Food Security Consultant

We are inundated with stories in the media of resource depletion and famine in various corners of the world. Often it is the most vulnerable and poorest corners of the world that are m0ost affected. In most cases of famine a poor international food distribution network and wars are often to blame. Traditionally it has been the poorest that suffer because of an inefficient global food distribution network, but when we begin to factor in the pressures of growing populations upon already dwindling resources such as fresh water, top soil, oil (for synthetic fertilizers and farm mechanization) and the depletion of rock phosphates (poised to peak production around 2025), it becomes aparent that the problem of food security will become more pervasive. Couple this with the global codependence of nations for basic food  and land resources, means that greater and greater segments of the world population are at risk of famine.

We need to start implementing improved models of food production and distrbution immediately.

Luckily we are not the first to begin thinking about these issues and many solutions abound. So then what is the problem? The problem is that many of these simple solutions need traction to be recognized and implemented by a significant amount of people  (ie. you and me).  So here are a few things that we feel can make the difference.

Massive decentralization of Food and Energy

The globalized food distribtion system has proved itself wasteful and potentially dangerous. The amount of food that spoils each year before reaching the store shelf let alone hungry bellies is staggering. The United Nations Food Administration Organization published a study by the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology showing that nearly 1/3 of all food produced globally each year is wasted before reaching the end consumer ¹. This amounts to approximately 1.3 billion tons of food not eaten each year ¹. Yes much of this can be blamed in large part to a defunct supply chain, but to concentrate on fixing this solely, would be folly  in the face of an impending decrease in global oil production. The solution is as simple as producing the vast majority of food where it is eaten, in urban centers. The act of cutting down the geographical distance foods journey to the table  will significantly reduce oil consumption (Oil is a miracle resource that would be better suited to producing a vast array of other products, rather than burning it). The average distance food travels before reaching the end consumer averages 1500 to 2500 miles, which is 25 % further than in 1980 ².

Locally grown food is:

  1. Fresher
  2. Requires much less energy to distribute
  3. Benefits the local economy as its value is generated by soil, sun and air, not abstract ecomomics.
  4. Produce is less likely to spoil before reaching the end consumer.
  5. Spoiled produce can be recycled into compost and be delivered back to the farm.
  6. Reduced packaging. Packaging can be recycled back to its origin without logistical complications.
  7. Provides local food security
  8. Generates Jobs

Regenerative Agriculture

Sustainability is no longer a prescription for the long term success of agriculture. The worlds ecosystems and soils have been degraded more by modern agriculture than any other force on the planet. It is to a point where it is now up to us to restore it. Some would argue that this perspective is uneconomical and it would take hundreds, if not, thousands of years to regenerate lost topsoil. To the first argument, I would answer that this can be done cheaply and that if we don’t invest in this process the returns of our agriculture will dwindle over time. To the second point, regenerative agricultural practices have been shown to increase topsoil by up to several inches over a few years, all the while generating yields. This can be achieved through several strategies used individually or  in combination. These include keyline design, specific polycultural livestock rotations, accelerated succession planting and the introduction of beneficial microbes to the soil through composting and aerated compost teas. By mimicking and accelerating the processes of nature we are able to restore land within a few years. Taking this approach requires thinking in terms of strategies and patterns over time rather than applying a one time technique. This in turn gives the farmer the ability to evolve his land to become more resilient to drought, flooding and pests.

According to the Rodale Institute, if practiced on the planet’s 3.5 billion tillable acres,regenerative agriculture, could sequester up to 40% of current CO2 emissions ³. This makes this form of farming one of the easiest and most beneficial ways of sequestering carbon.

The Benefits:

  • Regenerating Topsoil/Bio sequestration of Carbon
  • Plant Health Benefits
  • Human Health Benefits
  • Ecosystem benefits
  • Agroforestry/ Food Forrests
  • Stacking layers of food and other plant products in a 3 dimenesional space
  • Producing whilst benefiting soils overtime
  • Fresh Water Accumulation and Cycling.

What we do.

As food security consultants our intent is to implement broad scale efforts to teach and provide tools to individuals and organizations, as well as implement what we teach on the ground… If you are a non-profit with a limited budget we will work with you in your endeavors to make the world more food secure.

¹ Beinformed Journal siting FAO Study http://www.beinformedjournal.org/beinformed-journal/2011/5/12/new-un-study-almost-13-billion-tons-of-food-wasted-each-year.html

² Wikipedia: Food Miles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_miles

 

³ A report recently released by Rodale Institute and based on nearly 30 years of research in its side-by-side studies of organic and conventional agriculture. In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_sink#Regenerative_agriculture