This past Tuesday, I was at Trinity College for a panel discussion on developing a sustainable food system. It was held at Trinity College by the Munk School of Global Affairs. The following are some interested points I noted, as well as my thoughts and opinions on them.
The discussion was started by Rosemary McCarney, President & CEO Plan Canada. - (Plan is a global movement for change, mobilizing millions of people around the world to support social justice for children in developing countries.) --website excerpt
Feinstein international center - The Feinstein International Center develops and promotes operational and policy responses to protect and strengthen the lives and livelihoods of people living in crisis-affected and marginalized communities. (Excerpt from their website).
Natural disasters on food - This was a great point here in that natural disasters seem to be on the rise, and a possible correlation tied to climate change. This will have a significant effect on food supply as agricultural communities may be impacted by such disasters. One of the pitfalls of a centralized, global network of supply food management is that certain locations are specialized, or are relied on to produce specific types of food. If a supply issue were to arise for the worse, then this would increase food prices to above that which people could afford. Contrast this with local farms, where food is produced locally in each community and the community dictates its supply and demand. Since not all locations will be hit by natural disasters, and providing that the local community has arable land, then as a whole, there will be fewer people affected by the disasters.
Climate change - land degradation
Stress on water supply
2020 drought, population doubling in Sub-Saharan Africa - Some problems that would lead to negative feedback in unsustainable growth.
Solutions: Revolt (e.g. Cairo), emigrate, die. - Last one isn't an applicable solution; moreso an inevitability if unsustainable practices were to continue.
Unsustainable practices
Agricultural Markets prevent developing countries from developing agricultural systems - A result of capitalistic markets making agricultural crops a commodity. Cheap prices are good for consumers, of course; but by encouraging those select few that can grow cheap, which equates to profit by large wholesaling, the small start-ups are eliminated from the business. This very idea is oxymoronic as the ideals of capitalism promote increased competition, thereby leading to competitive prices amongst many individuals/companies.
Chronic underinvestment in infrastructure - If foods are continually procured from the same sources, the oligopolies of the food industry, then it logically precludes that these oligopolies have the necessary infrastructure to operate their affairs. New farmers in developing countries without the requisite infrastructure; for example, running water, sanitation, materials and so forth; are effectively cut from the agricultural game before they even begin.
Price increases in goods, oil - Just like the class problem: the rich will continue to become richer, as they are the only ones that can afford to do so; and the poor become poorer, as they have no chance to compete with the higher class.
Energy cost increases
Rising standards of living, especially middle class in India and China, leads to an increase in meat consumption -> need to grow grain for raising of animals for meat. China buying arable land to satisfy its needs. - Meats are a more agriculturally and ecologically intensive source of food than plants are, i.e. fruits and vegetables. Although such populations can afford increased consumption of meats, it should not be a necessity. A healthy, balanced diet is what's required in the end and increased consumption of meats for the reason of satiating a pseudo-appetite is incorrect. A cultural shift must occur across the nations to have people living healthy and undergoing a balanced diet.
Canadian government - Go Canada! We're quite charitable, though percentages of our population are also in poverty and have little or nothing to eat.
World food programme contribution
First country to ever give
4th largest donor
Donates cash instead of grain => much quicker assistance
Untie donations
Building sustainable food systems
Availability of seeds, livestock, knowledge
Effect of water, drought
Which foods to produce and prepare (for most effective intake of nutrients)
Introducing food programme into schools since children require food for success
Learning sustainable practices in food systems (e.g. raising livestock, sustainable income via food systems) - A great point. Having a third-party, developed country or organization developing a sustainable agricultural system in an underdeveloped area is one thing; but to have its local inhabitants learn to maintain, find solutions for and prepare for the future is the only way to make an agricultural system truly sustainable. By raising the level of education of its citizens, a country effectively paves the way for its own future prosperity. Great minds, thinkers and do-ers are what's gotten western civilization to where it is now. Developing nations should follow suit, invest in its people and watch its country bloom.
Legislation
To promote food safety (reduce salt levels, trans fats, etc.) - great moves by the governments. More can be done, the start is always a bit shallow, and begins to accelerate once a critical mass is attained.
Raise wages so people can afford food. - A tough point to consider. Raising wages has the obvious advantage of increasing the standard of living for the workers. At the same time, as wages become too expensive, employers can no longer support its workers, thereby increasing poverty levels. It's tough to say how much such Keynsian Economics can help the situation. By the same token, I doubt that the Austrian School of Economics' thought of allowing markets to freely rule agriculture would work as it would lead to a few, powerful oligopolies that encompass every sector. What we need is a decentralized, local food system; whereby there are agricultural systems and distributors in each major population density center. Again, this would ease the burden of natural disasters, as such disasters could prove dangerous if it hits a major, central food supply location.
Reduce distance between eater and food (e.g. buy within 100 miles). E.g. can reduce pasteurization in milk. - Again, more of a case for locally grown foods.
Lots of resources go into transportation, packaging of food. Need to reduce this. - Recycle, reduce, reuse.
20 farmers markets in Toronto - Was just at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto yesterday. Great place, great people, and best of all: great food.
Increase in urban agriculture (growing own foods).
Sustainability in food
Food as social gathering.
