Pennsylvania Food Facts: 'in our area we grow 6% of our food'
The 2010, 188-page, Delaware Valley Region Planning Commission Greater Philadelphia Food System Study, about the 100-mile radius 'food shed' around Philadelphia, I think, is an amazingly visionary document. Download it: here.
The main point I took away from it was that we grow about 6% of our food in the Greater Philadelphia area, which includes Chester and Bucks counties. Most of our food comes from California in our spring and summer, and during fall and winter it comes from south of the equator.
The 2010, 188-page, Delaware Valley Region Planning Commission Greater Philadelphia Food System Study, about the 100-mile radius 'food shed' around Philadelphia, I think, is an amazingly visionary document. Download it: here.
The main point I took away from it was that we grow about 6% of our food in the Greater Philadelphia area, which includes Chester and Bucks counties. Most of our food comes from California in our spring and summer, and during fall and winter it comes from south of the equator.
The food production numbers are based on 1.23 acres of land per person, in production, to feed someone. I am sure with more intensive methods that area per person could be reduced. And by the way, major population centers like Baltimore, Washington DC and New York also pull from our 100-mile food shed, where the growing percentage is 11%.
As long as the infrastructure of our modern world doesn’t break down, then we are OK. But this doesn’t translate into what I would call food security. In 2006, the six sectors comprising the food economy made up 11% of all business establishments, as well as 11% of all jobs in Greater Philadelphia. A total of between 286,526 and 310,084 employees worked in one of the 18,000 establishments of the six food system sectors. This represents 49 billion dollars in 2006. Food-related output made up about 8% of all economic activity in Greater Philadelphia.
Although there are certain to be energy crises in the near and long-term future, on the positive side, this will lead to increasing agriculture near to major metropolitan areas, translating into many business and employment opportunities. Can you imagine what it would be like in our area if we produced just 40% of our food needs? Surely that would translate into zero unemployment!
Fresh fruits and vegetable needs are projected to increase by 160% in 2035, with international imports projected to increase by 118%. The report says on page 103 that, "investment in a stronger local food system, while not intended to make the region self-sufficient or protectionist, may become a necessity to meet growing demand."
I believe that the current carbon footprint of our food, due in part to high distribution miles, is unsustainable in a world of increasing energy costs, water demands, climate change and now continually shrinking worldwide oil supplies (not to mention soil erosion and depletion worldwide). Oil shocks began in July 2008 and will continue for the next 50 years; or however long oil depletion takes. What are the consequences of higher demand for fossil fuels on food prices, because many pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer are produced from them?
Our land needs organic regeneration. Currently it is quite lifeless without the use of oil-based fertilizer and pesticide for each season's crop. We will also need to re-skill our population for the challenges ahead. I think it is time to re-value all agricultural occupations as we realize their importance in our lives. Instead of calling workers farm laborers, we should see them as Food Angels. And policies should exist to assist and encourage small, non-corporate farms nationwide. This could lead to many positive repercussions: Employment for many, innovations in food production, valuing of arable land, better food security, real food, not processed 'edible' products, which leads to better health outcomes.
How would the consciousness of our population change if:
As long as the infrastructure of our modern world doesn’t break down, then we are OK. But this doesn’t translate into what I would call food security. In 2006, the six sectors comprising the food economy made up 11% of all business establishments, as well as 11% of all jobs in Greater Philadelphia. A total of between 286,526 and 310,084 employees worked in one of the 18,000 establishments of the six food system sectors. This represents 49 billion dollars in 2006. Food-related output made up about 8% of all economic activity in Greater Philadelphia.
Although there are certain to be energy crises in the near and long-term future, on the positive side, this will lead to increasing agriculture near to major metropolitan areas, translating into many business and employment opportunities. Can you imagine what it would be like in our area if we produced just 40% of our food needs? Surely that would translate into zero unemployment!
Fresh fruits and vegetable needs are projected to increase by 160% in 2035, with international imports projected to increase by 118%. The report says on page 103 that, "investment in a stronger local food system, while not intended to make the region self-sufficient or protectionist, may become a necessity to meet growing demand."
I believe that the current carbon footprint of our food, due in part to high distribution miles, is unsustainable in a world of increasing energy costs, water demands, climate change and now continually shrinking worldwide oil supplies (not to mention soil erosion and depletion worldwide). Oil shocks began in July 2008 and will continue for the next 50 years; or however long oil depletion takes. What are the consequences of higher demand for fossil fuels on food prices, because many pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer are produced from them?
Our land needs organic regeneration. Currently it is quite lifeless without the use of oil-based fertilizer and pesticide for each season's crop. We will also need to re-skill our population for the challenges ahead. I think it is time to re-value all agricultural occupations as we realize their importance in our lives. Instead of calling workers farm laborers, we should see them as Food Angels. And policies should exist to assist and encourage small, non-corporate farms nationwide. This could lead to many positive repercussions: Employment for many, innovations in food production, valuing of arable land, better food security, real food, not processed 'edible' products, which leads to better health outcomes.
How would the consciousness of our population change if:
- Everyone knew how to grow some food
- Many grew at least some of their food
- Everyone learned how to cook 7 meals with whole foods, one for each day of the week
- Every property composted its plant waste (more here)
