ANAHEIM HS Culinary Arts Online - SFS: Problems and Solutions

Sustainable food systems: problems and solutions

the mission of sustainable food systems

Sustainable food systems promote food and nutrition security for all. They do so in a way that safeguards the ecological, social, cultural, and economic bases upon which food security depends—ensuring their availability for future generations. This requires both minimizing negative environmental impacts and fostering socio-economic welfare.

To accomplish this, sustainable food systems must protect and respect—rather than exploit—ecosystems, biodiversity, social equity, and human well-being. They’re centered around fair, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate, healthy foods that conserve natural resources and local and Indigenous knowledge.

It’s important that environmental, social, and economic sustainability are promoted throughout all aspects of the supply chain: production, aggregation, processing, distribution, retail, consumption, and disposal.

what are some of the problems we are facing today?

problem #1:

Modern agriculture contributes to climate change.

Current food systems are responsible for at least 19-29% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe)

Sustainable food systems curb this impact by:

Using practices that keep more carbon in the soil (cover crops, no-till farming, regenerative grazing)

Requiring less fossil fuel-based inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.)

Encouraging a shift to lower-impact local, seasonal food

Intensifying production on current land to minimize land-cover changes

problem #2

We produce enough food; we don’t distribute it equitably.

Enough food is produced to feed everyone on our planet—yet hunger is on the rise around the globe. More than 821 million people are “chronically undernourished”.

Sustainable food systems require us to bridge this gap, ensuring that everyone receives sufficient food.

This means promoting gender equality.

Around the globe, and particularly in rural areas, women are a key piece in the puzzle of fighting malnutrition and hunger, and making food systems more sustainable and productive.

Already, women are known to play an important role in ensuring more diverse diets, utilizing more sustainable farming practices, and reducing food losses.

If provided with the same access to resources, finance, knowledge, and support as men—and free of economic and social discrimination—women will continue to further sustainable food initiatives.

Investing in women—through education, land rights, financial services, training, and inclusion in policymaking—is not only a matter of equity but a proven strategy to end hunger, reduce malnutrition, and create more sustainable and resilient food systems.

“Equality is rarely on the menu at the finest restaurants. Gender equality doesn’t just happen, it’s the ingredient you have to forage for. The world is hungry for change.” ----Dominique crenn

problem #3

Monocultures are killing biodiversity.

Three-fourths of our food comes from just 12 plants and 5 animal species.

Our reliance on a limited number of genetically uniform crops has meant that our food systems are the primary driver of global biodiversity loss—responsible for the threat of 86% of global plant and animal species (used for food or not).

Diversity is key in sustainable food systems, not just to support health but also to promote resilience against pests, disease, and climate-related stressors.

what is a monoculture?

In agriculture, monoculture is the practice of growing one crop species in a field at a time. Monoculture is widely used in intensive farming and in organic farming: both a 1,000-hectare cornfield and a 10-ha field of organic kale are monocultures. Monoculture of crops has allowed farmers to increase efficiency in planting, managing, and harvesting, mainly by facilitating the use of machinery in these operations, but monocultures can also increase the risk of diseases or pest outbreaks. Diversity can be added both in time, as with a crop rotation or sequence, or in space, with a polyculture or intercropping.

what is biodiversity?

Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (genetic variability), species (species diversity), and ecosystem (ecosystem diversity) level. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth; it is usually greater in the tropics as a result of the warm climate and high primary productivity in the region near the equator. Tropical forest ecosystems cover less than 10% of earth's surface and contain about 90% of the world's species. Marine biodiversity is usually higher along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest, and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans.

problem #4

Modern food is killing us.

Between obesity and “hidden hunger”, what we eat is contributing to disease and death at higher rates than alcohol or tobacco.

More food is being “grown” in a lab and genetically modified, rendering it less nutritious than it was decades ago.

Many of our meals are of the “convenience” variety, often consumed while scrolling on screens or rushing to get back to work.

Not only do sustainable food systems encourage the use of nutrient-rich heirloom/native plant varieties and diverse planting systems, but they promote the consumption of real, whole foods.

