Talk:FOOD

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PROJECT ASSIGNMENTS

Elston's Comments on Nov. 10 for next meeting

  • seven different maps (each different)
  • similar to Petra's presentation (maps and the message behind it)
  • for next meeting, get specifications for different kinds of maps
  • get basemap on wiki
  • Youmap thing also

Foodshed

Notes from Jennifer Grossman's (VP Land Acquisition, Open Space Institute) presentation

Planning for a Sustainable Future: Preserving New York City's Foodshed
  • "an accurate understanding of how diet [in food source] influence land use is essential to making wise decisions on policy that influences food security, nutrition, and environmental degradation
    • 2050, 9 billion people in the world and 450 million in U.S.
    • 70% more food
      • 300 million more acres needed (3 times size of CA)
    • rise in income means higher meat consumption
    • America 2050 Project (NE Megaregion will grow pop. grow by 18%
  • Benefits of Agricultural lands
    • lowers taxes (costs less for town to maintain 100 acre farm than one residential unit)
    • generates economic activity (apple picking, corn maze, and buy stuff in town)
    • allows farmers to reinvest and transfer farm to the next generation
  • Foodshed: an area that is defined by a structure of supply
    • explains "where our food is coming from and how it's getting to us"
    • includes and need to protect a sources, as well as th eneed to know and understand it's specific geographic and ecological dimensions
      • noted advocates: Hedden, Arthur Getz,
  • Goal is "to explore how to increase that amount of locally produced food NYC residents eat to a point where it will demonstrably improve the City's quality of life while reducing its impact on the environment
    • Also to encourage consumers to conserve and consume local foods
      • not to make the NYC independent of outside food sources but more dependent on local food sources
  • How can changes to food consumption patters improve human nutrition and reduce agriculture's environmental footprint?
    • energy use and climate change concerns suggest that food be grown in closer proximity to its point of consumption as it will use less energy and produce less pollution
    • the closer food is produced to where it is consumed, the greater the likelihood that it will be fresh, in season, better tasting and more nutritional
    • diets do influence demand for a fundamental agricultural resources: LAND. The land required to produce a certain calorie of food in NYS demonstrates that a hierarchy exists in the resource requirements of producing food
    • Americans spend (3% to 8% compared to 30% to 40% of the world) least amount of money on food in the world
  • Diet food print (Chris Peter's analysis from Cornell)
  • Supply/Geography
    • Hudson River Valley
    • Shawangunk and Walkill Valley
    • Roundout/Esopus Valley
    • Beechwoods Area in Catskill Region
    • Black Dirt Region in Orange County (Onions and Potatoes)
    • Finger Lakes and Pine Barrens
    • Historic Farms: Kinderhook Creek Corridor and Martin Van Buren
  • Transportation
    • Interstate (I-84, 87)
    • Instrastate N/S (PIPC, Taconic, Saw Mill and E/W (17 to be I-86)
    • Water: Hudson, East Harlem Bronze Rivers, Cat-Del and Croton Watersheds
    • Urban footprint: rail (subway, Metro-north, Amtrak, bridges and barges)
  • Find Ag district (areas where farmers receive benefit)
  • Supermarket gives 3.5 cents of every dollar to the farmer, compared to 80 to 90 cents at local food market
  • JIN WOO IS AMAZING
  • IT'S REALLY ABOUT EDUCATION!
    • power of consumer over food
  • Land transfer development rights
  • NYS Agricultural and Farmland Protection Planning Grant Program
  • Producers/Consumer
    • Consumer Education (global warming)
    • Consumer Demand (1998-2008, an 18% a year increase because of Organic push)
    • Consumer Reality (for many farmers, buying food is cheaper than consuming their own local food)
    • Current/Potential Production
    • Current/Potential Consumption
      • CSA: Just Food (Community Supported Agriculture)
        • everyone buys a share ($300 to $400) and every week a farmer provides the foo
    • Current Conversion
      • Find out current rate of conversion for farmland
      • farms are flat, clear, wide, and access to road and water and sewage (perfect for real estate developers
    • Future Transition
    • Future Funding
      • Change procurement (
        • make public and academic institutions attain most of their food from local food sources
  • Limitations of Foodshed
    • water competition
    • soil quality
    • netrogen fertilizers
    • policy
    • current energy use
  • NY is ag state w/ $3 billion at farm gate and $40 billion w/ entire food and ag system
  • NY is 3rd in the nation for milk production
    • number 36 on barcode means cheese is from NY


