Sustainability and YOU!

Culinary Arts IIWHS

J. Sugahara

So, what the heck is “sustainability?”

Sustainable/sustainability - (of economic development, energy sources, etc) capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage

SustainabilityThe ability to provide for the needs of the world's current population without damaging the ability of future generations to provide for themselves.

Ag Then

For thousands of years, crops/animals raised using methods that: Enhanced soil fertility, prevented pests, conserved water

These were considered sustainable methods because: Used indefinitely without depleting soil, defiling the

environment, or undermining health/quality of life

AKA responsible stewardship of the land and communities – think Ahupua’a System

Ag Now

Scientific innovations: Pesticides Genetically Modified Crops (GMOs) Concentrated animal feeding operations (factory

farms) Routine use of hormones and antibiotics in

livestock

Sustainable Farming produces foods that…

Are healthy to eat, being both nutritious and free of added toxins

Does not harm the environment and in many cases promotes environ. Health

Provides farmers with a fair wage Provides farm labor with fair wages and safe

working conditions Respects farm animals Supports and preserves rural communities (like

Waianae!!!)

When you buy and cook sustainable goods, you promote those principles!

Key Elements of Sustainable Farming

Minimize use of toxins Soil Conservation and Environmental

Stewardship Biodiversity Animal welfare Economically viable and socially just

Minimizing use of Toxins

Sustainable Natural, non-polluting

methods to control pests and weeds, chemicals used sparingly, never for organic certified farms

Antibiotics only administered to sick animals

Hormones not administered

Industrial 1 billion tons of pesticides

used in US every year Antibiotics routinely given to

animals to prevent diseases caused by extremely close confinement 25 million pounds - > 8x

amount used to treat disease in humans!!!

Hormones administered to speed animals’ growth

Soil Conservation

Sustainable What is taken out of soil

is replenished – crop rotation, cover crops, using manure/compost

Conserve soil via erosion-prevention methods

Minimal contamination from chemical pesticides, excess pesticides

Reduction in fossil fuel use

Industrial Continual loss of soil due

to extensive plowing and requires use of continual addition of synthetic fertilizers (fossil fuels), which can poison groundwater, surface water and the air

The Environment

Sustainable Preserving and enhancing soil fertility Do not raise more animals than the land is

capable of sustaining Using waste to fertilize land

The Environment

Industrial Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)

– produces a lot of waste, but not required to treat it!

Waste stored in tanks or lagoons, then used on surrounding fields, contaminates water, allows growth of algae,

EPA identified FF as source of pollution of more than 40% of nations lakes, rivers and streams

Industrial Ag also consumes water at an unsustainable rate

Environment, Con’t

A CAFO of 5,000 hogs can produce as much solid waste as 20,000 humans, but unlike cities, there is no sewage treatment plant!

Allowed to store waste in holding tanks or lagoons.

Result – water contamination and algae “blooms” that collapse fish and other aquatic populations

Image of a CAFO, resulting waste lagoon

Maintaining Biodiversity

Sustainable Maintaining a wide

variety of plant and animal species

Rotation around farm Better protected against

natural disasters

Industrial Mono cropping – raising

just one or two types of plants

Vulnerable to pests and other conditions that can wipeout an entire crop

Animal Welfare

Sustainable Treated humanely Permitted to carry out

natural behaviors Fed diet appropriate to

their species

Industrial Animals confined in small

area, w/o access to fresh air, sunlight or open pasture

Unsanitary confinement results in widespread disease – hence antibiotics

Cows fed grain – not natural! Also bone meal leading to Mad Cow Disease!

Economically Viable (aka Profitable) Sustainable

Farmers must be able to earn a fair price for their goods and in turn able to pay workers a fair wage

Illegal immigrants?? Unregulated food from

other countries – China! Local communities benefit

when a farm is sustainable – Providing jobs and

purchasing supplies locally

Factory farms purchase equipment, supplies and feed from outside the region This causes stagnation in

rural communities – think Detroit where all the car factories are shut down because jobs have been outsourced to China or India. People who live in these communities cannot find jobs.

Socially Just

Sustainable Safe working

environment Animals treated

humanely Animals allowed natural

behaviors Fed appropriate diet

Industrial Factory Farms CAFOs Stranglehold on contract

farmers

Other Interesting Facts

Energy Consumption Sustainable farms minimize fossil fuel consumption Small-scale organic farming uses 60% less fossil fuel per

unit of food than industrial farms 17% of all fossil fuel consumed + 1/3 of greenhouse

gasses produced is directly related to food.

Property Values Houses close to CAFOs see property value of homes drop

as much as 40%.

Other interesting facts

Transportation Large-scale centralized food production requires

extensive transportation. Food may be transported as much as 1500 miles in

the US before reaching consumers. Therefore food grown are selected based on ability to

withstand long shelf life rather than flavor, diveristy or nutritional value.

Foods shipped long distances are more highly processed, supplemented w/ preservatives and require excessive packaging.

Locally produced foods

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/Downloads/seasonality_poster.pdf

Definitions

Carbon Foot Print A carbon footprint is "the total set of

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person."[1] Greenhouse gases can be emitted through transport, land clearance, and the production and consumption of food, fuels, manufactured goods, materials, wood, roads, buildings, and services

Definitions, con’t

Global warming Continued rise in

average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans due to increase in greenhouse gases caused by deforestation/burning of fossil fuels

What are the implications of this?

Definitions, con’t

Greenhouse Gas Gases that may occur naturally or cause by

human activities that trap heat in the atmosphere CO2 –Carbon Dioxide – burning of fossil fuels, other

solids, trees/wood products, result of chemical processes (making cement)

Methane – livestock/other ag. Practices, decay of organic waste

N2O – nitrous oxide – ag practices and industrial activities

Fluorinated Gases – man made gases

Definitions, con’t

Fossil Fuel Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, primarily coal, fuel

oil or natural gas, formed from the remains of dead plants and animals. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/f/fossil_fuel.htm )

Is this a renewable resource?

Definitions, con’t

Factory Farming Refers to the raising of livestock in confinement at

a high stocking density (lots of animals packed into as little space as possible)

Definitions, con’t

GMO A genetically modified organism

(GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whosegenetic material has been altered using genetic engineeringtechniques.  (wikipedia)

“Cloning” DNA inserted into another cell to make copies of gene Create an animal that is a “copy” of itself Therapeutic Cloning – embryo cloning used for

research

The question is…

How is Sustainability Demonstrated in Culinary Arts?