Fruits in backyard
Increase alternative food offerings (e.g. farmers markets to major purchasers like universities. Have these purchasers buy certain percentage of local foods, these foods are tagged with local name. UofT at 25% local foods now). - Great cultural shift idea for organizations and corporations to align their business plans with sustainable practices.
Food security
Based on scarcity in the past (food, resources).
Now it is abundant: servings, etc.
Use abundance to create sustainability.
Lots of food waste
E.g. 40% of food in Britain will be thrown out in a week.
30% of food in North America produced is destroyed because it is "cosmetically challenged". Food photography manipulation. Because it's not typical great looking. - I had no idea one in three pieces of food in North America are discarded because they look ugly. That's truly a waste. All the nutrients and taste are present; yet it's discarded because it looks apart from the outside. Something needs to be done to ensure a true cradle-to-cradle approach.
Harnessing of wastes.
Manure from animals, which could be turned into fuels; grease collected for food.
Utilize waste heat (e.g. hot water down the drain) and supply heat to greenhouse. - Great to see them touch upon sustainable building practices. Proud to be a green building professional.
Tour of Canadian farms
The farmers (esp canadian) & their challenges
Ontario association of agriculture
Farmers - This was a great part to gain insight into the current Canadian agricultural system. As extrapolated from other farming systems, small farmers are being squished out of the market in favour of global-market-dictating requirements.
Avg age of farmers: 57 years old
Farmers have income crisis, go bankrupt -> one collective voice
Farmers are highly individual, but succesful ones are typically supply managed.
Farmers complain they cant get small loans from Farm Credit Canada (FCC)
Fcc provides business plans and loans, although it seems that is looks at farms just as business ventures, I.e. it aims to make the FCC money, doesnt consider keeping farmers in business and implementing sustainable practices.
Conflict of interest between fcc, legislation and subsidies. E.g. encouraged industrial pork barns -> farms going out of business when they couldn't maintain such barns, increased pollution
Farm credit canada had too high interest rates (18%), forcing farmers into bankruptcy; fcc encouraged farmers to become large industrial farmers.
95% of farming is tied into industrial food system.
Half of all farmland in ontario is industrial foods like corn and soybeans -> products in processed foods.
92% of each dollar goes to machinery, seeds for farmers' revenue. Dominated by corporations beforehand, then sell back to corporations.
Corporate farmers fuel corporate demands.
Need independent farmers: need to be energy-sustainable since more energy intensive. - What takes a small farmer hours of labour and sweat can be done by a corporation with a few kilowatts of power and machinery in a few minutes. How is the local farmer to compete with such a juggernaut? How can David stand eye-to-eye with Goliath?
Policies for small farmers, can operate labour intensive works.
Unsustainable occupation as farmer: growing population, farmers dont want their kids being farmers.
Current economic, agricultural models favour industrial producers.
Corporate farms: growing profits, neglect quality (e.g. fast food), monopolies, price of food.
Monsanto owns 90% of proprietary seeds.
Losing legislation because of free trade -> losing promotion and development of local farms, farmers and food. - The Earth is too large an area to have a centralized market for food and agriculture. Shipping "cheap" foods whose costs are driven down by capitalism leads to increased pollution. Jobs are created in the logistics business whereas they could have been created in the local agricultural business. Free trade in this industry homogenizes the world's food markets and leads to unfair competition.
Two-tiered food system - Deterioration of the food system leading to increasing band-aid solutions.
1980s food banks
1990s anti hunger organizations
2000 cuts to social assistance for food
Supermarket revolution
Global supply chain.
Able to eat global foods all year round. E.g. not just local ones because of climate, via imports - Is this really required? I don't think everyone needs a shark fin that's caught off the coast of Southern Vietnam.
Waste of foods once they go bad as theres an abundance of them in the markets. - Cheap foods lead to a mentality that says it's acceptable to discard food because it's cheap.
Exploitation of soils, shrimps destoying mangroves. - Unsustainable practices as present in ecological devastation when a foreign species is brought into an ecosystem that is not prepared for it.
Crops based on demands e.g. growing "fuel". Food no longer food. Arable land now a source for commodities. - Arable land satisfying the market demands rather than the immediate, local demand.
Developed countries have much more overweight people. - We're clearly eating too much. A cultural shift must occur within the people to live and eat healthy.
Exporting healthy foods, importing processed, nutrient-decreased foods. - As foods are stretch farther and farther from their natural state, e.g. grown from the soil for plants, they lose more nutrients and more synthetics are applied to the food to keep it from rotting. Tastes also become manufactured at such a point and we're led to enjoy an artificial, manufactured taste.
Increased consumption of oils, e.g. soybean oils.
Farmers tailor food to their consumers (especially international) now rather than local requirements and needs.
Innate desire for fats, sugars and salts because evolution did not prepare us for such "overdoses". Not sustainable. No negative feedback; however, current culture and conciousness positively promotes over-consumption.
Links to read
International assessment of agricultural knowledge science and technology for development
World development report 2008
All-in-all, great seminar by the Munk Centre. Look forward to more.
I'll definitely be cutting down on processed foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, going to the farmers' markets for groceries and encouraging local restaurants to buy local.
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