Our Presentation

Guidelines: Only use farmland in New York

Goals: Create a viable foodshed for New York City and surrounding population areas

  • find out how such food will be transported to and distributed in New York City

Anthony Klambatsen (Room 765, Phone: 347-413-4746)

  • Population density
  • online youmap

DeAsia Moore (Room 739)

  • outline Production area
  • found out how much CO2 is emitted from NY farms?

So Woo (Room 1075)

  • Role: NY state food products
  • How much CO2 is emitted from NY farms?

(It's difficult to find information on how much CO2 and other greenhouse gases are emitted from a specific region. So, it's probably better to use the US average) The US agricultural sector is largely responsible for three types of greenhouses gases that are being emitted into the atmosphere: Nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide. Agricultural activities contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases through a number of processes: Enteric fermentation in domestic livestock, livestock manure management, rice cultivation, agricultural soil management, and field burning of agricultural residues, and etc. It appears that N2O and CH4 are the primary greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. For instance, according to the US Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (1990-2005) by EPA, the process of agricultural soil management (which releases N2O into the atmosphere) was responsible approximately 5% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. This was equivalent to nearly 61% of all agricultural emissions. Enteric fermentation of livestock and manure management came second and third (respectively) in terms of GHG emissions. These processes contribute to the emission of methane into the air. Enteric fermentation was responsible for 1.5% of the total GHG emissions (18% of agricultural emissions), meanwhile manure management released close to .7% of the total GHG emissions (9% of agricultural emissions). The same source claims that approximately .6% of the total GHG emissions is due to CO2 from fossil fuel consumption (7% in terms of agricultural emissions). And finally, miscellaneous categories account for .3% of the total emissions (4% of agricultural emissions). However, it is important to note that these figures don't take into account the amount of fossil fuels that are required for the purpose of land use. In terms of agriculture, this often denotes the process of maintaining croplands, as well as the conversion of croplands. When all these factors are accounted for, it seems that carbon dioxide makes up the most of agriculture-related GHG emissions. According to the New York Times article, entitled "The Carnivore's Dilemma," most CO2 emissions from American farms can be traced back to the "fuel burned to operate vehicles and equipment." The article also points to the industrialized practice of keeping livestock and poultry as yet another major culprit in the emission of CO2, mainly because these facilities require "mechanized systems for feeding, lighting, sewage flushing, ventilation, heating and cooling, all of which generate emissions."

Sources used (since this isn't the finished product, I'll just list them here instead of embedding them into the text). http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/opinion/31niman.html?pagewanted=1 http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/articles/others/TakApr08.html http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/08_ES.pdf

Brianna Greenwald

  • find out about Park Slope coop
  • Hunt's Point (how long trucks idle there)
  • how much food comes into city by rail, how much by truck

Elston's Comments:

  • Glenwood Center (mature study on Hudson Valley)
  • look at county by county information

Greenhouse gases and meat consumption

Goals: Find out how much meat consumption contributes to greenhouse gases

  • how beneficial it would be if for one day New Yorkers didn't consume meat.

Michelle Cuozzo (Room 538)

  • Greenhouse Emissions from non-meat products
  • look at population density and compare then county by country
  • find out consumption of the county area

Jin Woo Chung (Room 441)

  • Greenhouse Emissions from Livestock
  • how many vegetarians in the city
  • health analysis of not eating meat

Steve Chu (Room 569)

  • Average consumption for individual New Yorker (meat and non-meat)
  • check out City Dept. of Health

Elston's comments:

  • look at population density and compare then county by country
  • find out consumption of the county area
  • find dairy and overall consumption (can't find it!)
  • find out average profile of the meat eater
  • check out City Dept. of Health
  • look at Long Island and Westchester
  • check out RPA (Regional Planning Association)
  • petra@rpa.org
  • average food print of the individual in the city
  • average food print of the city
  • food print of different foods
  • how many vegetarians in the city?
  • possible recommendations for the mayor
    • nothing in Plan NYC for the average New Yorker to do something (mainly about institutions)
    • hypothesis is that major should create a plan to do something about the issue
  • what's the cost for not eating meat?
  • identifies how many tons he's producing to how much he consumes
  • cost of this strategy is all "plus"
    • less expensive for consumer and more healthy
    • reduce CO2 emissions
    • cost on the food industry?
  • what it takes to create a meal

Need some help?

