From Farm to Table: Sustainability in Food Systems

1. From Farm to Table:Sustainability in Food Systems

2. Presentation by jim embrySustainable Communities Networksustainlex.org July 31, 2007 Lexington, KY From Farm to Table: Sustainability in Food Systems Professional Development Seminar for Kentucky teachers Sponsored by Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community

3. This presentation illustrates how sustainability, information technologies, and envisioning the future can be effectively woven into an integrated educational experience • . By understanding what it takes to build a sustainable community, students develop the skills needed to engage successfully in a sustainable society. They explore their own values, the values of the community and the values of society at large. Students build awareness of the choices they make and determine whether or not these choices support their future. Using the real world as their classroom, students participate in gathering and analyzing data, clarifying values, listening, speaking, creatively thinking, and making decisions about their community.

4. CHARACTERIZING THE SUSTAINABILITY MOVEMENT • 1972 Limits to Growth by Donella Meadows • 1987 Our Common Future UN World Commission on Environment and Development.Bruntland Commission. “Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In principle, every generation must leave behind good environmental quality. This means that existing environmental problems must be resolved within the span of one generation(20- 25 years) while the creation of new problems must be prevented. For the current generation, the environmental legacy from the past must also be reduced to acceptable proportions.”

5. Earth Charter • 1992 Earth Summit, Earth Charter begins….. 1997 Earth Charter..universal declaration… • Natural Step…,Triple Bottom Line… Natural Capitalism…ZERI approach… Zero waste…Cradle to Cradle(waste =food), Hanover Principles and more, problems must be resolved within the span of one generation(20- 25 years) while the creation of new problems must be prevented. For the current generation, the environmental legacy from the past must also be reduced to acceptable proportions.”

6. Sustainability Whole-systems thinking * Humane and biocentric focus *.Learning and innovation * Leadership and partnership Spirituality *

7. Systems thinking • “ Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing the ‘structures’ that underlie complex situations, and for discerning high- from low-leverage change. That is, by seeing wholes we learn how to foster health.” • Peter Senge The Fifth Discipline, 1994

8. … • Systems thinking> • Visioning> • Values> • Action plans..Indicators> • Curriculum..projects

9. Current Trends • a greater emphasis on putting the movement's innovations into broad practice. • a need to communicate with a much larger public. • increased attention to redesigning human institutions, especially in education, economics and governance. • a broadened sense of participation

10. Principles of Sustainability • Ecology • Economy • Equity* • *Note: The term "Equity" is used in this diagram, and elsewhere in this report, as shorthand for "Social equity and social connection."

13. Holistic Studies • Biophysical system Studies • Economic System Studies • Social System Studies

14. Sustainability education • Sustainability education includes a focus on academic interest and career goals. However in addition, sustainability education prepares a student both for “making a living” as well as for living in a more sustainable way. Sustainability education goes beyond preparation for a career, and prepares humans to live on the planet in a way that doesn’t jeopardize opportunities for others alive today or for future generations.

15. sustainability curriculum • So our task is to create a new sustainability curriculum that allows students to learn and practice the 3 E’s…ecology, equity, economic.

16. FOOD SYSTEM HISTORY • What events led to the development of the current food system? • The economic patterns of the current food system were established through colonialism beginning • around the time of Columbus. Main traits include: • 1) resources being extracted from the colonized country to the colonizers' countries • 2) economic dependency on few commodities • 3) unequal terms of trade • 4) social hierarchies and inequality that were institutionalized through slavery.

17. U.S. Food System • The Food System …Life Cycle • Origin of Resource>Agricultural Production>Food Processing>Packaging &Distribution>Preparation & Consumption>End of Life>Disposal

18. Patterns of Use • Americans enjoy a diverse abundance of cheap food – spending a mere 10.1% of our disposable income on food. But store prices don’t reveal the external costs – economic, social, and • environmental – that impact the sustainability of the food system. Considering the full cycle of the U.S. food system aids in making the connection between consumption behaviors and production practices. Following are a few pertinent examples of unsustainable trends in the U.S. food system.

19. Agricultural Production • 􀂃 Farmers account for less than 1% of our population, and the average age of farmers is rapidly increasing. • 􀂃 Eight percent of all farms account for about 68% of agricultural production. • 􀂃 A mere 19 cents of every dollar spent on food in 2000 went back to the farm (in 1975 it was 40 cents). • 􀂃 Three out of every four farm households earned the majority of their income from off-farm sources. • 􀂃 Fifty-two percent of farm workers are “illegal”. • 􀂃 The nation’s cropland acreage decline from 420 million acres in 1982 to 370 million acres in 2001 – a decrease of 12%.

20. Agricultural Production • 􀂃 The rate of groundwater withdrawal exceeds recharge rates in major agricultural regions. • 􀂃 As a result of nutrient runoff in the agricultural upper regions of the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico is now the 3rd largest hypoxic “dead zone” in the world. • 􀂃 In 2001, 1.8 billion tons of topsoil were lost to erosion – or over 200,000 tons each hour. • 􀂃 Despite tenfold increase in insecticide use since 1945, crop losses due to insect damage have nearly doubled. • 􀂃 Agricultural activities were responsible for 6.7% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2002. Livestock are major contributors.

