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Monday, May 17, 2010

Food Security

There is an old saying, “you are what you eat.”

To achieve a sustainable food supply and protect our food supply, our farmers must succeed in protecting their farm land, biodiversity, topsoil, water supply and livestock health. Good local land is a gift, but the soil can only be sustained by the farmers who know how to sustain and enrich it.

As a community we need to support our local farmers in the development of sustainable farming practices and support the development of food access programs such as community gardens, community kitchens, farmers’ markets and produce stands.
As consumers we should seek out local farmers markets and/or buy locally grown seasonal food in order to cut down on the environmental costs associated with transporting produce to our community from a great distance. Some products, coming from the United States and Ontario, have commuted an average of 1500 miles. More calories of energy go into packing, storing and carting the food than exist in the food itself.

Having our food come from some place else is a trend that can threaten the safety and security of our food supply. Other countries, that import food to our area, do not have the same food safety requirements that we have here in Canada and therefore outbreaks of E. coli and other contaminants can and have happened.

There is no sure way to ensure the quality and safety if imported foods that come from areas where standards are less stringent. The global supply chain is unsustainable and irresponsible from the perspective of combating climate change, protecting the health of citizens, and avoiding the potential for widespread food insecurity due to changes in political and economic conditions.

Food security also includes being able to make a living by growing and producing food in ways that protect and support both the land, sea and the food producers, and that ensures that there will be healthy food for our children’s children. The way that we now produce and process food cannot support a sustainable food system. We need to encourage a way of producing food that will last into the future and ensure that our children’s children have all the food they need.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Amherst Community Garden Project please feel free to contact me so I can arrange for you to have a garden plot to grow your own food.


Lisa Emery, B.A. is currently living in Amherst. Lisa invites comments to her column. You can contact Lisa at: emeryvine@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/emeryvine, or view her blog at http://emeryvinegrapevine.blogspot.com

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