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Michael Sin
UEP 101
Professor Matsuoka
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protest global warming, world hunger, and war. But sheep farmer and
Roquefort fromage maker José Bové thought otherwise; he had done his
1999, the Millau populist, protesting "U.S. domination of the world" and the
spread of malbouffe – bad food – drove his tractor straight into a soon-to-be-
opened franchise.1, 2, 3
found followers. The French liked how Bové brought attention to the dangers
elected officials, how he ran for president in the landmark 2007 elections. He
lost, but more important, Bové divulged the enormous power, influence, and
harming health, and changing culture; and he proved that any widespread
France shortly revamped its operating structure, sourcing all its ingredients –
and fossil fuel intensive practices. Sixteen percent of the gases known to
difference.
otherwise known as the farm bills – of past, as well as other food policies, has
climate change. Current policies make market conditions too difficult for
prices lower than the cost of production, ultimately to be used as cattle feed;
corn, which is turned into high-fructose corn syrup, the staple of American
junk food; and cotton, which is subsidized such that African cotton growers
cannot compete. 7
Much of this overproduction is exported – some dumped in
and the consequent health affects. Current food policies are completely
of farming that requires constant chemical input and constant subsidy input.
Fixing the food system requires radical rethink. People will need to
rethink the true cost of goods at the store, rethink subsidies, rethink
"commodity" crops, rethink technology, and rethink food aid. Tackling food's
impact on climate will have enormous implications; it will touch upon food
access, environmental justice, social mobility, labor, food quality, culture and
the food system will require education, reeducation, the dismantling of false
In this paper, I will assess the roles the food system – food production,
benefits should people expect to make and receive, and to what extent will
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the public find these actions acceptable. Suggestions will be made in the
context that food systems should do its share in contributing to a global "B1"
emissions scenario (less than 2°C warming), so greenhouse gases in the food
must be dealt with carefully, and it is a sensitive and highly political topic,
dealing with freedom of choice, the economic health of certain regions, and
current state, people are still starving, people are still getting sick from food,
and the planet is still in peril. Food distribution inequity, not a scarcity in food
developing a more localized, self-sufficient food supply with the aid of the
private sector, will not only reduce global warming, but also improve food
energy use, yet the current food system is highly energy inefficient. 12
As
much of the world can only rely on fossil fuels, minimizing this inefficiency
The earliest – and smallest – input of fossil fuel energy in the food
system is during food production. Crops are grown; cows are fed; gas-
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guzzling tractors, pick-up trucks, and other equipment are used; and
fuel energy use, is ultimately responsible for only 6.4 percent of food
diesel pickup trucks, already exist to mitigate these however small impacts,
and they can be further implemented through incentives, tax credits, and
subsidies. 14
role in energy consumption: 4.7% of the U.S. total.15 A breakfast cereal with
a mere 3,600 "calories" per kilogram of food energy takes 15,675 kcal/kg of
fossil fuel energy to process and prepare, and a "one-calorie" can of diet
percent of fossil fuel energy used is solely for processing and packaging.18
fuel energy to produce just one unit of food in the U.S.19 Further
takes place. Corporations like Tesco have started to use alternatives, such as
Food transportation, distribution, and retail account for 5%, 11%, and
10% of fossil fuel energy usage, respectively, for a 455g can of sweet corn. 22
filters, not only reduces criteria air pollutants, but it may also minimize
sunlight, [convert] it into infrared (heat) radiation, and [emit] that heat
pounds of edible food, or 2% of the total edible food supply, were lost at the
pounds of edible food lost were recovered, there would be enough to feed
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"freegans", salvaging good food from the trash bins behind a popular New
York supermarket:
The Society of St. Andrew, a hunger relief charity, rescues 20 million pounds
of fresh retail waste each year and serves meals for the poor and homeless.
28
15% of the fossil fuel input for a 455g can of sweet corn goes into
choice; the Union of Concerned Scientists lists food as one of "the most
harmful consumer activities", behind cars and light trucks, but ahead of
"home heating, hot water and air conditioning", "household lighting and
they rank buying organic produce as one of the most effective climatic
choices. 30
According to a study done by the School of Natural Resources and
1000 calories are from animals, requires 35,000 kcal of fossil fuel energy in
by nearly half. The energy input for that 455g can of sweet corn is a mere
3,605 kcal; producing the equivalent amount of beef requires 13,497 kcal.