21. Consumption Patterns • The onslaught of social and environmental impacts of modern • agriculture is in part driven by our consumption behaviors: • 􀂃 In 2000, the U.S. food supply provided 3,800 calories per • person per day. Accounting for waste, the average American • consumed 2,700 calories per day – an increase of 24.5% from • 1970. • 􀂃 In 2002, Americans ate 200 pounds of meat per person, which • is up 22 pounds from 1970. Over half of grains grown are fed • to animals (see “feed grains to animals”, right). • 􀂃 The average American eats 32 teaspoons of caloric sweeteners • – mostly sucrose and corn sweeteners – per day. • 􀂃 In 2000, 64% of U.S. adults were either overweight or obese, • defined as having a body mass index of 25 or more. • 􀂃 Poor nutrition and physical inactivity account for 300,000 • premature deaths each year. Diet contributes to heart disease, • certain cancers, and stroke – the three major causes of U.S. • deaths. • 􀂃 In 2003, the cost of obesity-attributed medical expenditures in • the U.S. was $75 billion. Taxpayers financed half of these. • 􀂃 26% of the edible food available is wasted at the consumer • level

23. On-farm production amounts to only 20% of the total system energy. 40% of the ag. production energy goes into • making chemical fertilizers and pesticides. • 􀂃 Large amounts of energy go into processing, transporting, • 􀂃 On-farm production amounts to only 20% of the total • storing and serving food. • 􀂃 Reliance on large fossil fuel inputs makes the food system • increasingly vulnerable. • 􀂃 Consolidation of farms, animal production facilities, meat • packing plants, food processing operation, and distribution

24. Consolidation in the food system is also concentrating management decisions into fewer hands, raising questions of • growing market control by a few corporations. For example: • 􀂃 79% of the beef packing market is controlled by 4 firms; 4 firms control 80% of soybean processing. • 􀂃 The top five food retailers sell 42% of America’s food (in 1997 it was only 27%). • · An average food item in the US travels 1500 miles. • · 90% of vegetables are gown in the San Joaquin Valley in CA.

29. Solutions and Sustainable Alternatives • Eat Locally! • Eat Less Meat! • Eat Organic! • Use Less Refrigeration!

30. MODERN FOOD SYSTEMS • Changing the footprint goes beyond individual actions and requires changes in structures, policies, economic practices, etc. • Educators Play an Important Role • As educators, we play a very special role. We influence not only students by how and what we teach; but also parents and community members. By embracing sustainability as a vital topic within the classroom, we can help students internalize the importance of a high quality of life for all. Teaching sustainability cannot happen by teaching single module lessons, but can happen by integrating sustainability themes throughout all courses of study.

31. State of Kentucky • Kentucky can lead the way to a new model for a healthy and robust food system. • We believe that transitioning the entire State of Kentucky to a sustainable food system will: • Provide more economic opportunity than the current system, • Strengthen rural communities, • Employ state of the art environmental management systems, • Lift the fortunes of the food and farming industry, • Create pride of place, • Offer hope of meaningful opportunities for workers in the industry, and • Lead a world-wide demand for health and quality in everyday living.

32. Promoting Sustainable Local Food Systems • Farmers markets. • Community and school gardens. • Community-supported agriculture (CSA). • Pick-your-own farms (U-Pick-It) and roadside stands

33. Sustainability Education & Food Systems Programs for K-12 Schools

34. Agriculture • Theme:(6-12) Study ancient or current civilizations’ agricultural practices. • Goal: Create a model of ancient civilization’s farming, watering, hunting, and animal husbandry practices. Study relationships between climate, climate changes, natural phenomena, population increases or decreases, crop rotation (or lack there of), deforestation (for land use or fuel) and their impact on food production. Discuss current models of agriculture and how they differ from the ancient civilization. Discuss impacts and trade-offs of choices in modern & ancient civilizations. • Standards / MEAP: » English Language Arts: VIII.10.3 (Ideas in Action) • » Social Studies: II.1.1, II.2.2 II.3.1 (Geographic Perspective), IV.1.1 (Economic Perspective) • » Mathematics: III.1.1. (Data Analysis & Statistics) • » Science: III.EE.5.5, III.ME/HS.5.6 (Use Scientific Knowledge from the Life Sciences in Real-World Contexts) • Curriculum: » A Sustainable Development Curriculum Framework for World History & Cultures (9-12)

35. Earth connection • School gardens • Natural habitats • Greenhouses • Rain gardens • Outdoor classrooms • Project learning • Care for Eco-systems

36. Outcomes and Goals of Sustainability Education •      The goal of sustainability is simple: to prepare students to be effective, caring citizens in a diverse, democratic, and ecologically health society. With its focus on developing a positive future, sustainability promotes students' sense of connection, purpose, and social consciousness while developing values-based decision-making and problem-solving skills. Sustainability education raises the bar on inquiry and requires that learners think critically, make connections, and grapple with compelling questions.

37. sustainability education •      In brief, sustainability education fosters the following: • an integrated scientific, social, and ecological literacy • critical thinking, decision-making, collaborative problem-solving, and interpersonal communication • appropriate applications of technology that help solve, not create, problems • equity, justice, inclusivity, and respect for all people • a pedagogy that fosters community, vision, and compassion