From CEFS:

More than 30 years

of sustainable agriculture work

in North Carolina and

across the world

Dr. John M. O’SullivanCEFSRetired Director (NCA&TSU)INIA- UruguayMay 11, 2015CIATCali, ColombiaMay 16, 2016josullivan5025@gmail.com

North Carolina’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems

• Partnership initiated in 1994

NCSU NCA&T SU NCDA &CSwww.cefs.ncsu.edu

Mission: To develop and promote agricultural systems that protect the environment, enhance rural and urban communities, and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond

A Journey from 1990- 2015

Our Approach: Our Strategic Plan• Provide a research base to facilitate

transition to more economically viable systems of production.

• Demonstration and training site for farmers, extension agents, educators, students, and others.

• Training young people through farm apprentice program, internship program, and other venues.

• Developing a Sustainable Local Food Economy. Connecting industries, business opportunities, consumers, farmers for a healthy and justice food system.

Program Elements• Large Scale Field Units• Research on & off station• Academic and other

educational programming• Extension and Outreach• Local and Community-

based Food Systems

Essential Elements of the Plan• Integration of research, academic,

and extension• Interdisciplinary and Collaborative• Food System- from beginning to

beginning again• Farmer, Partner, and Stakeholder

Engagement• Focus on Sustainability in all its systemic complexity.

Because of the Changing Agricultural Landscape

• Changes and long term trends in agriculture– Crisis of Clean Water– Process of long term soil degradation because of poor farming

practices– Climate change and departure from the “norm” in weather

patterns– Rising age of farmers– Rural community decline– Global food needs, corporate investment and profit structure

and market fluctuations– Consumer interest: local, sustainable, organic– Public health interest: healthy food, healthy lives.

And what if all that food we are producing is not good for us and

does not make us healthy?

Should we be investigating to see if we are making poor food choices in

our production, distribution, consumption, “waste“ management–

---in our food system?

It is about protecting the future resources base for humanity’s agriculture anywhere

Clean Water, Healthy Soils, Rivers and Oceans

Significant Hurdles

• Balance of Infrastructure for present and future use;

• Distribution issues;• Safe and Quality Supply;• Political language of “sound bites”,

boundaries, quick fixes;• Internet exaggerations and false

information, promises, hype.

A Systemic Challenge

• Present resource-use systems do not offer hope for future safe and healthy agricultural and food systems;

• No matter how good the production systems we are developing, we have to address larger issues.

• How do we do that?

CEFS Systems Research Unit

Organic Forestry Crop/animal BMP Old Field

81 Hectare Long-term Comparison of 5 systems

• Agronomic and horticulture• Cover crop integration (summer and winter)• Organic reduced-till• Critical weed free periods• Beneficial insect habitat• Allelopathy• Systemic induced resistance• Greenhouse gas and Carbon Sequestration

Example: The CEFS Organic Research Unit

Critical Issues for Rural Economic Wellbeing and Small,

Part-time Family Farms • Off Farm

Employment Options

• The passing generation- age, education, location, investments

• Present enterprises• Livestock, and

pasture management

Purpose: TheDemonstration of Best The Management Practices

• Record keeping• Controlled breeding

season• Multiple, out-of-stream

drinking points• Herd health practices• Controlled grazing for

year around use• Humane animal

handling• Marketing

opportunities

WEBSITEBUYING CLUBS

Retail and Food Service

FARMERS MARKETS

Markets

Farmers

Processors

…getting sustainable pork to market

Changing Consumer Landscape• Consumer interest: local, sustainable, organic, fresh

– 70 percent of consumers want to know where their food comes from and would pay more for locally grown food if they could find it (packaged facts, 2007)

Rural Economic Growth: Multiplier effect of local food

systems• Wallace Center and Business Alliance for

Local Living studied 24 local food enterprises nationally, and “local food enterprises as profitable startups that are key to economic growth and recovery”.

• “Two to four times the income, wealth and jobs than at an equivalent nonlocal [global] business {if used at appropriate job potential}”.

CEFS: Farm to Fork ApproachWe work comprehensively across food system sectors

Integrated research must be the basis of:

• New production systems which• Need new marketing models• And new business enterprises • For more local profitability• Environmental sustainability• Broad rural development• Community engagement• New partnerships in and beyond

agriculture.

10% Campaign Overview

• Outcome of Communications Working Issues Team• Funded by Golden Leaf Foundation• 10% is doable and a place to start (not intimidating!)

for the newly engaged, institutions, restaurants, etc. • Agriculture is a $3.5 billion endeavor in North

Carolina.

Make the Choice. Make a Difference. Make it Local.

Public Health Interest

Increasingly, trends in obesity and diabetes are being tied to the current food system.

Unequal access and health disparities clearly exist.

Exercise and lifestyle matter.

Food choices- good and bad- are learned.

Long Term Economic Impacts…

• In the U.S., $147 billion currently spent to treat obesity, and

• $116 billion to treat diabetes.• 30 percent of the increase in health care

spending over the past 20 years has been attributed to the soaring rate of obesity.

• Think about our kids school lunch choices and the long-term impact on North Carolina health care costs.

But….

• Lack of coordination• Piecemeal approach• Lack of momentum• No Strategic Plan to move the state’s

Local Food Economy forward• Funders wanted to know where to

put their money- what would be successful?

The Farm to Fork Local Foods Initiative..

• Established advisory committee (80+)• Regional meetings across the state (6)• Working Issues Teams established (11)• “Game Changer Ideas developed”• Sold out Statewide Summit (400+ attendees)• An active listerv (1000+ subscribers)• Directory of food system activities (www.ncfoodnet.com)• Publication of State Action Guide

State Action Guide

• Background and statistics• Useful facts in making the

case for local foods• Description of issues

faced• Prioritized state and local

action items• NC models

Working Issue Teams

• Formalize the Initiative: Foundations and Baselines

• Farm-to-School Education and food• Institutional and Retail Markets• Public Health & Food Access Disparities• Direct Markets• New and Transitioning Farmer Support

Working Issue Teams

• Community Gardens• Land Use and Local Government

Initiatives• Youth and Social Networking• Consumer Outreach and Marketing• Processing and other Physical

Infrastructure

Biggest Challenge-Collaboration?• Find institutions/people who care• Build the network• Value the knowledge and skills of all• Find things that are of mutual benefit• Make resource expand so that 1+1=

more than 2.• Focus on Long term Sustainability

however it is defined with sub- stance.

CEFS Expanded its Partnerships with new Stakeholders

Summary of topics for today• Agricultural Research-• Outreach-• Marketing and Social Communication(s)-• Local Food Systems and Hubs-• The Health Lens• Youth- Literacy, Leadership, Careers-• Community Engagement and Action Research-• Addressing Structural Racism (within our

organizations, in our proposals and project work and in the food system- equity, access in all of system, production, consumption, lifestyle, management decisions) -