Full Description
Our reliance on industrial agriculture has resulted in a food supply riddled with hidden environmental, economic, and health care costs and beset by rising food prices. With only a handful of corporations responsible for the lion's share of the food on our supermarket shelves, we are incredibly vulnerable to supply chain disruption. The Urban Food Revolution provides a recipe for community food security based on leading innovations across North America. The author draws on his political and business experience to show that we have all the necessary ingredients to ensure that local, fresh sustainable food is affordable and widely available. He describes how cities are bringing food production home by: * Growing community through neighborhood gardening, cooking, and composting programs * Rebuilding local food processing, storage, and distribution systems * Investing in farmers markets and community supported agriculture * Reducing obesity through local fresh food initiatives in schools, colleges, and universities * Ending inner-city food deserts Producing food locally makes people healthier, alleviates poverty, creates jobs, and makes cities safer and more beautiful.The Urban Food Revolution is an essential resource for anyone who has lost confidence in the global industrial food system and wants practical advice on how to join the local food revolution. Peter Ladner has served two terms as a Vancouver City Councilor. With more than thirty-five years of journalistic experience, he is a frequent speaker on community issues and has a special interest in the intersection of food policy and city planning.
Contents
Preface; What's the Matter with Food?; Past Forward to Local? Let's Be Real; Preserving Rural Agriculture Land for Food Production; Converting Urban and Suburban Lands for Growing Food; Agriculture as the New Golf: Farming as a Development Amenity; In Praise of Technology; Economic Sustainability: Making the Economics of Agricultural Urbanism Pay; Economic Development through Urban Agriculture: Chasing the Local Job Dream; Rebuilding the Lost Food-Producing Infrastructure; Less "Waste" More Soil; Starting Young: Healthier Local Food in Schools, Colleges and Universities; Farmers markets and CSAs: Making the Most of Direct Sales; Growing Community with Community Gardens; Getting Food to Hungry People; Ending Food Deserts; Is Local Food Safe?; What We Can Do: Systemic Changes, Personal Choices; Index.
