Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

Food security at historic watershed
The New Mexican  Monday, February 07, 2011 - 2/8/11
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Opinion/Looking-In--Gary-Paul-Nabhan-Food-security-at-historic-watershe

(Gary Paul Nabhan, Ph.D., is a research scientist at the University of 
Arizona Southwest Center, where he co-founded the Sabores Sin Fronteras 
Foodways Alliance. His new co-authored book on agriculture, food and climate 
change, Chasing Chiles, will be out in March.)

Whether you've noticed it or not, the farming capacity and food security of 
the border states are at an all-time low, and are likely to get worse before 
they are fully transformed to more sustainable and cost-efficient systems.

Recently, with a dozen experts from four states, we conceded that our 
capacity to feed ourselves and the hungriest of our neighbors has been 
compromised more than ever before. At the same time, experts assembled by 
Forbes magazine projected that as early as 2018, one in every five meals 
served in American cities will need to be raised on what are now barren 
parking lots and rooftops. Why are these dire predictions arising at this 
moment in time?

For starters, close to 25 million acres of prime farm and ranch lands have 
been converted to other uses since 1982.

A quarter of this farmland loss occurred in the four states along the Mexican 
border, with 925,700 acres lost in Arizona and 465,300 acres lost in New 
Mexico.

In addition, recent droughts have impacted the availability of water for 
irrigated food production, with Lake Mead recording its lowest-ever levels in 
2010.

Other reservoirs used for irrigation have been filled to only 12 percent to 
15 percent of their normal capacity, triggering water rationing in many 
places. As water scientist Peter Warshall reminds us, "food security requires 
irrigation security." And yet, we've recently let most of our already scarce 
water supplies fuel the unbridled growth of cities, which have the highest 
known per-capita "water footprints" of anywhere in the world.

Farmers are also facing challenges to gaining adequate access to additional 
inputs necessary for crop production. Since 2007, the cost of electricity 
required on farms has risen 19 percent in New Mexico and 24 percent in 
Arizona. In 2011, crude oil prices are projected to begin at
$95.17 a barrel, three times higher than they were in 2000. There are farm 
labor shortages being reported as well.

As the cost of farming and ranching rises, so does the cost of food, and it 
now has gotten out of the reach of many of the poor and hungry in our border 
region.

Arizona has recently suffered from the largest jump in poverty levels 
compared to any state in the union, and New Mexico was the third highest of 
any state.

Arizona now ranks as the second poorest state in the nation, while New Mexico 
is ranked third. Both are now ranked among the six worst states for dealing 
with childhood food insecurity. And so, it is not surprising that the number 
of residents in these states now relying on food banks and other forms of 
food relief hit an all-time high following the 2009 economic downturn.

Despite these discouraging trends, now, more than ever, borderlands residents 
are engaged in innovation and redesign of their foodsheds to resolve such 
problems.

While New Mexico has achieved more positive policy change, Arizona has 
excelled at market-driven solutions.

Arizona now has 72 farmers' markets and New Mexico has 63 markets, many of 
which now allow low-income families to purchase fresh foods through the Snap 
program. There are now 29 community-supported agricultural projects in 
Arizona and 25 CSAs in New Mexico. More than 35 urban farms have cropped up 
in our metro areas.

More than ever before, our communities need to plan for a new food future, 
one that is sustainable, accessible and just. Much will be at stake if we do 
not now heed these warnings, bless and support the innovators, and provide 
real incentives for our farmers and ranchers to stay on the land and produce 
what they can.