Sustainable Agriculture
Pie in the sky or pie on your plate?
Please read the board!
What are the consequences of
monoculture?
Food Forward! A different vision!
Sustainability considerations
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Processed food
Transported food
Stored food
Monoculture
Pesticides
Inorganic Fertilizers
Mechanization
Short term gains
Cost minimization
priority over human
rights
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Whole foods
Local food
Seasonal food
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Polyculture/polyvarietal
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IPM pest strategies
Organic fertilizers
People/animal power
Long term soil fertility
Fair trade = fair wages
for fair work
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Sustainable
System that can go
on and on into the
future because it
doesn’t use up its
resources faster than
they are created.
 Conserving our
balance by avoiding
depletion of natural
resources.
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Sustainable =
◦ Good for the
environment
◦ Good for your health
◦ Good for your wallet
Options! Organics in mainstream
grocery stores
Organics sales have increase by 20% every
year for the past 5 years (other foods 24% increase)
 Organic agriculture is $28 Billion/2012
(+11% increase from 2011)
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Organic Foods production Act 1990
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Farmers must develop an organic
management plan, be inspected annually by
certification agency
Fields must be free of synthetic pesticides
and fertilizers at least 3 years
No use of GMO’s
No use of sewage sludge
No irradiation
No antibiotics or growth hormones
Organic advantages
Healthier for farmers, consumers
 Safer for wildlife
 Doesn’t require as much fossil fuel for
fertilizer/pesticides
 Encourages companies to pursue more
sustainable practices
 Legal definition creates reliable label
(unlike “natural”)
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Organic disadvantages
Cost (short shelf life,
lack of subsidies)
 Availability
 May be grown in
monoculture, may
not be local, can be
highly processed
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Look for organics!
So where can you get the good stuff?
Grocery Stores – look for local foods
“local” means the
source of the food is
near by.
 It does NOT mean
the grocery store is
near by!
 Salinas California is
1,850 miles from
Houston!
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Compare/contrast
Organic
Local
Eating local = eating seasonally!
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Tradeoffs?
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Local vs. Organic –
the throwdown!
Options! Grow your own!
Community gardens/Urban Ag (ff12:49)
Vermicompost!
CSA’s – Community supported
agriculture
(ff15:50)
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Share holders pay
annual fee; pick up
produce regularly
from central location
or drop off
Wood Duck farm
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This week’s share:
Two big spaghetti
squash
Mixed salad greens
Green beans
Onions
Sweet potatoes
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Farmer’s markets (FF 5:16)
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Houston:
◦ Rice Tues pm
◦ 3000 Richmond
◦ St.Cyril on Westheimer
@beltway
All $ directly to farmer
All local = all seasonal
Interactions increase
Often organic, but not
certified
The question of access and equity
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3,200 farmer’s markets
now take SNAP!
(suplemental nutrition
assistance program)
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Farmer’s market food
costs reflect a real
wage for the farmer
Compare/contrast
Farmer’s
Market
CSA
Sustainability considerations –
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





Processed food
Transported food
Stored food
Monoculture
Pesticides
Inorganic Fertilizers
Mechanization
Short term gains
Cost minimization
priority over human
rights

Whole foods
Local food
Seasonal food

Polyculture/polyvarietal

IPM pest strategies
Organic fertilizers
People/animal power
Long term soil fertility
Fair trade = fair wages
for fair work
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Current sustainability choices
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Advantages
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Disadvantages
“Organic farming is a crucial
WME (weapon of mass
enlightenment).
- Gary Hirshberg CEO of Stoneyfield organic yogurt
Farmer’s Market Challenge
So GO already!
 Visit a farmer’s market and talk with a
vendor.
 Post a picture and your interview on the
HUB by Dec 12th.
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