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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Local Food Initiative Catching On
  • Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 14:55:53 -0400


Subject: [SANET-MG] Local Food Initiative Catching On
Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 14:40:25 -0400
From: Michelle Frain Muldoon <mfrain@OICI.ORG>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

05.14.2007, Huffington Post

Stepping It Up After Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: Is Food Next?
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-carol/stepping-it-up-after-comp_b_48412.h
tml>


While a scaled response to the climate challenge is still far off, we have
certainly seen real breakthroughs in the last year in first identifying the
climate mess and now, through excellent campaigns like Yahoo's 18seconds.org
<http://www.18seconds.org/> , the emergence of the compact fluorescent bulb
as an early, easy thing that people can do.

The smart money now suggests it will soon be show-time for the "buy local"
food movement -- which has been quietly warming up for the main stage for
some time. Certainly the stats are easy to grasp: the energy it takes for
the average person's food consumption generates two tons of CO2 per year -
bigger than lighting and appliances, space heating, air conditioning and
water heating combined. The average meal travels 1,400 miles from source to
table...so buying local is a serious key to cutting carbon emissions.

What will it take? Most likely, a smart mix of community-based efforts like
Harlem's FoodChange's S.O.U.L Food Project
<http://www.foodchange.org/nutrition/harlem.html> , economic success stories
like Portland's Food Alliance <http://www.foodalliance.org/> and a dash of
marketing genius to make sure that "buy local" comes off as less hippy-dippy
and more mainstream. The rapidly growing Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaigns
<http://www.foodroutes.org/> (now in 45 communities) is one very promising
model to support.

At center stage for this work moving forward - for both the non-profit
sector and the emerging for-benefit food business -- will no doubt be The
Fair Food Foundation <http://www.fairfoodfoundation.org/> . Beginning
operations in January 2008, the Foundation will focus on fresh and local
food system development through reconnecting urban and rural economies. The
well-regarded program director of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Food and
Society Initiative, Dr. Oran Hesterman, will serve as the Fair Food
Foundation's president and chief executive officer. With a start-up grants
budget of between $12 million and $20 million per year, the foundation will
instantly be a key hub in scaling this important climate solution.

The food-climate connection is also expected to get another global boost
soon, as the The International Panel on Climate Change is expected to name
agriculture is one of two main priorities. This is expected to occur at the
last meeting of the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and
Technology for Development taking place next month in Capetown. The public
is invited to comment on the working draft until May 21.

For more: http://www.agassessment.org/index.cfm?Page=Review&ItemID=2713

***Be a link in a larger chain--if you see something interesting, pass it
along and share the wealth!***





  • [permaculture] Local Food Initiative Catching On, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 05/14/2007

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