decrease in scaleEmphasis on:
Fresher foodsLocal economyConnection with farmer (or grow your own)Reduction in resources (packaging and fuel)Direct to consumer (cut out the middle man)Reduction in pollutionMore environmentally sustainable methods
The Local Foodshed Movement!
Foodshed Resource Cycles:
FarmProductionProcessingPackagingDistributionMarketingRetailingTable
The Journey of our Foodshed:
A Food Map of Your Community…
CSA’sFarmsFood BanksHome GardensCommunity GardensFarm StandsFarmer’s MarketsMeat DairyHoneyCo-Ops
A Story of Your Community…
A Value Chain Diagram…
FarmProductionProcessingPackagingDistributionMarketingRetailingTable
The Journey of our Foodshed:
FarmProductionProcessingPackagingDistributionMarketingRetailingTable
Journey of a Carrot: Green Giant Baby Carrot VS. Farmer’s Market Carrot
EVENTSWhat happens?
What is generallyUNSEEN PATTERNS & TRENDS
What’s been happening?What are the trends?
What changes have occurred?
UNDERLYING STRUCTURES, ORGANIZATIONS
What influences the above patterns?
MENTAL MODELS:Assumptions, values...
What assumptions do people have about the above?
LEARNING
Iceberg Model – What’s below the surface?
EVENT:Purchased bag of
baby carrots
PATTERNS & TRENDS:· Normal· Any time of year· Convenient· Industrial· Low prices
UNDERLYING STRUCTURES:· Cost doesn’t reflect environment or human health· Cheap labor is necessary· Human rights and immigration issues· What subsidies make this possible?
MENTAL MODELS:· Cheap and convenient are better no matter what· Predictable and uniformity is safer· It doesn’t matter who grows my food or how they are treated
How does a community-based food system shift the conventional paradigm?
Questions?