Even though I hate statistics, I'm going to point out a few that both Gary Nabhan and Mark Winne discussed at the local foods conference last week:
- 46% of our carbon footprint is because of food (processing, shipping, etc.)
- Texas is 2nd in agricultural production
- Texas is 2nd to last in hunger ratings
- Subsidies are increasing every year, and so is the dependency upon them
- Farms are increasingly going out of business or merging to form megafarms
- The current average age of farmers is 62, an average that is only getting older
It's obvious our current food system is not working properly, but the most shocking revelation is that there actually are food system programs that work, and work well. The local farmer I buy from (PaiDom) announced that he was having to scale back his consumer network because he has reached max production for the amount of buyers he has. He is so profitable that he is now exporting his business model to other local farmers so they can relieve his exponentially growing consumer base. He said he can now afford to focus on further diversifying what he produces from his land simply because he enjoys providing more for his customers and wants to better understand his land. It's a beautiful relationship. So what is this profitable, effective business solution to our current failing food system?
CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture.
I was skeptical at first: how could a production model so old that it dates back to the agrarian days of our past undo a system deeply embedded in and dependent upon globalization and nationalized distribution? The answer comes from our economic models. As Nabhan pointed out, our mass consumption economic models are currently at or passing maximized profitability. We simply cannot continue to use current max consumption models because it is becoming increasingly costly to consume. In other words, and also very simplified, it's the law of diminishing returns. We've hit that maximum yield. How do we know CSAs are the answer? Let's look at the big food giant SYSCO, who initiated a corporation-wide overhaul of their production and distribution network. They've found that breaking their large distribution centers down into many smaller ones is much more cost effective, especially considering fuel. If relocalization sounds crazy and non-capitalist-friendly, then why is such a huge food corporation taking steps to do just that? Maybe there is merit to this new system. After all, if my farmer can go from working for an insurance company to starting a farm and turning almost too large of a profit in less than a few decades, then why can't this system work for everyone?
Through a network of local producers, farmers markets, urban agriculture, community kitchens, local food restaurants, and even grocery stores, it is possible to get cheap, healthy, organic, local food to the tables of everyone. With this system, farming returns to an honorable and profitable profession as the market for local food grows. With this system, the community can help and give back to the poor and the needy through food banks with on-sight agriculture (South Plains Food Bank GRUB program). CSAs breed a sense of community, promote health and agricultural education, preserve and support the knowledge and profits of farming, and dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the food we eat. Plus, what we eat comes from our land by our hands.
What a beautiful concept. The same air, sun, rain, and soil that graces my presence everyday is what grows my food, supports my community, and becomes a part of me.
I challenge you:
Find a producer in your area.
Find out how to buy from him.
http://www.localharvest.org/ Leia Mais…
