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SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
NOURISHING COMMUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE?
• The capacity to endure• Long-term maintenance of
responsibility• Responsible management of resources• Stewardship of ecosystems, countries,
communities & individuals• Reducing negative impact• Creating positive development• Self-stroking cycles
WHY SUSTAINABLE?• Food is at the heart of our lives, our
health, our economy and our communities• The way we produce our food creates
ripples throughout the system• Depending on unstable markets for our
food creates an unstable base for our development
• Sustainability = security. Creating food security creates health & livelihoods
MODELS-CUBA• “Special Period” after
collapse of Soviet Union• Food imports cut by
80%• Agriculture transformed-
switch to organics & manual labour
• Havana provides 60% of food needs within city environs
• Years to establish
SELF-SUFFICIENCY MYTH• To be truly self-sufficient would mean
huge changes/compromises• It would also demand huge resources for
each family• Diet-what about staples?• Fuel-what about heat & transport?• Water-what about safe supply & effluent?• Relationships- what about others?
SYSTEMS THINKING-INTEGRATED ELEMENTS
SOIL HEALTH• Soil must be constantly nourished and
replenished• Green manure great but requires land
devoted to producing seed• Animals needed for manure- by-
products of eggs, milk and meat. Draft animals too
• Rotation essential for disease and nutrient management- can be done between beds, fields or even farms
STAPLE CROPS• Cereals, potatoes,
pulses etc.• Cereals on a small
scale yield 1.5 tons/acre approx.
• After processing, that’s about 40 x 25kg sacks
• Issues of processing & storage
• How much per family per year?
LARGE FARMS• Valuable for bulk
crops• Yields may improve
on larger fields• Hard to manage
with manual labour• Valuable for
animals or fodder where land is no good for tillage
SMALLHOLDINGS• Can be anything from a small
backyard operation up to 50 acres• Smaller area works better for
mixed agriculture systems• Can support the most diverse
range of crops• Also works with less
mechanisation, so can create jobs• Global trade has made it hard for
small farms to survive• Needs reliable local markets• At the heart of strong local
economies
FOOD DISTRIBUTION• Distributing food is as important to the
customer as it is to the farmer!• Place of sale must be easily accessible
for both• Local produce must be affordable for the
customer• Costs must be reduced to give best
return to the producer• Fuel (transport/heat/light) is the costliest
overhead
MARKETS• Low overheads-small
fee, no bills• Insurance essential-
join traders association• Becoming more
accessible• Timing makes it less
convenient- takes work to develop customers
• You can’t be on the market & on the field at the same time!
BOX SCHEMES/OOOOBY• Box schemes for
individual producers• Weekly distribution• Orders placed
beforehand• OOOOBY is a group
distribution- growers deliver to OOOBY
• Can include secondary produce (bread, jams etc)
• Can be delivered or collected
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA)
• Membership schemes• Members pay up front• Can be a small farm, or
a section of a large farm• Can be a mix of
seasonal produce, or shares in a bulk crop
• Members typically do some volunteering on the farm
TOPPING UP- HOME PRODUCE
• For most people, space for growing food at home is limited
• Extra space can come via allotments or community gardens
• Food growing skills have been lost, so education is essential
• GIY and community gardens provide the best practical help
• College courses are for serious growers!
COMMUNITY GARDENS• Typically large-ish
gardens with diverse crops
• Main functions are education and amenity
• Members share produce, but will usually only get small amounts
• Important to find a secure site (long-term lease)
• Needs to be low-maintenance
ALLOTMENTS• Need to be easily
accessible- town plots work best
• Use varies a lot• Mostly crops go
to home kitchen, but surplus can be sold or traded
• Good for staples/ bulkier crops
• Not good for fussy crops
HOME GARDEN- PRIORITIES• Having a home garden is
the biggest luxury!• Don’t waste space on
bulk crops• Focus on things needing
more care- “fussy” veggies, poultry
• Focus on things that need to be eaten really fresh, e.g. salads
• Focus on foods that are expensive or difficult to get hold of
SYSTEMS THINKING-INTEGRATED ELEMENTS
RESOURCESCuba- www.powerofcommunity.orgSmallholding- www.smallholding.ieMarkets- IOMST-
www.eventsmarketsireland.comOOOOBY- www.dulra.org/oooobyCSA- www.soilassociation.orgGIY- www.giyireland.comAllotments- www.allotments.ieFacebook Groups-The Community Garden NetworkCSA Ireland