food, farming, future

Guy Dauncey 2011www.earthfuture.com

The Universe took 13 billion years to create the miracle that is you…

Josephine Wall www.josephinewall.co.uk

During the millions of years when our bodies were evolving we always ate

local organic food

100% local organic food

No artificial additives flavourings

or preservatives


We’ve come a long way from this….


To this …


but…

Guy Dauncey 2011www.earthfuture.com Smithore Dreamstime.com

We’ve also come to this…

Agriculturebefore the industrial age

Agriculture today


David, 1504.

Raised on 100% local organic food.

Risk of injury or death in combat with Goliath.


David, 2012

Raised on junk food.

Risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, liver damage, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, dyslipidemia, arthritis and erectile dysfunction.

Chinese people who eat American-style fast food four or more times a week are nearly twice as likely to die of cardiac illness than those who eat no fast food.

• Over 45 pesticides are known or potential carcinogens: almost half are still used in North America.

• Farmers in industrialized countries develop and die of more cancers than the general population.

• In a 2001 study of 96 Seattle children, only one child, who had eaten exclusively organic food, showed no measurable concentration of

organophosphates from pesticides.

Food grown using chemical pesticides…

Alzheimer's Disease

Worldwide, 36 million people have the disease

115 million people will get Alzheimer's by 2050

36% of people in the US are obese, putting them at greater risk of Alzheimer's

5.4 million adults in the US have Alzheimer’s. Their healthcare cost $130 billion in 2011.

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease

Current science – Alzheimer’s may be Diabetes Type 3and is its cause may be linked to the

consumption of junk food.

The way we eat …

The way we farm

Eager to kill the bugs, we spray with pesticides and herbicides

Advert in TIME Magazine, late 1940s

When the soil is no longer fed with organic nutrients, farmers turn to chemical fertilizers

Conventional Organic

.

50% less iron50% less calcium50% less sodium50% less copper50% less magnesium50% less selenium

Since the 1940s & 1950s, the mineral content of

non-organic food has fallen:

Meat / cheese: 50% less ironBroccoli: 63% less calciumPotatoes: 100% less vitamin A

Non-organic tomatoes:

61% less calcium43% less Vitamin A25% less iron23% less protein17% less Vitamin C11% less phosphorus8% less niacin

65% more fat200% more sodium (salt)

Non-Organic Potatoes:

100% less vitamin A57% less vitamin C50% less iron50% less riboflavin28% less calcium18% less thiamine

Source: Globe & Mail, June 6, 2002. Story by Andre Picardquoted in The End of Food by Thomas Pawlick

Plants have evolved on the land over 400 million years. They know every trick in the book.

When they are attacked by a fungus,they produce phytochemicals and metabolites

to defend themselves.

When plants are sprayed against pests and fungi they are never attacked, so they have no

need to defend themselves.

Since they are not attacked, they don’t use energy generating

defensive phytochemical compounds.

Organic crops must still defend themselves, and we are the beneficiaries:

Organic corn: 58% more antioxidantsOrganic strawberries: 19% more antioxidantsOrganic produce: higher levels of vitamin COrganic fruits: higher levels of salvestrols

When humans and animals eat the phytochemicals that are abundant in organic

food, they play an important role in protecting against cancer.

Vitamins Antioxidants Salvestrols

Salicylic acid


As we burn the fossil fuels…


CO2 CO2CO2

CO2

CO2 CO2

100 million tonnes a day = 4 million tonnes an hour = 67,000 tonnes a minute = 1,000 tonnes a second

BCSEA 2012www.bcsea.org

The Melting Arctic

In a worst case, up to 90% of the Sierra snowpack could

disappear, all but eliminating the natural storage system that feeds the valleys at the heart of the farm industry.

California supplies more than half of America’s fruits,

vegetables and nuts.

California

China…

“The rule of thumb is that we lose about 10% of world food production for every rise of one degree C in average global temperature.

So the shortages will grow and the price of food will rise inexorably over the years. The riots will return again and again.”

- Gwynne Dyer, author of Climate Wars

There are 7,702 hectares of land in the Alberni Valley ALR.

Only 3,171 hectares ‐ about 41% - are actively farmed.

4,531 hectares of ALR farmland are not being farmed.

Over 90% of the farmed land is used for livestock production or feed for the livestock industry.

Only 239 hectares are used for vegetables, berries, grapes and other horticultural food crops. 3% of the farmland.

The valley produces between 5% and 11% of the food consumed locally.

Clearly, there is significant capacity for increased agricultural production in the Alberni Valley.

So why isn’t it happening? Alberni Valley Agricultural Plan, 2011-2031

89-95% of Port Alberni’s Food is imported…

Profitability, or lack thereof, is probably the main reason.

The combined gross farm receipts for the 89 farms in the area are $5.49 million – average $61,797 per farm.

Total operating expenses are $5.08 million.

The farmer keeps about 8 cents of every dollar sold – an average of about $4,606 per farm to cover overhead costs.

Alberni Valley Agricultural Plan, 2011-2031

Agricultural capability maps indicate that 5,184 ha could be improved to prime capability with irrigation – only 554 ha are currently irrigated.

Land could be converted to higher value crops, with better margins, if there was more water available for irrigation.

The average farm operator is 55 years old

It is expensive and time consuming and it may take different resources to convert to higher valued crops, so long term farmers are resisting changing.


Production is down from historic levels.

Processing and distribution facilities have shifted to other areas so access to markets is more challenging for many producers.

The livestock industry is in a state of decline.

In the past decade, the number of dairy farms has dropped from seven or eight down to one active farm.

Long‐term livestock farmers are not inclined to switch to horticultural enterprises.


Despite this, the demand for local food has never been stronger.

Consumers want to buy food they trust from people they trust.

The Alberni Valley has experienced farmers and quality soils.

There are opportunities to increase direct‐marketed products to local consumer and to tourists.

… food for thought for developing a vision and plan for agriculture in the Alberni Valley.


Good farmlandsits empty

Young peoplewant to farm

+ Goal 13:

Find and create new ways for

young people to be able to

access farmland, and start farming.

Alberni Valley Farmland4,531 hectares are not being farmed

The Agricultural Land Reserve is

a great piece of policy.

But it is preventing young farmers

from moving onto the land.

Young people want to farm!

PROPOSED ALR RULE CHANGE #1:

Allow any farm of more than than 20 hectares to build a clustered farm village on 1 hectare.

The residents must obtain at least 50% of income from farm-related work.

Build or self-build the village as strata-title community housing.

Assign 1 hectare of farmland per household to be bought or leased by the new farm villagers.

PROPOSED RULE CHANGE #2(Carolyn’s Rule)

Require an ALR land-holder to grow food (not hay) on at least 10% of the land.

If a farm-owner is unable to do so, he or she must lease the land to another farmer or pay increased tax on the land.

Farm Villages are as old as the hills…

Hida Farming Village near Takayama, Japan

Gimmelwald Village, Switzerland

Yarrow Ecovillage, Yale, BC

Shawnigan Lake

Brithdir Mawr Community, Wales

Cob Housing

Haliburton Farm, Saanich, VictoriaMunicipal land ownership

Araxi Longtable,North Arm Farm, Pemberton, BC

Guy Daunceywww.earthfuture.com

food, farming, future

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vitamin c50

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