How Climate Change Could Transform Thanksgiving

Last Thursday was American Thanksgiving (in Canada, we celebrate it one month earlier) - so to all my American readers: Happy Thanksgiving! I was browsing the food news recently and came across a very interesting interactive article by Anna Codrea-Rado and Nice and Serious of the Guardian which highlights how climate change has the potential to transform our food, including our cherished Thanksgiving dinners. The article features a photograph of a typical Thanksgiving meal (shown below) - with Thanksgiving turkey and all the fixings. By clicking on the red "plus" symbol, information on how climate change could impact that particular food item is given. You can explore the article here.

Until next time!

Environmental Impacts of Cocoa Production

Chocolate has been in the spotlight over the past few weeks. You'll undoubtedly have seen headlines such as this one, where leading chocolate producers like the Barry Callebaut Group and other industry experts warn about potential cocoa shortages by 2020. Demand for chocolate products is increasing, most notably in Asia over recent years, and experts fear that the crop simply won't be able to keep up. This isn't really news, however. Concerns over cocoa shortages have been repeatedly voiced over the last years, with some experts even predicting that chocolate will eventually be equivalent to caviar (The Independent, 2014).

Cocoa tree with cocoa pods (Source: the Telegraph, 2014)

With this exploding interest in cocoa, one may wonder what might be the environmental impacts associated with cocoa production across the globe? I certainly have been, especially after my recent visit to Kew Gardens where I learnt about the history and uses of Theobroma cacao. A recent study by Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) directly addresses this question using a life cycle approach for the Ghanaian cocoa industry. Before delving into the details, let's first uncover a few quick facts about cocoa.  

Cocoa Facts

The genus Theobroma originated in South America millions of years ago, and includes a total of twenty-two species (cacao being the most widely known). Archaeological evidence of T. cacao as a domesticated crop can be traced to the Maya. The recipe for hot chocolate was brought to Spain by Hernan Cortés in 1528, though the drink did not gain popularity in Spanish courts until sugar was added to the recipe (ICCO, 2014). 

Today, T. cacao is an important cash crop that is grown in the humid tropics (in countries 10ºN and 10ºS of the equator). The largest producers of T. cacao, in order of importance, are Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia (FAO, 2001). 

Map showing countries where T. cocao is grown (Source: Rainforest Alliance, 2014)

The climatic conditions which favour the growth of T. cacao are high temperatures (max. mean 30-32ºC, min. 18 - 21ºC) and high moisture. T. cacao is particularly sensitive to rainfall, and thrives in locations which receive 1500-2000mm/year. The crop has traditionally been grown in shade, as the species is capable of making optimum use of available light (ICCO, 2014). In 2001, approximately 6.5 million hectares of land were planted with the crop in a total of 57 countries. The average yield is of 400kg beans/ha/year (FAO, 2001).

Cocoa is harvested by removing ripe cocoa pods from the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree, and opening the pods to remove the wet cocoa beans. The harvested cocoa beans are then fermented and dried out. Cocoa beans then undergo processing to be transformed into chocolate products (the processing procedure can be viewed here) (ICCO, 2014).

Environmental Impacts of Cocoa Production and Processing in Ghana

According to the ICCO (2014), an estimated 70% of world cocoa production is grown by smallholders in low input and low intensity agricultural systems. Because cocoa requires shade and forest cover and has relatively few inputs, it has the smallest impact of all the tropical cash crops. However, widespread clearing of forests for intensive cocoa production has the potential to result in the destruction of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, stream sedimentation and health/environmental issues related to agrochemicals and runoff (ICCO FAQs, 2014).

Cocoa beans ready for sale and distribution (Source: CNN, 2014)

In their recent study, Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) used a life cycle approach to identify the environmental impacts of cocoa production and processing in Ghana, the world's second largest producer of cocoa beans. In Ghana, the government has recently implemented the Cocoa Disease and Pest Control Project (CODAPEC) which aims to address the issue of pests and diseases on cocoa farms. The ultimate goal of the project was to improve the livelihood of farmers and reduce poverty by boosting cocoa production. Under CODAPEC, insecticides and fungicides were sprayed across Ghanaian cocoa farms free of charge. Though Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) acknowledge the benefits of the programme, their work raises valid concerns about the environmental impacts associated with a growing cocoa industry.