32
Interestingly, food preparation at home consumes more fossil fuel energy
identifying ways for households to shop, cook, and deal with kitchen waste
more sustainably. 33
twenty percent - an enormous chunk - of the (mostly) fossil fuel energy used
enough for 3800 kcal per capita per day – is enormous as well (and strikingly
at odds with the 9.7 percent of "food insecure" U.S. households).35 The
greenhouse gases – greater than the world's cars and light trucks combined
37
Deforestation is an equally common concern; over 70 percent of the
Amazon rainforest has been cleared for pasture, and even more land has
been cleared to grow the feed needed for livestock.38 In the U.S. 60 percent
"program crops" not only harm the land and water – they displace a
traditional way of life, the small family farm; limit the access to fresh fruits
emissions are critical there in order to meet Kyoto Protocol goals, as National
Geographic's John Roach notes: "Although livestock are exempt from a tax
plan ... to help meet its targets under the protocol, the agriculture industry is
reducing animal greenhouse gas emissions through fish oil additives and
high-grade alfalfa grass, seeing that animals "that put their energies into
allows them to eat the same grass and plants as cattle without having the
same flatulence. 42
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(CSA) and the Village Homes subdivision reflect the latter approach, and they
are two idealistic models to live by and learn from, which ultimately inspires
policy.
preserve the environment, reduce food miles, and lower the cost of
the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks
vegetables from the farm. Village Homes in Davis, CA, also explores the
The U.S. Food and Energy Security Act of 2007 – the farm bill – is the
bill, which "sets the nation's agricultural agenda every five years", is what
rural development and food assistance for poor families", and this year,
The farm bill must address the current market conditions that prevent
nets" for commodity crops – the sort of crops responsible for obesity in the
Farmers, who cannot set their own prices and are at the mercy of the
reflects the true costs of production. Factory farm corporations have saved
feed. 46
The government needs to impose higher product standards and
should be hard caps on the amount of subsidies that each corporation gets;
assistance and programs that allow farmers to market their own food,
greenhouse gases ... as a resource of concern under air quality" and requires
Institute. 48
Acknowledging greenhouse gases and global warming is a crucial
increased funding for the "Rural Energy for America Program" (REAP), which
grant and loan guarantee program, and improves the existing Section 9005
In the past, grants have been used for wind, biomass, anaerobic digester,
decreasing order. Corn ethanol is not included in the program, and REAP
Results
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Agonise Over Food Miles," Jonathan Clayton of the London Times discusses
food miles – and consequently the carbon dioxide emissions from shipping
produce by air – in light of poor African organic farmers who benefit from
nations must choose between reducing either emissions or poverty, but not
both.
Of course, that cannot be further from the truth. Aside from Clayton
ignoring that growing food for your own fellow countrymen and women – as
will not only reduce global warming, but also improve food distribution and
Fixing the food system requires radical rethink – in the form of a farm
and activists.
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Notes
1. Godard
2. Williams
3. BBC News Player
4. Tagliabue
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Energy."
6. Pollan
7. Grashaw
8. Conan
9. Ibid.
10. United Nations
11. Intergovernmental
12. Wikipedia
13. Heller, 27.
14. Krolicki
15. Heller, 31.
16. Heller, 31.
17. Ibid
18. Heller, 32.
19. Heller, 44.
20. Heller, 31.
21. Answers.com
22. Heller, 32.
23. Green Car Congress
24. THE Impact Project
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Works Cited
BBC News Player. "Bove joins French poll race." Video. BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6320000/newsid_6323200/632
3205.stm?
bw=nb&mp=rm&news=1&ms3=4&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2
Clayton, Jonathan. "Organic farmers face ruin as rich nations agonise over
food miles." London: Times Online, August 2, 2007.
Conan, Neil. "Senate to Vote on Farm Subsidies." Talk of the Nation . NPR,
December 11, 2007 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?
storyId=17134866
Environmental Law & Policy Center of the Midwest. Senate's Rural Energy for
America Program. http://www.farmenergy.org/newsitem.php?
item_id=346
Food and Water Watch. Climate Change: It's What's for Dinner, Fact Sheet.
Washington, DC: Food& Water Watch, November 2007.
Galst, Liz. "Earth to PETA; Meat is not the No. 1 cause of global warming."
Salon.com. October 22, 2007.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/10/22/peta/
Gaouette, Nicole. "Farm bill affects more than just land and furrows." Los
Angeles: Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-
farmqa2dec02,1,3158710.story?coll=la-news-a_section
Grashaw, Ashley. "NPR: Farmers on the Hill." NPR. December 11, 2007.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/talk/2007/12/farmers_on_the_hill.html
Pollan, Michael. "Weed It and Reap." New York Times. November 4, 2007,
sec. O. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/opinion/04pollan.html?
_r=1&oref=slogin
Roach, John. "New Zealand Tries to Cap Gaseous Sheep Burps." National
Geographic. May 13, 2002.
htp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/05/0509_020509_belch.
html
Tagliabue, John. "A McDonald's Ally in Paris." New York Times . June 20,
2006.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/business/worldbusiness/20burger.
html?_r=1&oref=slogin