  • Find Meredith:
    • Email mtheeman@gc.cuny.edu
    • Stop by the MHC Hunter lounge on Friday


  • Go the MHC Hunter lounge and talk to the ITF holding hours. The NEW ITF CALENDAR has up-to-the-minute schedules!




NOTES AND IDEAS FROM MEETING ON 10/2/09

Changes to the Map

  1. . The state line for NJ is missing by Sussex
  2. . The line that shows the 200 mile radius around Grand Central needs to be darker
  3. . A line for minor roads?
  4. . We need to map out the areas of sustainable farming
  5. . Point out population density centers
  6. . Put the water system grid
  7. . The Catskills Park is missing


Terms to Define

  1. . Food Shed-
  2. . Local Food-
  3. . Consumer Market-
  4. . Consumption Area-

Other questions/conerns to keep in mind

  1. .What type of local food are we dealing with?
  2. . The food shed for different types of food may be different
  3. . Where is each type of food being grown?
  4. . How do transportation and commuters effect all this?
  5. . When you are delivering food to NYC, what exactly do you mean? Where does the food get shipped to? Where does it go after that?
  6. . What is going on with the conversion of farmland to residential areas
  7. . What is the difference between local/organic/sustainable
  8. . How much food is being consumed (per capita amount)
  9. . How much is local
  10. . How much carbon dioxide do the different types of food emit.

Places to look for information

  1. . NYS Department of Agriculture
  2. . Federal Department of Africulture
  3. . NGO websites

Jennifer and our meeting

Anthony:

  • Agricultural land whether it's fit to feed population
  • Cornell U. website shows an metropolitan area and shows area that feeds the city (breaks down by crop land and pasture)

DeAsia:

  • Some Deffintions of foodsheds:
  • The term "foodshed" is similar to the concept of a watershed: while watersheds outline the flow of water supplying a particular area, foodsheds outline the flow of food feeding a particular area. Your foodshed encompasses the farm, your table and everything in between.
  • Foodsheds are particularly useful in describing and promoting local food systems. When we look at our agricultural system in terms of the origins and pathways of our food items, then it becomes easier to expand these pathways and focus them at the local level.
  • "foodshed=consisting of farms in a given radius of the city where growers of healthy food would have special access to city markets and from which government purchasers of food would be required to buy a certain percent of their vegetables, dairy products and other items."
  • Mapping potential foodsheds in New York State: A spatial model for evaluating the capacity …[PDF]

CJ Peters, NL Bills, AJ Lembo, JL Wilkins, GW … - Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 2009 - Cambridge Univ Press (great essay in foodsheds)

Jennifer (Open Space Institute):

  • county offices that show such things-soil quality analysis (county by county)
  • Regional Planning Association (land use)
  • how about 20 years from now when population increases by 18 million
  • Trust (NY office in Saratoga) information on what farms are producing
  • USDA (www.agcensus.usda.gov) should give statistics up to 2007 on NYC and nationally for production
  • New York comptroller's office about healthcare impact of current dietary habits of New Yorkers
  • Pride of New York has list of produce by NY (www.prideofny.com)
  • A place is a farm if its agricultural operation uses 5 acres or more and produces 10,000 dollars from farming
  • She bought land to preserve it

Her presentation:

  • 1920s, 1 out of 4 Americans were farmers
  • 1950s the US put susidies and led to creation of mega farms
  • 1970s the EPA started to get involved (competition between farmers and environmentalists
  • only recently that Farmers and environmentalists had a partnership (realize how they are important to each other)
  • right now: an education consumer, energy dependence, 20% of petroleum in US goes to food creation or transportation of it, debate on healthcare
  • after three days 40% decline in nutrition value of food (from Cornell)
  • NYC schools and NY agencies uses food outside the state is a problem financially (states economy can improve)
  • screw Washington State apples!
  • why is this cheaper? b/c large industrialized farms buy massive amounts and produce great amounts (US agricultural controlled by 3 to 5 farming companies)
  • change subsidies from wheat and corn to more nutritious and healthy food
  • Bloomberg program that makes stamp dollars worth 3 times more at green market
  • Dairy subsidies (NY's main output is dairy)
  • Need creative ways to get local food into our system
  • Look at the chart and call some peeps

Continued...

