How to Create Local, Sustainable,
and Secure Food Systems
Philip Ackerman-Leist
Chelsea Green Publishing
We know we must do it. We know we can do it, but we need to re-think the world's entire food distribution system to create sustainable and resilient food shed. While many people and communities believe that most of the food should come from a local source, others argue that the food should come from an organic sources only and then there's that pesky matter about a natural disaster striking completely wiping out the local food shed.
Author/Professor/Farmer Philip Ackerman-Leist makes the argument that organic or sustainably grown foods trump the local only approach and that relying on supplemental foods from places outside the food miles parameter. Obviously, there is no one-size-fits-all solution and we need to take a much deeper look at how food is currently grown, harvested and distributed, foods grown by region, and even culturally appropriate diets. For instance, some religious practices and cultures have specific food limitations whether that's kosher food, forbidden food, forbidden foods during a certain season or certain preference. Of course, the author doesn't delve into those situations since he has a lot of other ground to cover in Rebuilding The Foodshed, which he does with finesse.
In a book that runs less than 300 pages, Ackerman-Leist covers the history of food distribution with a focus on the US, past and current agricultural practices, the loss of farmers as they age, urban farming, government and non-government programs to assist small family farmers and young farmers, as well as, programs to get food to people with the greatest food insecurity. The farmer looks at inequality between the different races of farmers in the US including indigenous, African-American, Asian and white farmers. And what I realized while I was reading this fascinating book is mainly the learning curve that we all face, not just as farmers (I'm not a farmer), but as food consumers, community builders/leaders, journalists, teachers, and politicians.
The author provides us with plenty of graphs, maps, and other visual images along with thoroughly researched data, interviews with farmers and experts, and his own personal experiences. Surely, during this day in age, Rebuilding The Foodshed is a must read for all of us, but especially for aspiring and new farmers.
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