towards precepts of food system sustainability

Towards Precepts of Food System Sustainability

Hallie Eakinwith: Chris Wharton, John Connors,

Farryl Bertmann, Angela Xiong, Jared Stoltzfus

Photo: Amy Lerner

FOOD AND AGRICULTUREDRIVING

PLANETARY CRISISRaworth 2012

FOOD AND AGRICULTURECREATING

HUMANITY

www.sdsu.edu

Raworth 2012

• A collaborative network that integrates sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management in order to enhance the environmental, economic and social health of a particular place

• Consumer-driven, holistic concept .. Respecting carrying capacity of natural ecosystems… that do not jeopardize the needs of present and future generations

• … Strives to meet the needs of a growing population and preserve this planet we call home, and to help improve lives everywhere…

• Sustainable food systems are … affordable, accessible, healthier and safe and transparent

• An integrated system of plant and animal production practices having site-specific application that, satisfy human food and fiber needs, enhance environmental quality, use nonrenewable resources efficiently, and enhance quality of life

UC Davis Ag. Sustainability Institute

U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization

Monsanto Corp.

Walmart

USDA, 1990 Food Agriculture Conservation and Trade Act

The challenge of defining food system sustainability

Are these definitions equally legitimate? Do they contradict one another? Are they compatible?

• Differential points of entry: ecological integrity, resource efficiency, agricultural production, farmers’ livelihoods, consumer health and rights, commerce and trade

Typology of (Agricultural) Sustainability Definitions

• Non-substantive– definitions that are rooted in subjective and

relative interpretations of “what is good” • Resource efficiency

– focused on enabling persistence of desired activity our outcome through foreseeable future

• Functional integrity– maintenance of fundamental system functions in a

dynamic and evolving world

P. Thompson, 2007, “Agricultural Sustainability: What it is, and what it is not” International J. of Ag. Sustainability. 5: 1-16.

Better?Worse?

Sustainability is:

“A process and outcome that supports and enhances human well-being, social equity and environmental integrity, and the particular system qualities that sustain these” – Leach et al. 2010

What are those “system qualities”?

Ericksen, P. (2008). Conceptualizing food systems for global environmental change research. Global Environmental Change, 18(234-245)

Food System Elements

(Some) Approaches to Food System Sustainability

• Nutrition• Community Food Security (CFS)• International Development• Land Use Change Science (LULCC)• Agroecology/ Sustainable Agriculture• Political-Economy & Globalization

What Sustained?

What Problem?

How to Sustain?

Metrics?

Nutrition Human health Over and under nutrition

Balanced, diversified, safe diet

Morbidity reduction

Community Food Sec.

Local control over food system

Inequities in access & control

Localization, participation

Growth in direct marketing & food access

Int’l Dvlpmt Food security and rural livelihoods

Hunger, malnutrition and rural poverty

Improved commerce, livelihood support

Reduced hunger and food crises

Land Change Ecological services Agricultural externalities

Sustainable intensification

Reduced rate of land change; improved agricultural efficiency

Agroecology Farm livelihood and resource base

Agricultural externalities

Low external input agriculture, mimics ecological processes

Reduced external input use, enhanced resilience to shocks

Globalization Multiple values in the food economy

Excessive commodification and consolidation

Multifunctionality; alternative economies

Growth of alternative food value chains; Democratization of governance

(Local) GOVERNANCE & JUSTICE

(Global) GOVERNANCE & JUSTICE

(Planetary) ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY

(Plot) ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY

(Individual) HUMAN WELBEING

(Pop) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & HUMAN WELBEING

Six Themes: Diversity• Enhances response capacities;

diminishes risk• Conditions innovation• Conditions equity BUT:• Indicators are scale- and

context-dependent• Diversity entails costs &

tradeoffs

Six Themes: Health• Enables efficient and effective

system function• Minimizes need for external

intervention• Enables realization of system

potentialBUT:• Indicators are unit-specific;

cross-unit compatibility• Objective measures of health

controversial

Six Themes: MODULARITY

• Nested & networked structure

• Internal integration > External dependence

• Connected & self-reliantBut• Cost & efficiency• Vulnerabilities

Bellm.org

Six Themes: TRANSPARENCY

• Essential for empowerment, participation

• Facilitates equity, justice• Enhances system

feedbacks & learningBUT• Institutional context key

?

Six Themes: CONGRUENCE

http://www.ganzomag.com/symbolik-bitossi.html

• Supports “multiple-reinforcing gains”

• Resource & socially appropriate technology and institutions

• Synergy with ecological, biological & cultural functions

Six Themes: INNOVATION• Conditions for “creative

disruption in practice & process”

• Enables learning, problem-solving, adaptability

But• Conditions for safe

experimentation • Financial requirements

Food For Thought

• Can these “themes” be considered precepts for food system sustainability?

• If so, can they be applied consistently and compatibly across scales, geographic contexts, populations?

• What is missing?

Better?

Worse?

Sustainability as Normative Process

• “Non-substantive” goal-setting remains a critical part of (political) sustainability process

• However, goals, and interventions, should reflect precepts of functional integrity

• If these are not the right precepts: Can we identify them? Eco. Integrity

Well-being

Governance

Governance

Consumption

Production

ProcessingDistribution

WasteHuman Health

CommunityEmpowerment

Social welfareLivelihood

security

Agro-ecologicalintegrity

Ecosystem services

Multiple values

Food Sovereignty

FOOD SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY

FOOD SECURITY

DiversityInnovation Congruence

Transparency

EMERGENT OUTCOMES

FOOD SYSTEM ACTIVITIES

SUPPORTING THEMES – PRECEPTS?

Health

HUMAN WELL-BEING and SOCIAL JUSTICE

ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY

Modularity

COMMENTS WELCOME: HALLIE.EAKIN@ASU.EDU

THANK YOU!

Better?Worse?

Where we want to go: A food system that aims to achieve and maintain universal food security under uncertain and dynamic social-ecological conditions, through respecting and supporting the context-specific cultural values and decision-processes that give food social meaning and the diversity of ecological processes necessary for food provisioning today and for future generations.

What criteria are most likely to get us

there?

What is the vision?

“Sustainable Development must aim to foster and preserve socio-ecological systems, from the family to the global levels, that are dynamic and adaptable, satisfying, resilient, and therefore durable” - Gibson 2006

What is the vision?

A food system that achieves and maintains universal food security under uncertain and dynamic social-ecological conditions, through respecting and supporting the context-specific cultural values and decision-processes that give food social meaning, and the integrity of the ecological processes necessary for food provisioning today and for future generations.

Better?

Worse?

What criteria are most likely to get us

there?

Sustainability Assessment Principles(Gibson, 2006)

• Social-ecological integrity• Livelihood sufficiency and

opportunity• Inter and intra generational

equity• Resource maintenance and

efficiency• Social-ecological civility and

democratic governance• Precaution and adaptation• Integration

But are these sufficient for achieving food system

sustainability?

R. Gibson, 2006, “Sustainability assessment: basic components of a practical approach” Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 24: 170-182