Tensions in the Local Food Movement

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Deep Green ConversationTensions in the Local
Food Movement

• Ariel Diliberto
• B.A. Urban Ecology, Vassar College
• Sustainable 19125 Project Coordinator,
• NKCDC

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Urban Ecology Growing buying local food

• Preserves farmland prevents sprawl
• Brings people together around environmental
  and social issues

• Beautifies decaying urban landscapes
• Creates or preserves pervious surfaces

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Growing Buying Local Food A response to
changes in conventional agricultural production
Food, Inc. trailer (212)
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Changes in agricultural production over the past
fifty years
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Results of those changes
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Growing Buying Local Food An alternative those
practices
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Local food one of many tools that in
combination with others, can achieve goals of
social justice and
sustainability.
Local food ? a solution in itself
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• Agenda
• Examine metrics
• Consider the social and spatial context of local
  food initiatives
• Find ways to make participation truly
  democratic
• Avoid dichotomies and extremes

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Examine Metrics food miles Insert video
Michael Pollan on eating local http//www.youtube
.com/watch?vDhaG_Zi6izU
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Examine Metrics food miles
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Examine Metrics food miles
Simulation of carbon emissions if 100 of produce
consumed was grown locally in Santa Barbara County
If growing locally does not significantly reduce
carbon emissions, combating global warming is not
a reason to support local food
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Examine Metrics other factors

• More difficult to measure local foods effects
  on
• Nutrition
• Community-building
• Cultural preservation
• Land conservation
• Food safety

Use metrics to guide practices, not to justify
them.
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Economic Claim buying local Buy local' can be
bad economics (300) by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota
Public Radio Broadcast Morning Edition,
04/06/2009, 840 a.m. Insert audio clip
http//minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/
04/06/buy_local_economics/
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Consider the Context urban farming ecology
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Consider the Context urban farming ecology
Poorly planned and integrated urban agriculture
can be unsustainable
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Leaner, Greener Detroit American Institute of
Architects, Detroit Chapter
Consider the Context urban farming ecology
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Consider the Context rooftop farming
ecology
Small surface area creates inefficiencies in
scale
Decentralized arrangement necessitates more
transportation
1 acre of topsoil 6 inches deep weighs 2 million
pounds
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Rooftop FarmingBenjamin Shute, Hearty Roots
Farm in Red Hook, NY
From an efficiency standpoint, it makes a lot
more sense to leave that topsoil where it is and
bring in the food you can grow in it. Rooftop
farming can work for certain things in terms of
growing high value crops and education butit
cant work for everything.
Rooftop farms are a tool for education and a
high-end market, but are not a sustainable way to
grow large amounts of food
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Consider the Context urban farming social
justice
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Consider the Context urban farming social
justice
Urban farming spacial fix Does not address
underlying causes of urban blight
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Consider the Context food justice
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Look at the big picture Food justice
City Seeds Urban Farm St. Louis, MO
Local food can be a powerful social justice tool
when paired with appropriate services and programs
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Food Democracy Local scale ? democratic
At every scale, outcomes are contextual and
depend upon which actors agendas are empowered,
and the decisions they make.
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Food Democracy Accountable to whom?
Farmers Market Patrons?
Local Farmer
McDonalds Customers?
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Food Democracy Whos making decisions?

• Need significant leadership roles for those in
  the community a project intends to serve

• Dont diversify to justify
• Offer to support to existing community-run
  organizations institutions

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Food Democracy Whos make decisions?
Please no more community gardens!
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Food Democracy Whos making decisions?
Francisville, Philadelphia
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Urban Farming Social Justice Mary Seton
Corboy, Founder of Greensgrow Farm
A Philadelphian isnot gonna think youre the
greatest f-ing thing since sliced bread because
youre growing weird-looking lettuce in a place
they wanted to be a bowling alley or a Wawa
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Food Democracy Transparency
Need for functioning, accountable regulatory
bodies at every scale
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Food Democracy Globalization ? less democratic
Globalization ? Capitalist Globalization
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Avoid Dichotomies Global-local is a gradient
Cities and Regions (Subnational)
Free Trade Blocs (Supranational)
International NGOs and Corporations (
Transnational)
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Avoid Dichotomies Consumerism is polarizing
Thinking critically beyond labels safeguards
well-intended activism from being co-opted
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• Takeaways
• Consumers Examine metrics
• Planners policy makers Consider the social and
  spatial context of local food initiatives
• Organizers Find ways to make participation truly
  democratic
• Activists Avoid dichotomies and extremes

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Thanks!