In order to identify the potential environmental impacts associated with cocoa production in Ghaha, Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) used a life cycle assessment (LCA) tool in accordance with the ISO 14040-14043 series procedural framework. The system was divided into 3 main stages, namely cocoa production, transportation, industrial processing of cocoa beans. The functional unit used in their study was 1kg of processed cocoa beans.

Overall, the authors reported that freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity, human toxicity, and global warming potentials were the most significant environmental impacts associated with the system. Below is a summary of their results, grouped by the three mains stages.

Cocoa Production Stage

Cocoa production makes the largest contribution to eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity, human toxicity, and terrestrial eco-toxicity (average contributions greater than 96%). Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) identified the production and use of fertilizers and pesticides as a major cause of environmental burden. Emissions of halogens and CFCs during pesticide production were identified as the main source of ozone layer depletion. Eutrophication was found to be caused by nutrient leakage during cultivation and emission of phosphates. For the toxicity groups, the main source was heavy metal content in phosphorus fertilizers and leakage of pesticides. Other impacts identified by the authors were solid waste in the form of pod husks and loss of biodiversity from clearing of original vegetation.

Cocoa pod husks (Source: Sustainable Review, 2014)

Cocoa Processing Stage

In terms of cocoa processing, Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) identified industrialised processing of cocoa beans as the most important contributor to photo-chemical ozone creation potential, global warming potential, atmospheric acidification potential, and abiotic depletion potential. The production and combustion of fossil fuels were identified as the principal cause of the environmental impacts of this stage. 

Transportation Stage

The authors reported that the transportation stage was the most environmentally-friendly, with no significant contributions to the impact categories.

In addition to quantifying the environmental impacts associated with the three main stages of cocoa production in Ghana, the authors put forth several recommendations. Among the most important recommendations were the replacement of diesel fuel by natural gas in the cocoa processing stage and the exclusive use of compost instead of inorganic fertilizers.

I certainly learnt a lot about cocoa production, and was impressed by the use of an LCA tool by Ntiamoah and Afrane (2008) to quantify the environmental impacts of the cocoa industry in Ghana. I was also rather surprised by some of the environmental and health impacts that result from this industry. It's definitely going to be something I think about the next time I purchase a chocolate bar! Were you surprised by the results of the life cycle analysis, or about any of the cocoa facts we talked about today? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Halloween!

This evening we headed out to the Canalside Steps of Granary Square in King's Cross to see an interesting Halloween display featuring a total of  3,000 illuminated carved pumpkins - it was quite impressive! If you're in the area this evening, I definitely recommend checking it out. In the spirit of eliminating waste from the event, the organisers will be giving out the uncarved pumpkins tomorrow free of charge along with an exclusive recipe from the area's best chefs! The carved pumpkins will be composted by Global Generation and London Waste EcoPark Compost Centre. You can find out more information here.

I wish you all a nice and spooky evening filled with seasonal treats and good company. I'll see you back here soon to talk about the environmental impacts of Halloween's possibly most favoured treat: chocolate!

Food-Waste Rebel

Remember a while back when we talked about Tristram Stuart and his campaigns to end food waste? He's been recently featured as a National Geographic 2014 Emerging Explorer, and has released an excellent new video. You can check it out here:

I'll be back soon to talk about the environmental impacts of cocoa and coffee production!

Intoxication Season at Kew Gardens

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Kew Gardens. For my overseas readers, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew were founded in 1759 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The garden's mission is to "inspire and deliver science-based plant conservation world-wide, enhancing the quality of life". The site is home to numerous impressive greenhouses, different plant ecosystems and habitats, and a large number of seasonal exhibitions.

