How do food systems relate to climate change?
Food systems contribute 19%–29% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition, about half of all methane emissions come from cattle and rice fields. Deforestation for oil palm and sugar cane leads to fewer carbon sinks. These factors all accelerate the pace of climate change, which, in turn will affects land degradation through increases in rainfall intensity, flooding, drought frequency and severity, and heat stress.
What is the sustainable food movement?
The sustainable food movement aims to further environmental, economic, and social well-being for many communities. While there are many subsets of this movement, much of it is geared towards finding environmental solutions through new technology, developing substitutes like Impossible Meat patties or Beyond Meat sausages.
What needs to change with the current sustainable food movement?
We view the current movement as dominated by a one-sided narrative. The sustainable food movement often fails to represent the diverse array of perspectives that are intertwined with land cultivation, subsistence, and eating. Purchasing organic produce at one's local farmer's market or an MSC-certified piece of fish often comes at a premium that one cannot afford. This issue is further mired in a market where ethnic foods like dragonfruit or tempeh are deemed as "exotic," thereby othering communities across the globe. Innovation within a sustainable food system can come at the expense of losing our relationship to land and our history to it. Practices that incorporate traditional ecological knowledge are also ignored in our current industrial food complex.
In addition, the current sustainable food movements directives around “eat local” and “go meat free” while valid, do not consider that our immigrant families typically source ingredients from their home country for their cultural foods. This requires the shipping of goods from thousands of miles away, contributing to a large amount of carbon emissions. Meat and dairy also play a huge role in diets across the planet and here in America, but these industries are also deeply detrimental in their carbon emission contributions. It is important to forge solutions and include these groups in our efforts to reduce the carbon emissions associated with our food.
How can I get involved?
Check out our programming on our program page, and stay up to date on our upcoming events here.
Food systems contribute 19%–29% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition, about half of all methane emissions come from cattle and rice fields. Deforestation for oil palm and sugar cane leads to fewer carbon sinks. These factors all accelerate the pace of climate change, which, in turn will affects land degradation through increases in rainfall intensity, flooding, drought frequency and severity, and heat stress.
What is the sustainable food movement?
The sustainable food movement aims to further environmental, economic, and social well-being for many communities. While there are many subsets of this movement, much of it is geared towards finding environmental solutions through new technology, developing substitutes like Impossible Meat patties or Beyond Meat sausages.
What needs to change with the current sustainable food movement?
We view the current movement as dominated by a one-sided narrative. The sustainable food movement often fails to represent the diverse array of perspectives that are intertwined with land cultivation, subsistence, and eating. Purchasing organic produce at one's local farmer's market or an MSC-certified piece of fish often comes at a premium that one cannot afford. This issue is further mired in a market where ethnic foods like dragonfruit or tempeh are deemed as "exotic," thereby othering communities across the globe. Innovation within a sustainable food system can come at the expense of losing our relationship to land and our history to it. Practices that incorporate traditional ecological knowledge are also ignored in our current industrial food complex.
In addition, the current sustainable food movements directives around “eat local” and “go meat free” while valid, do not consider that our immigrant families typically source ingredients from their home country for their cultural foods. This requires the shipping of goods from thousands of miles away, contributing to a large amount of carbon emissions. Meat and dairy also play a huge role in diets across the planet and here in America, but these industries are also deeply detrimental in their carbon emission contributions. It is important to forge solutions and include these groups in our efforts to reduce the carbon emissions associated with our food.
How can I get involved?
Check out our programming on our program page, and stay up to date on our upcoming events here.