the Perks and Challenges
In Saturday’s Toronto Star there was an article entitled, “How food contributes to global warming” by Anna Lappe. We think this article is relevant and important to consider in the practice of nutrition. Food systems make up a large component of the natural environment. With all the media attention received by climate change and food production over the years, we think that it is important for nutrition students and professionals to be aware of this connection. In this article Anna Lappe is interviewed about her new book, Diet for a Hot Plant. Her research has lead her to discover that the food industry contributes to over one third of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions! She has traveled to UN conferences, small organic farms, and grassroots agricultural conferences to obtain information for this new book.
Another author, one of our favorites, who has also touched on this subject is Michael Pollan in his book, In Defense of Food. In this book Pollan writes about the locavore movement and its importance in helping us fight climate change. He also talks about the importance of moving back to a ‘sunshine’ based diet as oppose to one that relies on fossil fuels. These two authors both offer very compelling evidence for the importance of eating more local, organic foods produced from sustainable practices. Many of the topics discussed in Pollan and Lappe’s books have been discussed extensively in the media, our classes, and in textbooks.
In our classes, local farming, local produce, the 100 mile diet, and sustainability of our food system have been discussed. As students of Nutrition we have all heard and in some cases experienced the benefits associated with buying local foods, organic foods and the importance of sustainable farming. However, we are also aware of some of the barriers associated with buying local and organic foods, such as higher prices. So we decided to write about some of the challenges and perks of following the advice from these two books, and to see if it is really possible to change the world by changing what is on our plates.
Perks of supporting local, sustainable food systems and ‘environmentally-friendly’ policy (by Trudy):
Purchasing local, seasonal foods can help boost the local economy by providing local farmers and other producers with a higher income. Additionally, it helps to decrease the travel time (food miles) between the production site of the food to the consumer of the food. This decrease in travel can also help decrease greenhouse emissions and safety issues related to herbicides and pesticides used in other countries (i.e China, South America).
There are already some great local, sustainable food programs in the Toronto area, such as The Stop. The Stop has a Green Barn, which is based on sustainable food production. The Green Barn site also educates the public on growing and eating healthy locally produced foods. I believe that these programs are imperative and necessary for making changes to the food system. Grassroots movements are very important in educating individuals about beneficial changes to our food system. They may target a small amount of people, but as the ideas they produce are put into action the message can spread by diffusion throughout a larger population, and even globally. I think that it is all related to community building and engagement. Community gardens, community farmer’s markets, and community workshops and food demonstrations are all essential for gaining the attention of communities. I believe that the local food movement is largely based on community and community involvement. Dufferin Grove Park is another example of a community based program that provides the community with alternatives such as wood ovens to cook pizza and a farmer’s market to buy local produce. One question that I can think of is, how do we as nutrition students and professionals support these communities?
The relationship between eating locally and sustainably is not only beneficial for you and me, but it is advantageous for the environment. Food4Health offers a blog and projects developed by youth. This website/blog is devoted to promoting health and educating youth on the importance of sustainability. It recognizes that youth are the future leaders, and thus it is important to influence and educate them on our food system. I think the use of education to empower youth to make a change from a mass production, profit based, long-distance food production to a more local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly food system is imperative. I am convinced that this type of action begins in the community, and thus, in my opinion, educating and empowering one community at a time will be more effective in communicating these messages than a global approach. I also believe that it is critical for dietitians and students of nutrition to be involved in these issues regarding our food system.
Challenges of supporting local, sustainable food systems and ‘environmentally-friendly’ policy (by Fei):
There are definitely some challenges related to supporting local and sustainable food systems. This approach involves a shift in thinking from a global to a more local approach on food selection. It involves making conscious decisions at the supermarket or the decision to purchase fruits and vegetable from a local farmer’s market. These decisions can be very inconvenient in a world that favors convenience. Additionally, changing a population's ideology can be very difficult, especially if accessibility is low and cost is high for local, healthy foods. How can we expect individuals in areas dubbed as ‘food deserts’ to change if those options are not accessible to them? Especially, since many people in ‘food deserts’ have lower incomes. In this sense, eating locally and sustainably becomes a privilege for those individuals who can access and afford this type of food (most likely the more wealthy individuals). In this sense, there is an inequality that exists with access to locally produced, healthy, fresh foods. In the words of Lappe, “Our food system is broken”. One of the challenges with changing the food system to a more local, sustainable one is related to changing policies. I believe that changing policies and changing the allocation of tax payers money to this type of food system would be a very long, difficult process. Large food production companies may see no financial benefit in local, sustainable food systems. Since these companies are some of the most wealthy companies in the country, they may have a lot of power in policy generation compared to grassroots groups. In addition, it may be hard for grassroots organizations promoting local, sustainable food systems to obtain funding to help them reach a larger population.
In Canada during the winter months eating locally can be a challenge. I find it very difficult to find a farmer's market during January or February, thus I primarly consume local foods in the spring/summer months. To overcome this challenge, I think increased access to farmer's markets or indoor community gardens during the winter months would be beneficial in promoting local foods.
Moreover, local foods may not always be the best choice. Are tomatoes grown in a greenhouse in Ontario during the winter months really more energy efficient and sustainable than tomatoes grown in Mexico, which uses the natural sunlight as the main means of energy? Is rice production in Canada really more sustainable than that produced in China? Questions such as these make it very difficult and confusing to decide what food choices to make. Of course, seasonally grown local foods are likely better for the environment, fresher, and healthier, but what about local food grown out of season? Thus, when we think local it may not always mean the best choice for the environment or our families.
In conclusion, ‘fixing’ the food system can be a very difficult and complex process. There is no simple solution! Just writing this article has been overwhelming with every benefit there appears to be a challenge following close behind it. However, there is hope for our food system, and this hope is seen in the community programs listed above, The Stop and Dufferin Grove Park.
For more information:
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/784247--how-food-contributes-to-global-warming
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