  • Different soil content raises different foods or livestock (Orange county makes roots and stuff while other soil makes for pasture)
  • Sept. 08 Nat. Geo. has article on food
  • NY is agricultural state (
  • PDR preserves 14,000 acres a year, but we loose double the amount at the same time
  • intervale in Vemont (land preservation)
  • every minute 2 acres are lost in this country
  • conversion of farm land into residential communities by investors is more economical (easier on
  • Dairy prices are set by federal gov't
  • NY is 3rd sweet corn producer and has most diverse range of apples
  • "procurement" is way to produce food for NYC
  • Just Food is organization to move to organic, local food
  • American Farmland Trust, Just Food, CSA, Backhaul
  • Backhaul wants to take big trucks that are empty to pick up local produce and take it to warehouse and then food
  • Off the Barge (barges go up Hudson River and return empty) Many want to use barges to transport food on the way back


Brianna:

  • what about sources of food grown locally? (i.e. rice and such)
  • lack of consumer education?
  • battle between USDA and NY State?

Jin Woo:

  • He's amazing

Regional Plan Association presentation by Ms. Petra

  • it's a non profit founded in 1929 and covers 31 counties (22 million people)
  • 1929 was first plan to organize parks and such (GW Bridge)
    • Robert Moses
  • 1996, 2nd plan was released
    • urged change in urban sprawl to better compete with other population centers
  • 4 issues up on federal level
    • rapid population growth and demographic change
      • US keeps growing unlike other developed countries
        • 1950-2000 added 120 million people
        • 2000-2050 will add 150 million people
    • threats to global competitiveness
    • Global climate change and foreign oil dependence
      • need to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050
    • economic disparities
  • rise of mega regions
    • southern CA, northern CA, Gulf Coast, Texas triangle, Great Lake region
      • mega regions are growing closer to each other
  • High speed rail (8 billion investment by federal gov't)
    • best way to connect the mega regions
  • Northeast Megaregion
    • from Boston to DC
    • 49 million pop., 17 % of pop on 2% of land area, produces 20% of US GDP
  • dense population is good
    • lowers energy cost b/c of shared walls and public transportation
  • 90% of heavy rail transport is done in northeast (this is a tremendous environmental advantage)
  • much of NJ growing by 49% from 2000-2050
  • benefits of dense population centers
    • better serves US service based industry (people closer to each other)
    • use of railways to transport food and waste
  • urban sprawl is self perpetuating
    • communities need money through property tax
      • they give more property to commercial companies (Walmart and etc.)
        • this in turn raises prices for the community (congestion and zoning)
          • thus, need more income!
  • 69% of job growth in 1975-2000 occurred in outer suburbs
  • urbanized and residential land coming from previous farm land and forests
  • park land is from parcels of land that need to be protected
  • why it is so hard to build infield
    • leftovers of industry leaves pollutants and chemicals (needed to be cleaned up in order to build)
      • easier to buy land from Farmer Joe
  • the Second Regional Plan emphasized focus on metropolitan rejuvenation
  • the Third Regional Plan calls for urban building centered on transit (Transit Oriented Development)
  • Highlands and Pinelands are protected
    • transfer of development rights
      • exchange sending area and receiving area
        • land sells rights to sending area for receiving area (receiving area has zoning incentives and benefits)

Interesting facts from class on Nov 2

Studies from Christopher Weber/RhondaSaunders- Dept of Enginering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon

  • food accounts for 13% of average US household 60t share of total emissions
  • average household produces 8t from food consumption
  • only 11% of that is attributed to transportation
  • food emissions come from- tillage, processing, transportation, fertilizer, waste
  • red meat and dairy account for almost 50% of GHG from food
  • if you switch from red meat to chicken or fish one day a week for a year you will save 760 miles of transport
  • if you switch from red meat to veggies.... 1160 miles of transport

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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