For my first visit at Kew Gardens, I went to see a very interesting exhibition called The Intoxication Season. The exhibition showcased the history behind intoxicating plants and fungi, and highlighted the ways in which plants can be used as both medicines and intoxicants. Throughout the garden, specific plants were indicated by a poison symbol, and information was provided on the ways they have historically been used as either medicines or intoxicants. In addition to the various displays throughout the gardens, guided tours were given, including the Dark Side of Plants Tour which I attended. The tour was delivered by one of the garden's excellent volunteers,  who brought the group around different parts of the garden unveiling the dangerous secrets hiding behind the exteriors of many beautiful plants. We talked about the celebrated and well-known effects of plants including Cofea (coffee), Theobroma cocoa (chocolate), Aconitum (wolfsbane), Papaver somniferum (opium), Artemisia absinthium (absinthe),  Ephedera (epinephrine), and Salvia officinalis (sage), among many others. 

The part of the tour that particularly struck me was the guide's emphasis on the fact that plants produce their intoxicating or medicinal properties for their own benefit - not for the benefit of humans or other animal species. Although these chemicals and compounds have been of great use to humankind for millennia, they were not particularly intended for our use, and above-all serve the plants themselves, often through defensive mechanisms. The guided tour ended at a greenhouse that was entirely devoted to The Intoxication Season, which housed some of the most mind-altering plant varieties, including Cannabis (marijuana), Coca (cocaine), Salvia divinatum (salvia), Agave (tequila), and many more.

Throughout the tour and my visit at Kew Gardens, I found that I had a lot of questions about these special plants, besides their particular mind-altering properties. It's great that we have been able to tap into the benefits of such truly remarkable plants - but what are the environmental consequences of our preference for certain species? How has the rapid expansion in demand for certain products affected the environment? How are these plants produced on large scales? In light of these unanswered questions, I will be devoting the next few blog posts here at Picnics Past & Present on the environmental impacts of the production of some of the mind-altering species I saw at Kew Gardens. I also plan to focus on some of my personal favourites - coffee and chocolate!

UN Climate Summit & Meat Free Mondays

There's certainly been lots going on in the climate change front over the last week. I find this extremely exciting, especially as a recent graduate in the climate change field. It's really wonderful to see that both individuals and international governments are taking climate change seriously, are pushing for action, and are acknowledging that it isn't a "far-away" problem. The world-wide demonstrations preceding the UN emergency Climate Summit in New York last weekend were truly inspiring - and it looks like governments have heard us. For those of you that aren't familiar with the 2014 UN Climate Change Summit, below is a short summary (a longer one can be found here on the UN website):

-The purpose of the summit was to "raise political momentum for a meaningful universal climate agreement in Paris 2015 and to galvanize transformative action in all countries to reduce emissions and build resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change".

-Leaders from government, business, and civil society were asked to build a global vision for low-carbon economic growth and to advance climate action via various pathways.

-The main points of discussion for the global vision on climate change were the following: convergence on a long-term vision; cutting emissions; moving markets and mobilizing money; pricing carbon; strengthening resilience; and mobilizing new coalitions.  

-100 Heads of State and Government attended the Summit.

What does all this climate change talk have to do with food? Well, as we've talked about in previous posts, the food industry is heavily intertwined in our complex climate change problem. On the one side, large-scale food production is a dominant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributor, and therefore a major contributor to anthropogenic climate change (Vermeulen, 2012). On the other side, climate change threatens global food production through its negative effects such as drought and limiting water resources (IPCC, 2007). 

Something else really exciting happened this week. Ahead of the UN Climate Summit, Sir Paul McCartney released an original song, Meat Free Monday, in order to promote his campaign on the reduction of meat consumption to combat climate change.  You can listen to the song in the video below - I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did! If you're interested in pledging your support for this campaign, you can do so here. 

Buddha Pears

Good afternoon dear readers,

I came across an interesting article today by Rebecca Rupp of the National Geographic's The Plate about pears shaped like baby buddhas. Yes, you heard me correctly, pears shaped like baby buddhas!

