““Every year the planet loses an Every year the planet loses an area the size of Scotland to area the size of Scotland to
ererosion and urban sprawl. At the osion and urban sprawl. At the same time we add 70 million same time we add 70 million
people to the planet’s population.”people to the planet’s population.”Ronald Wright, Ronald Wright,
CBC Massey Lecture Series, 2004CBC Massey Lecture Series, 2004
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Food Production and Sustainability:
A Planners Perspective
Wayne CaldwellFebruary, 2009
University of GuelphOntario Professional Planners Institute
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Healthy Communities, Sustainable Communities
OPPI has prepared a paper that will help to make our communities healthier and more sustainable.
Our on-going work has us considering the linkages between
planning, food production and sustainabilty
How is agriculture in Ontario different today than it was a generation or two ago?
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Year (1974-2008)
Annual Corn Price (Chicago) vs. 1974 Corn Price Adjusted for Inflation
1974 corn price adjusted for inflation
1974 1980 1990 2000
Annual Corn Price (actual dollars)
(U.S. price for corn adjusted by the Cdn CPI)
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Strategies Farmers Pursue to Remain Viable
• Get larger• Specialize• Diversify• Value added• Adapt, adapt,
adapt• Other…
Local food production needs
Local Food Production needs to be “viable” from a producer perspective.
Producers will continue to remind planners and government about this reality.
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Why is local food important from a Planner’s perspective?
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Why is local food important from alPHa’s perspective?
Local Food and Planning
Local food addresses broader social, economic and environmental issues. These issues are related to land use, health, employment, climate change, greenhouse gas, etc…..
Local Food andHealthy Communities
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Planning and Agriculture
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Also broader connections with the Rural Community
Why Preserve Agricultural Land?Why Preserve Agricultural Land?
• food production• food security• agriculture in the
economy• stewardship and
amenity of the countryside
• a resource for future generations
• local food potential12
So… what does local food mean
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While there is a cultural battle for “local food” there is a land use
battle for local agriculture in many near urban locations…
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Thanks – Questions?