Simple Abundance Learning Series

Sustainable Food

About Wintergreen

• Wilderness retreat and environmental learning centre

• Wide range of off-site and on-site sustainability

programs

• We partner with a variety of community organizations

and educational institutions

• Registered charity funded by grants, donors, and

program revenue

Simple Abundance Learning Series

Seventh Generation Learning Series Simple Living

This workshop is part of a series provided by Wintergreen Studios in collaboration with community partners to promote local sustainable living:

Simple Abundance Get Energy Smart Renewable Energy Natural Building and Renovating Sustainable Food

For more information or to book a workshop contact:info@wintergreenstudios.ca

Thanks to our partners & funders

This workshop was funded in part by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Thanks to our partners & funders

We work in collaboration with several community partners:

Sustainability“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. ” - Bruntland Commission

“In every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the seventh generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine.”

- From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy

Why Live Sustainably?• Fossil fuels are a non-renewable

resource– Oil discovery peaked in 1960s

• We use 4 barrels of oil for every 1 we find– Our generation is consuming more than our

share of oil• Fossil Fuels damage the environment

– Extraction and use pollutes air, land & water• Fossil Fuels cause Climate Change

– Need to reduce GHGs by 80% by 2050• To keep increase to less than 2 degrees Celsius

• Peak Oil Theory– Production of oil cannot keep up with

demand, especially from China and India – More demand than supply will cause oil price

spike and impact economy• Save money

– Reducing your energy usage protects you from rising prices

We need to live within our means

How Do We Generate GHG’s?

Source: Statistics Canada

Food12%

3.2 tonnes

Transportation22%

6.0 tonnes

Other Consumption

40%10.9 tonnes

Home26%

7.0 tonnes

3200 kg CO2/year GHG emissions from food

• 12% of home energy use

Food and GHG Emissions

• Food accounts for 12% of GHG emissions in the average Canadian Home

• Globally, this number is even higher. Livestock alone accounts for 18% of global GHG emissions. (UNFAO, 2006)

Where do these GHG emissions come from?

• Transport – Feed, ingredients,

and finished products

• Refrigeration• Processing• Waste

• Deforestation• Soil degradation• Fertilizers/Pesticides• Livestock– Both enteric

fermentation & waste in raising livestock (1:10 ratio).

An Unsustainable System• Deforestation and

habitat destruction• Toxic contamination• Loss of biodiversity• Exploitation of land,

animals and people• Unhealthy products

So what can we do about it?

Organic Agriculture“Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.”

– International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

Organic Agriculture

Advantages– Eliminates toxic

pesticides/herbicides– More nutritious food– Takes CO2 out of the

atmosphere and sequesters it in the soil

– Encourages biodiversity– Often GMO free and more

emphasis on animal rights.

What are the changes I want to make?

What is stopping me from making those changes?

Small group discussion

Challenges• Contrary to popular

belief, organic agriculture is not less productive than conventional – it is just more labour intensive.

• This can make it more costly – a challenge for many families.

• Sometimes organic food is just not available, or comes from far away.

Cost – some points to consider• Organic food is often cheaper than processed foods

we buy all the time.• Cost is more accurate.• We pay a lot of money in subsidies for traditional

agriculture, environmental cleanup, and healthcare.• Canadians on average spend less on food than any

other country.• It doesn’t have to be all or nothing – buy organic

when possible.

What is Local Eating?• Food that comes from

nearby – but how far away is nearby?

• Can range from your back yard to your continent.

• Even with international food, there are better alternatives.

Local Eating• Just how big a deal is this local food stuff anyway?

Canada grows a lot of food, so surely most of our food is grown close to home, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUKSX-zBThg

One Million Gardens …

http://youtu.be/MP_FpLJ5uuI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP_FpLJ5uuI

How does eating local help the environment?• “Locavores,” as those how choose to eat locally are

known, help the environment in many ways.• The most obvious way is reducing the GHG emissions

from transportation.

• Supporting small local farms supports sustainable farming practices, and biodiversity.

Local Food

• Getting to know the people you buy your food from gives you more control over how it is grown – buy from eco-friendly farmers.

• Local foods often use less pesticide, even when they are not organic.

How do I get involved?

• Pick up a Local Food Guide

• Visit farmers’ markets

• Talk to farmers and foodies – they often know other local producers who have what you’re looking for

• Join a CSA• Start a garden• Learn how to forage

What if it doesn’t grow here?

• Our ancestors had no choice but to make-do with local foods. We live in a different world. Many of the foods we eat regularly are just not available locally.

• What about winter?

• Most people are surprised by the diversity of foods they can get locally, once they look.

• Exotic foods can be reserved as treats, rather than eliminated completely.

• Buy discount fruit that would otherwise go to waste.

• Tea, coffee, chocolate, spices, oils & rice can all be purchased organic & fair trade, and all ship relatively well.

• Buy forms of food that do not require heavy packaging or refrigeration.

• Buy food that is in season where it comes from.

• Canning & preserving make local food available year round.

But wait, I’m confused!

• Local and organic is best, but what if you can’t find both?

• What’s better, local or organic?

• Everybody comes up with their own solution to this dilemma. Some people buy local when it is available, and organic imports when local food is not in season.

• Growing and preserving your own food, or buying food from someone who does these things, is often your best bet.

• Health food stores may have better options than grocery stores.

Gardening• Everyone should grow something!• Sunlight, drainage, and good soil are

your most important requirements.• Look into community gardens or yard-

sharing options if you do not have suitable property.

• Start small & work up from there.• There are terrific ways to garden with

limited space… in bags, barrels, with straw… check out the Prezi on the Wintergreen website at: http://www.wintergreenstudios.com/education/resources-for-teachers/

Container Gardens - BAGSFor apartments, schools, offices…

Container Gardens - BAGSFor apartments, schools, offices…

Container Gardens - BALES

Container Gardens - PALLETS

Healthy Soil, Healthy Crops

• Composting creates rich soils with lots of organic material and diverse microfauna.

• Healthy plants are more able to resist disease and pests without chemical help.

• “The Earth forgives by composting.”

A word about composting ...

• A good organic gardener loves the compost pile!

• Compost can be used to amend soil, mulch soil, make compost tea fertilizer – it’s usually all you need.

• There is no wrong way to compost. Everything organic will compost eventually. Don’t give up if you don’t have steaming piles of compost after three weeks – no one does!

The Green ConeAnother effective way of dealing with waste is the food digester known as the “Green Cone” – and it was invented in Canada! There is a fabulous teaching resource created by Vermont teachers (just google “schools” “green cone” and “Wintergreen”) that is very instructive in terms of how to integrate food studies into the curriculum. To learn more about Green Cones, visit www.greencone.ca.

Preserving Food• Once you’ve grown or

purchased a lot of organic, seasonal, local food, you want it to last!

• Canning, freezing, drying, cold-cellaring, pickling and smoking are all traditional ways of preserving food.

• You use less energy canning or freezing than it takes to ship fresh produce to you all winter.

What will you do differently?… this week ... this month … this year?

Write yourself a letter.Put it in the envelope provided.

Address it to yourself.We’ll make sure that you get it at the end of the year.

Note to self

Conclusions

• There is no one ‘right’ way to eat, and we don’t always have the resources to eat the way we want.

• The important thing is to be aware, and to try. The more people buy local and organic produce, the more that will become available.

• Part of sustainability is what you can sustain – start with small changes and work up from there.

Further Reading

www.justfood.ca

Thanks once again …