Pear shaped like a baby buddha (photo from the National Geographic)

A while back we talked about a National Geographic series, the Future of Food, which aims to investigate how food will change with increasing pressures such as climate change and growing global populations. This article on buddha pears is part of this series, despite its rather light and airy tone (in case you're wondering, the pears are shaped this way thanks to specially designed molds in which the pears are grown). However, the article isn't all about funny-looking fruit. The main message that Rupp is trying to convey is that food is routinely wasted because it doesn't meet society's aesthetic requirements. Rupp goes on to talk about regulations which only allow the sale of produce that conforms with certain aesthetic standards and what certain companies are doing to try to decrease the waste of "imperfect" produce.

Personally, I love it when I buy a bag of carrots to find a forked one, or cutting into a bunch of beets to find that one of them has two heads. On the whole, I don't tend to favour fruits and vegetables which seem more perfect than others. I was wondering how you feel about what your fruits and veggies look like? Do you prefer consuming vegetables and fruits that all fit the same mold, so to speak? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Food Demand & Climate Change

Have you noticed the food headlines (e.g. here and here) of late? A new study published by engineers, plant scientists, and food specialists from the Universities of Cambridge and Aberdeen used a transparent, data-driven model to demonstrate that projected food demand will drive agricultural expansion, contributing to critical environmental issues such as the loss of biodiversity, climate change and pollution. The authors, Bajželj et al. (2014), warn that it is absolutely essential to find ways to achieve food security without promoting the negative side effects of agricultural expansion and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Cattle livestock. Source: The Guardian (2014)

Bajželj et al. (2014)'s study aimed to estimate the environmental implications of the projected increase in food demand by 2050. They were also interested in quantifying the extent to which measures including sustainable intensification and demand reduction could reverse these negative effects. The authors' approach was to use a model of the current global land system based on emprical data, with 2009 as a base year. The model included 2 main components, namely an analysis of land distribution leading to the allocation of land-use change, natural ecosystem losses, and GHG emissions, and a map of agricultural biomass flows. Based on their analyses, the authors concluded that an increased demand for inefficient pathways of food supply such as livestock products causes the food production system to become larger and increasingly inefficient. 

The authors then went on to investigate 6 future scenarios based on agricultural intensification, waste reduction and dietary preferences. Their results indicated that increases in agricultural expansion and agriculture-related GHG emissions were only prevented when significant elements of demand reduction were included. Bajželj et al. (2014) suggest the reduction of meat consumption and an overall improvement of diet as potential solutions to avoid reaching dangerous levels of climate change.

We touched on meat consumption in previous posts (e.g. here and here), and saw that demand for animal products has been increasing in recent decades. Based on the evidence presented in scientific studies such as the one described above, would you be willing to decrease your intake of livestock products to take action on climate change? I, for one, am certainly convinced!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on meat consumption and climate change, or any aspect of the food production system at all. Feel free to share in the comments section below. 

The Future of Food

Good afternoon dear readers! 

Just a quick little post for you this sunny Wednesday afternoon. I stumbled upon this National Geographic special series, the Future of of FOOD while taking a break from my pollen analysis (one month to go!). In their eight-month series, National Geographic is investigating the future of food in a world where the climate is changing at an unprecedented rate and global populations are rapidly increasing. You can check out the trailer below to get an idea of what the series is all about, and have a look here for a 15-minute talk summarising each part of the series by Dennis Dimick, executive environment director at National Geographic. I'll definitely be checking out the series on the evolution of diet in particular. I was instantly intrigued when Dennis mentioned "the idea that food is what really made us human" - I couldn't agree more! 

Until next time!

Info Graphic

Once again, I've disappeared from the blogosphere for an extended period of time - my apologies, dear readers! 

After my term papers and exams were completed in the beginning of May, I envisioned myself having much more free time to dedicate to blogging about food and the environment. But things have been in  full swing with my Masters dissertation since then, and I have been spending most of my time in the lab and behind a light microscope examining fossil pollen. For my project, I am reconstructing recent anthropogenic vegetation changes using detailed ultra-high resolution pollen analyses from the Portuguese Margin. I'm really enjoying it so far, but I must admit it's quite the learning curve with these biological proxies of environmental change! Below are a couple photos of some of the types of taxa I typically encounter under the microscope:

    

Figure 1. Light microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of fossil pollen grains. Left: Compositae tubuliflorae, middle: Pinus (SEM image), right: Tilia. Images courtesy of the University of Arizona.