More importantly, sustainable farming systems work to support locally varied production systems, and the sharing of Indigenous, traditional, and local knowledge.

In doing so, they foster a deeper sense of respect and reverence for food and those involved in its journey from farm to table—and an appreciation for real nourishment.

problem #5

We increasingly don’t know how to grow, source, or prepare food.

With the advent of junk food delivery services like Doordash, grocery delivery services like Instacart, and food replacements like Soylent, we’re more divorced from food than ever before.

Not only do many people not know how to read nutrition labels, but they often don’t care about the differences between enriched white bread with 40 unpronounceable ingredients on the list and whole-grain bread with 10 recognizable ones.

And in a free-falling economy where pinching pennies increasingly matters, it’s hardly a wonder people choose the former when the latter costs 5-10x as much.

Sustainable farming systems aim to do away with this class barrier between processed and healthy foods, partly by educating people and encouraging them to take part in local food cultivation.

We learn best by doing, after all.

examples of sustainable food systems

There’s no hard and fast definition of a sustainable food system. That said, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Often, sustainable food systems are adapted to local resources and needs and encompass action and innovation at various stages of the supply chain—especially production.

agroecology

Agroecology first emerged in the early 1980s and has since become a key feature of sustainable food systems.

Over time, the definition evolved from being one that focused on improvements at the farm level (i.e. substitution of chemicals with organic inputs) to one that recognizes the ecology of the entire food system.

It takes a holistic, systems-based approach toward understanding food system sustainability, while directly confronting the political and economic power structures embodied in the current industrial food system.

Agroecology is at once a science, practice, and social movement.

Put simply, it’s driven by the need for farming systems that work with—instead of against—nature (crazy idea, huh?).

organic agriculture

Organic agriculture promotes healthy soils, people, and ecosystems. Reliant on biodiversity, ecological processes, and cycles adapted to local conditions, it avoids the use of chemical inputs known to have negative effects.

Like many of these other types of alternative agricultural systems, organic agriculture falls under the agroecology umbrella…in theory.

Unfortunately, most of the organic food we see in the grocery store is hardly from a system that respects ecology.

Like their conventional counterparts, many organic systems are large-scale, monocropped systems purely focused on yields ($$$).

Agroforestry

Agroforestry is the incorporation of trees and shrubs into farming systems.

Trees provide grazing animals with fodder (food) and shelter and, in return, animals’ manure enriches the soil.

The diversified agricultural approach can also help to improve soil structure, minimize erosion, improve carbon sequestration, enhance yields, and benefit farmer livelihoods.

regenerative agriculture

Used for the production of food and fiber, regenerative agriculture entails grazing and farming practices that rebuild organic matter in soil, helping it to capture and store more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Going beyond a “do no harm” approach, regenerative agriculture revitalizes soils and the environment by incorporating holistic, organic, and permaculture farming practices (i.e. cover crops, composting, mobile animal shelters, and conservation tillage).

Instead of stripping the soil of nutrients like monocrop, nonrotating farms, these practices actively replenish the soil so that it may continue to produce healthy yields in coming years.

biodynamic agriculture

Developed by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, biodynamic agriculture views farms as living organisms—an interconnected whole—like a wilderness forest.

It was the first alternative agriculture system to arise in response to specialized agriculture and the use of commercial fertilizers.

Some common biodynamic principles and practices include:

The complementary use of both plants and animals.

Use of composting, crop rotation, and cover cropping to generate on-farm soil fertility.

Developing intimate relationships with farm organisms by observing, sensing, and listening to the land.

Use of non-GMO, open-pollinated, and heirloom seeds and heritage breeds of animals—those that are locally adapted, when possible.

Treating animals in ways that support their health, well-being, and the full expression of their nature (free-range foraging, no debeaking or cow horn removal, never fed animal by-products, no growth hormones).

Contributing to the local community ecologically, socially, economically, and spiritually.

