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
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