But all things pollen aside, let's talk about food and our individual environmental footprints. As we touched on in previous posts (for instance here and here), I often think about the environmental footprint of the food I consume and cook with each day. Living in a big city like London, it's all too easy to fall into the "to go" and "disposable" mentality. With a busy schedule and constantly rushing from point A to point B, the thought of washing extra dishes or even cooking a simple meal can seem daunting - especially when all of your heart's culinary desires can be delivered to your doorstep within minutes.

Sometimes all that's needed is a gentle reminder and some simple ideas for more environmentally-friendly food habits. In the spirit of all this, I found this really interesting info-graphic created by Food Establishments Recycling Nutrients (FERN), a Lebanese non-governmental organisation that specialises in facilitating composting and recycling in restaurants (below). 

This info-graphic is filled with great tips and habits that can really improve our individual environmental footprints. My favourite aspects include: "first in, first out", "expiration dates aren't throw-away dates" and the focus on food waste. Personally, I find that making a grocery list and a meal plan and sticking to it is an excellent way to ensure that all the food you purchase is used. I also found the idea of keeping a list next to the garbage can for a week to monitor how much food is wasted is an excellent one - I may conduct the experiment and report my results on the blog, so stay tuned for that!

What are you favourite aspects of this info-graphic? Are there any wasteful habits you'd like to kick? What is your favourite tip on reducing food waste at home?

Until next time!

Sustainable Easter Eggs

Firstly, happy Easter to those of you celebrating! 

I was skimming the online news this afternoon and came across an interesting article in the Guardian titled "Easter eggs rated by palm oil use". Although it's too late for this year's Easter shopping, I will definitely be consulting these new rankings of chocolate brands based on their use of unsustainable palm oil next Easter. The results are from a survey created by Ethical Consumer magazine and the Rainforest Foundation UK (RF UK), one of a series aiming to raise awareness on the unsustainable use of palm oil in many supermarket products. Current EU regulations do not oblige companies to label products containing palm oil, however labelling laws are to change in December 2014.

Source: The Guardian (2014)

The best companies to buy chocolate from? Devine and Booja-Booja, followed by Traidcraft, Co-Operative Food, and Sainsburys. The bottom three were Lindt, Thorntons and Guylian (Cadbury also ranked very low). 

For more information on palm oil in food, personal care and cleaning products, check out the RF's Appetite for Destruction? The Product Guide for Palm Oil Content. They feature information on chocolate, bread, biscuits, skincare, hair products, make up, party food, and cleaning products.

Until next time!

In need of bean-spiration?

I have a confession to make: I've been in a bit of a cooking rut as of late. As a masters student with quite the busy schedule, meal planning is essential for me to maintain healthy eating habits. Normally, I plan a week's worth of meals and then cook big batches on the weekend. This way, I don't need to worry about preparing meals during the week so that I can focus on other things. I have some recipes that I come back to week after week, month after month. Although I do love my lentil soups and Moroccan-inspired stews, I've started to get bored and uninspired with the usual protagonists. 

Enter this beautiful 15-bean mix. Nothing like this kaleidoscope of colours to rekindle inspiration, eh?

My favourite thing to do with this mix is to cook up a big batch of soup (recipe below). Soups are a great way to use up old vegetables (reducing our food waste impact!), can be prepared in big batches and freeze very well for those busy months. Besides pretty colours to inspire me, I have a lineup of trusted blogs I like to visit when I need to spice things up in the kitchen. Here are some of my favourites:

-Oh She Glows (try this burrito recipe - you won't regret it!)
-101 Cookbooks (this carrot salad was simple and delicious)
-Green Kitchen Stories (these protein bars are great for busy mornings)
-Sprouted Kitchen (I'll be trying these sweet potatoes next)
-Scandi Home (we often make this split pea soup)

There are so many great websites for healthy cooking and eating out there, so if you ever find yourself in a cooking rut, I strongly recommend the above blogs. One thing that I particularly love about these sites is the bounty of gorgeous food photos each blogger features - if these don't inspire you to cook, then I don't know what will! Besides the internet, I also have a small collection of cookbooks that I use almost every week, but I'll save those for another post.