Planting in a way that cultivates biodiversity (combining annual and perennial herbs, vegetables, berries, fruits, flowers, grains, nuts (the basis of many sustainable milk alternatives), pasture, native plants, forage, and pollinator plants).

Enhancing compost with biodynamic preparations (fermented extracts of mineral, plant, or animal manure).

Working in rhythm with Earth and the cosmos (sun, stars, moon, and planets).

permaculture

Co-founded by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, permaculture is the conscious design of productive systems that mimic natural ecosystems in their stability, diversity, and resilience.

It’s based on three main ethics—Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share—that incorporate not just farming systems, but also homes and communities.

Again based on working with nature, permaculture is often understood through 12 holistic principles:

1. Observe and Interact

Engage with nature to design solutions for a particular situation/area.

2.Catch and store energy

When abundant, resources (sun, water, manure, compost) should be collected to be used in times of need.

3.Obtain a yield

Create systems that are useful.

4.Apply self-regulation and accept feedback

Accept the results of our actions, appreciate criticism, and avoid inappropriate behaviors and actions.

5.Use and value renewable resources and services

Reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources.

6.Produce no waste

Value and make use of ALL available resources.

7.Design from patterns to details

After observing patterns in nature and society, start with the large picture—fill in details as we go.

8.Integrate rather than segregate

Encourage symbiotic relationships and overlaps.

9.Use small and slow solutions

Small-scale systems are easier to maintain and use local resources than larger ones.

10.Use and value diversity

Diversity reduces vulnerabilities.

11.Use edges and value the marginal

The interface between elements (lawn and forest, river and garden, sidewalk and nature strip, etc.) is where interesting things happen, and often the most diverse and productive element in the system.

12.Creatively use and respond to change

Be adaptable and receptive to inevitable changes.

how can you contribute to sustainable food systems?

In the US, the foods on our dinner plate travel an average of 1,500 miles from the farm. More than 90% of Americans have pesticides or byproducts of them in their bodies. Farmer suicides have become increasingly common, taking the lives of 30 each day in India.

From an environmental, social, health, and economic perspective, sustainable food systems can help to curb some of these statistics.

The problems sound daunting but the solutions don’t have to be. Here’s what we can do—right from our very own communities—to encourage the development of sustainable food systems:

Shop local and buy directly from farmers if you can

Learn how to cook

Eat seasonal produce

Support farmers who avoid chemicals, practice no-till farming, and/or use crop rotations (buy organic, biodynamic, or regeneratively produced foods)

Minimize food waste (and use sustainable food packaging)

Support fair trade or direct trade

Buy through alternative markets/networks, or from sustainable food brands

Grow your own, either at home or by joining a community garden for extra support and neighborly know-how

Learn what foods are sustainable and adopt a more plant-based diet

Learn what wild plants can be safely (and legally) foraged in your area (i.e berries, mushrooms, etc.)

Realize that convenience and sustainability are often polar opposites

Share and learn food knowledge (recipes, growing techniques, nutrition facts, local food knowledge)

Save and share seeds

in conclusion

The concept of a “food system” represents a contrast to notions of agriculture and food production and consumption as a simple, linear chain from farm to table. Food systems are instead, complex networks that include all the inputs and outputs associated with agricultural and food production and consumption. Food systems can vary substantially from place to place and over time, depending on location specific conditions. The food systems concept provides a comprehensive framing through which to assess the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability.

Food systems can be defined in different ways, depending on emphasis. USDA’s National Agricultural Library defines them simply as “everything from farm to table.” USDA describes local and regional food systems as “place-specific clusters of agricultural producers of all kinds—farmers, ranchers, fishers—along with consumers and institutions engaged in producing, processing, distributing, and selling foods.”

A definition used by the U.S. in its Global Food Security Strategy is “Agriculture and food systems are the intact or whole unit made up of interrelated components of people, behaviors, relationships, and material goods that interact in the production, processing, packaging, transporting, trade, marketing, consumption, and use of food, feed, and fiber through aquaculture, farming, wild fisheries, forestry, and pastoralism. The food and agriculture system operates within and is influenced by social, political, economic, and environmental contexts."

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