sustainable food lab introduction

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Sustainable Food Laba multi-continent initiative

to create mainstream, sustainable food systems


2000: 6 billion people


2050: 9.2 billion people


Nitrogenous fertilizer has allowed food production to keep pace

with population growth.


But....


Has depleted the soil.


Has depleted the soil.

Land area the size of China and India combined has been severely degraded in the last 60 years.


We’re losing large numbers of farms.


We’re losing large numbers of farms.

-40

-30

-20

-10

0-5

-9-10-10

-13

-15-16

-18

-22-23

-25-26

-30

-37

Denm

ark

France

Luxemborg

Ireland

Germ

any

Sweden

Belgium

Greece

Finland

Austria

Spain

Italy

NL

UK

% change in number of farm enterprises, European Union, 1982-1993

source: FAO


Falling commodity prices put stress on farms and farmers.


1950 2000

Global Fertilizer Use

Falling commodity prices put stress on farms and farmers.


photo: swiatek wojtkowiak

We produce inexpensive food for the rich and expensive food for the poor.


US 14%

France 15%

Mexico 34%

Ethiopia 53%

Food Consumption to Total Consumption

source: FAO

photo: swiatek wojtkowiak

We produce inexpensive food for the rich and expensive food for the poor.


825 million people are seriously underfed.



Every five seconds,

a child dies of hunger.

source: FAO



source: FAO


The journey from farm to fork iscontributing to global warming.


How do we turn things around?


vision


Enough food to feed the world.Enough food to feed the world.


Farmers who can afford to eat.


Increasing soil fertility.


Abundant, clean water.Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Preservation of biodiversity.


Protection of fragile fisheries.


Energy production, consumption, and emissions that the world can sustain forever.


Profitable businesses.


process


Food Lab members are encouraged to go deep to look for new solutions.


let go and

observe

retreat and reflect: allow inner knowing to emerge

act with new understanding

U TheorySenge

ScharmerJaworskiFlowers

Food Lab members are encouraged to go deep to look for new solutions.


The U theory posits a new understanding of the

world that no longer fragments the wisdom

of the head, heart, and hand.

Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski, Flowers, Presence


We develop our capacity to be comfortable with questions and complexity.


some questions


How will we manage the commons?


How do we balance food mile concerns with poverty goals?


How do we balance food mile concerns with poverty goals?

Per Capita Carbon Emissions

(tons/year)

Kenya0.2

UK9.3


How will we allocate cropland to meet our food, feed, fuel, and fiber needs?


How do we keep market forces from squeezing out the small producers?


How do we make public food service a driver of sustainability and health?


How do we make public food service a driver of sustainability and health?

One of every three American children born in 2000 is expected

to develop diabetes intheir lifetime.

source: CDC


Is there a place for family farms in a world of globalization?


some initiatives


GMCR and CIAT are measuring the impact of procurement specifications on poverty.


Rome officials are sharing food purchasing guidelines with

US schools.


SYSCO and the IPM Institute have developed new standards for suppliers that are reducing the use of chemicals and natural resources.


Standards and labeling of fish from Lake Victoria will improve lives in fishing villages around the lake.


A Biofuels Team is developing standards for use by policy makers and investors.


A coalition of large cities has agreed to work together on strategies for sustainable food procurement.


The goal: find ways of working together so we can....


....into big change.


www.sustainablefood.org

now blogging!


http://www.sustainablefood.org

http://www.sustainablefood.org

sustainable food lab introduction

Documents

produce inexpensive

food lab members

expensive

825 million

swiatek wojtkowiakwednesday

poverty goals

soil

standards