What are your favourite ways to use dried beans? Do you get bored with the usual dishes you prepare on a weekly basis? Where do you turn to for a good dose of culinary information?

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the recipe!

15-bean soup

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

-1tbsp olive oil

-1 large onion, diced

-1 head of celery, diced

-1.5 cups 15 bean mix, soaked in plenty of fresh water for 12 hours

-1 400g can diced tomatoes

-1 cube of vegetable stock

-8 cups water, or as much as needed

Procedure:

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onion and celery, and cook until tender (about 5 minutes).

2. Add soaked beans, diced tomatoes, as much water as desired water, and vegetable stock cube, and bring to the boil.

3. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1.5 hours, or until beans are thoroughly cooked.

4. Enjoy!

A plant's eye view

Dear readers,

Today I'd like to share a video with you that I found truly inspiring. As I'm sure you've gathered from some of my previous posts here at PP&P, I've always felt a strong connection with nature. Since moving to London and being relatively far away from my beloved Canadian wilderness, I find that sometimes I forget that we are part of a bigger thing: the biosphere. Listening to Michael Pollan talk about looking at the world from a "plant's eye view" really put things back into perspective for me on this grey British afternoon.

Two aspects of this talk particularly struck me. First, the notion that plants manipulate the animal species which rely on them for survival. Pollan (2008) argues that humans are lured and manipulated by plants just as a bee is lured by a colourful and sweet-scented flower blossom, allowing it to spread its genes while the bee gathers nectar from flower to flower. This example is extended to agriculture, with the suggestion that this technique of mass producing food arose as a "co-evolutionary development" in which edible grasses have and continue to exploit humans. Now that's something to think about!

The second most impressive aspect of his talk was his personal account of Joe Salatin's organic farm (Polyface Farms), in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Pollan (2008) describes this organic farm which symbiotically raises over five species of animals as well as some forestry products on a mere 100 hectares of land. What is unique about this farm is that it produces vast amount of food products by simply harnessing the desires of each species involved. In this way, the species perform a variety of ecological services for one another. For example, cows on this farm intensively graze fields. After the grazing is complete, Salatin waits three days before introducing chickens to the same fields. This way, the soils are rich with mature grubs for the chickens to feast on. These chickens fertilise and churn the soil, and remove the grubs, allowing for a quick regeneration of the grasses. Each species involved fulfills a specific purpose. 

To conclude his talk, Pollan (2008) leaves his audience with the idea that this form of food production completely contradicts the pre-conceived notion that nature must be diminished in order for humans to obtain their needs in resources. What would happen if we had a food production revolution, in which all farmers harnessed the desires of the species they harvest? I think the world could be a very different place!

What are your thoughts on looking at the world from a "plant's eye view"? Have you ever tried looking at the world in this way? Do you think a revolution in symbiotic food production could change the way we grow food in the future?

Thanks for reading! 

Sustainable Dining

It's been quite a while since my last post here - I admit, things have been quite hectic with school and deadlines, but I am now back from a much needed break. So, where did we leave things off? In short, we took a journey from the past to the present to see how global food production impacts the environment. We covered a really wide range of topics, but there is so much more to the story of how humans produce food. In the next set of posts, we will focus on present environmental issues surrounding food production. I'd like to explore some of the topics I didn't have time to cover in the fall, such as organic farming, pesticides and nutrient enrichment, composting, factory farming, biofuels... this list could go on forever, so please come visit regularly! 

Seeing as it's my first day back from my blog holidays, I'd like to keep things on the lighter side. So let's dig in! 

Salade Niçoise in Nice (you can find a great recipe here)

Have you ever heard of an organisation called the Sustainable Restaurant Association? If you haven't, don't worry - I hadn't either, but was certainly excited to learn that something like this existed. In a nutshell, the SRA is a not for profit membership organisation that seeks to assist dining establishments to transition towards sustainability. In addition, it also assists diners in selecting sustainable options when eating out. The organisation's definition of a sustainable restaurant comes in a lovely three course meal format: sourcing, environment, and society. These values are broken down into various compartments such as supply chain, fair treatment of people, and local and seasonal sourcing, among many others. The SRA's key focus areas can be seen in the diagram below.

