Food systems

THE FOOD SYSTEMFrom farm to table

Where Does Food Come From?

This is a question that most people fail to ask themselves

Food does not simply appear at the supermarket or even on the truck that delivers to the cafeteria, it comes from a long line of people that each have an important input in the process of making food

The system however is not always perfect…

It Starts with Farm Land Farm land asked to produce 4 ‘F’s

Food (human), Feed (animal), Fibre (clothing)

& Fuel energy).

But how does food get to our table?

Production This includes growing

edible plants and raising animals such as cows and chickens. It is often the most overlooked stage and the one most threatened with either land development or a lack of people wanting to farm

Processing This is the part of the food system where

raw food materials are transformed into finished food products, like bread, packaged frozen peas, or salsa. This is also where meat gets “fattened”, and slaughtered or eggs get cleaned and graded

Distribution & Access This includes all the ways food is

transported, stored, and marketed on its journey from farm to consumer. What kind of food goes where? Not everyone can simply go to the supermarket. What if you lived next to a farm, would that be easier?

Consumption & Retail This includes not only purchasing food, but

also cooking, preparing, presenting, and finally eating (or otherwise using) food. Think about where you buy it and how you cook at home on a weekly basis.

Waste & Recycling This includes all the ways discarded food

materials are collected, sorted, and processed. This could mean composting food scraps to return leftover nutrients to the soil (creating a "closed loop" system), or sending food scraps to a landfill (a "dead end").

Current Food System Problems...

Over 7 billion people on earth – need lots of space

1 billion have too little 1.6 billion eat too much Wasting > 40% of food Access to food is often

limited Food can be $$$ Lack of arable land

1.6 billion eat too much … Two-thirds of health-care costs can now be attributed

to chronic diseases associated with unhealthy eating. The average American consumes about 3747 kcal per

day (not including junk food) compared to the recommended 2000 to 2500 kcal per day

The quick & easy access to fast food does not help this issue. Where to you think this food comes form? How many steps does it go through?

From Waste to Quality?

Households in Canada spend $140/wk on food. Jonathan Bloom in American Wasteland estimates 25% is wasted. Others suggest closer to 40%.

If we assume 30% of food wasted in households, then the cost of tossing is $42/wk.

How much could food quality and health improve if households used that $42/wk, more effectively?

What are the Alternatives?

Without people really understanding how our food system works we are in danger of losing control of it.

Other systems like Localism allow people to create their own food systems by buying as close to home, directly from the farmer themselves

Farmer’s Markets, and organizations like TAKE A BITE OF BC which give donations of local food products to our school and others, help promote this awareness of our food systems in BC

Where Chefs fit in… Chefs have incredible buying power, think

about how much food your restaurant uses in a day, a week, a month. Now think about how many restaurants there are in the Lower Mainland

Many chefs around the world have already begun to use more sustainable methods to find their food. By having a relationship with there producer, they get better quality product and ensure the farmers survival