Brian Flores

Dr. Evan Farr

FRINQ Portland
3 June 2016
Sustainability: Human and Environmental Fairness
Most people hear about sustainability in Portland, and the first idea
that comes to mind is conservation of resources within our environment.
Conserving resources may refer to reducing carbon footprint emissions, the
efficient use of electricity, reusing materials, recycling, or making longlasting products that require very little maintenance. These ideas sound
reasonable and somewhat manageable to accomplish, but they do not
completely fulfill the goal behind sustainability. If using energy-efficient
appliances and using organic fertilizer is not enough to be sustainable, then
what is the meaning of sustainability as a major theme for the food
production industry?
For food producers, sustainability means utilizing farming practices
with an emphasis to protect the environment, public health, human
communities, and animal welfare (Agriculture). This can include the
prudent use of pesticides, careful planning of irrigation systems, crop
rotation, and constant environmental assessment to ensure groundwater and
other sources of water are not polluted. Under my perspective, sustainability
means ensuring the environment we live in and use improves from human
interaction at home and the source locations of each resource we consume.
It focuses on planting seeds and trees in towns and cities, developing
community gardens for families in need of food, paying a fair share for the
production and distribution of local food, and having businesses and

individuals work together to reduce water, soil, and air pollution. The two
interpretations of sustainability are slightly different: the food producers
perspective focuses on reducing the impact of environmentally harmful
agriculture practices while my perspective adds the human factor as a
potential benefit to the environment by growing plants that provide nutrients
to soil and absorb carbon dioxide. These perspectives mention the main idea
of sustainability, so a plan to promote sustainability must develop to place
the idea into action.
In terms of the extent of promoting sustainability, we should have a
balance that people and businesses can support without significantly
reducing productivity while leaning towards a generous commitment to
maintain environmental conditions that are favorable in the present and
future. It cannot be accomplished alone without the support of local
communities. However, we can make contributions as individuals, such as
reusing materials and buying from local farms that actively practice
environmentally and socially sustainable farming methods. We should also
have our home appliances and home insulation up-to-date and refrain from
dumping harmful substances on drains that lead to a river. As a society, we
should provide incentives for small businesses and organizations that either
have LEED certification on their buildings or encourage individuals to
volunteer for environmentally friendly causes. It should also be our best
interest to assess areas and farming practices of environmental concern with
environmental engineers so we can find short-term and long-term solutions
sooner than later.

Our group visited Know Thy Food, a food cooperative in Portland,

Oregon. Based on observations and details mentioned during the visit, the
site is a sustainable model in some aspects. The food cooperative relies on
local and organic products from farms in Oregon while a few products not
originally from Oregon, such as coffee, are grown with fair trade practices. If
the site did not exist, Southeast Portland would be labeled as a food desert,
or a location where residents may have difficulty accessing healthy and local
food from a reasonably close grocery store. However, a few appliances
currently in use are not energy efficient, such as commercial refrigerators
that use fluorescent lamps and emit heat. The owners of the food
cooperative and their members are working together to improve their site by
introducing greywater and setting a portion of their profits in reserve for
better appliances, displaying the activism and interest of following
sustainable business, environmental, and social practices.

Works Cited
"Sustainable Agriculture - The Basics." GRACE Communications Foundation.
GRACE Communications Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 June 2016.