SUSTAINABLE FOOD + NYC
NYTimes: The Future We Want - Ban Ki-Moon
“Global economic growth per capita has combined with a world population (passing 7 billion last year) to put unprecedented stress on fragile ecosystems. We recognize that we can not continue to burn and consume our way to prosperity. Yet we have not embraced the obvious solution — the only possible solution, now as it was 20 years ago: sustainable development.
Fortunately, we have a second chance to act.”
Food security pitch wins ‘World Cup’ of Rio+20 proposals
“Ensuring that 9 billion people can be fed by 2050 should be the number one priority for governments at next month’s Rio+20 sustainable development summit, according to an audience of business executives, policy-makers and NGOs polled in London yesterday.”
“The second-placed proposal, presented by Matthew Sexton of retailer B&Q, was that the Earth’s natural capital should be valued and maintained, with a commitment to no net loss.”
It surprises me a little that valuing and maintaining the Earth’s natural capital would have placed so highly among this group. That seems like a much more farsighted goal than some of the other priorities discussed and, at first glance, would seem more disruptive to the current global economic system. The food security agenda seems more in line with what I would expect if half of those voting are representing business, as the economic benefits are more readily apparent.
The Great GoogaMooga!
Excited for this on Saturday:
“The Great GoogaMooga has joined with Just Food and other partners to present workshops, interactive activities and fun programs all weekend long. Just Food connects communities and local farmers with the resources and support they need to make fresh, locally grown food accessible to all New Yorkers. To learn more about Just Food, please visit justfood.org or to find your local CSA now click here.
The growing “farm-to-fork” movement will be further represented at the UrBARN Experience by a selection of influential restaurant vendors, whose offerings demonstrate just how delicious the result can be.”
The Battery Park Urban Farm has to have one of the more dramatic locations for an urban farm. The photos are incredible.
Pretty excited for this. And yeah, I’m nerdily scouring the 10+ pages of workshops to plan out my perfect schedule for tomorrow.
2012 Locavore Index (by Strolling of the Heifers)
1) Vermont 2) Iowa 3) Montana 4) Maine 5) Hawaii …
Exciting national news for a NYC-based agricultural company.
“NEW YORK, NY and OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, April 30, 2012—Today BrightFarms and Homeland Stores announced a partnership to build a greenhouse for the 76-store Oklahoma supermarket retailer. BrightFarms will finance, build, and operate a greenhouse at a Homeland Stores location, supplying them with fresh, local produce year-round. Homeland Stores committed to buy BrightFarms’ produce by signing the grocery industry’s second long-term Produce Purchase Agreement (PPA).”