SRA's 14 Key Focus Areas (source: SRA)

What's more? The SRA has compiled a guide for sustainable restaurants that is searchable by location! Quickly searing London has brought up something like 22 pages of results - I'm looking forward to combing through the list next time I go out for dinner. Sustainable dining at restaurants is something that has always interested me, but was not something that I have been actively making an effort to do, essentially because I found it challenging to know where to obtain information on the topic. The SRA has made this easy, so I no longer have an excuse! Recently, I visited a Mexican restaurant called Wahaca, which is a member of the SRA, and had a great sustainable dining experience.

What are your thoughts on the work that the SRA does?

In Review

As most of you know, I've been blogging here as part of my course in Global Environmental Change. As the term comes to an end (wow, the past few months just flew by!), I'd like to take this opportunity to review what we've been talking about here these past few months. So please join me for a cappuccino to look at the term in review...

The aim of this space was to examine the environmental impacts of global food production through time. To do this, we started off by briefly taking a look at the big picture, summarising the very long story of food, from the origins of agriculture straight through to the Anthropocene. Then we set off to examine things in a bit more depth. Using a chronological format, we saw that there are many hypotheses for cause of the origination of agriculture and that agriculture was born in several geographic locations, including the Fertile Crecent. We also learned that the birth of agriculture 10,000 years ago altered the Earth and had its associated environmental impacts. Moving forward in time, we learned that the industrial revolution truly accelerated global food production by harnessing energy with the help of fossil fuels. This allowed us to produce food at rates never seen before, which brought on its own new set of environmental impacts. To examine these impacts, we then moved on to the present era, the Anthropocene. We covered topics such as the livestock sector and its environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions associated with intensive agriculture. We also looked at how intensive agriculture can affect hydrological systems such as the Aral Sea. 

Along the way, we time-travelled between past and present, looking into our grocery carts for environmental impacts, digging deeper into current issues like food waste (here and here), and talked about indigenous fruits and veggies and the paleolithic diet. We also cooked up a storm (see the recipe archive), went on a field trip to see food growing in action, and had the opportunity to listen to some really interesting speakers like Will Steffen, Tristram Stuart, Jonathan Foley, and Birke Baehr! 

At the end of November, I wrote a post titled Progress Report where I made a wordle on the blog's content so far. I said I'd come back in the New Year to show how how the picture changed, and here it is! Similar to the last one, the words that showed up the most were agriculture, environmental, and food. Interestingly, some new words have also come into the picture, such as emissions, global change, impacts, waste, and production. The progress between these two word images nicely summarises the evolution of the content of this blog: food production's evolution from the past into the present. It also highlights how intensified the food system has become.

On a final note, thank you all for your comments and for reading my blog. It was really interesting to have your input and to talk with you about food and the environment. I'm really happy that the assignment for this module was to keep a blog - it's been something that I've wanted to do for a long time but never had enough courage to start one - I do hope to continue with this blog in the future, so please come by from time to time and say hello!

Thanks again,

Katherine

What's wrong with our food system?

The other day I came across this particularly interesting video titled "What's wrong with our food system?" The most impressive part - it's given by an 11-year-old kid, Birke Baehr who dreams of becoming an organic farmer! He covers all sorts of issues, such as marketing of food to factory farming and pesticides. I thought the depth of his knowledge was so impressive. I can tell you that when I was 11 years old, I definitely wasn't thinking about where my food was coming from! I hope you all enjoy his talk as much as I did!

A small aside - in his video, Birke mentions that "corn is in everything". If you'd like to learn more on the subject, I strongly recommend Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan (2006) follows the food chain through industrial farming, organic farming, and finally foraging. For me, it was really fascinating (and surprising) to learn about corn's colossal presence in the farming and food industry.

Thanks for reading!