[Notes from 2017 discussions with students]
A sustainable food system:
- Supports ecosystems with regenerative organic growing
- reduces GHG by sequestering carbon into the soil
- builds soil health & reduces erosion
- promotes biodiversity & resilience / preserves plants & animals (including people) that are poisoned by synthetic chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics) used in industrialized agriculture
- Ensures fair treatment of growers, workers, and farm communities
- Fair Trade
- farmers & farmworkers paid fairly for their work — and not exposed to toxic chemicals
- communities not polluted with pesticides & other chemicals in the air, soil, & water
- Supports health instead of undermining it
- higher nutrition density
- no systemic pesticides in the food
- minimal processing & additives
- Minimizes waste
- packaging
- donating surplus
- composting
- Emphasizes going local
- higher % of expenditures stays in local economy
- increased emphasis on seasonal foods
- reduces transportation costs & greenhouse gas emissions
- Provides access to sustainably-grown food that supports health!
- affordability
- education
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