SFU Green Living Guide

Overview on Food Biodiversity:

When we talk about biodiversity in regards to food we are really talking about three things: 1) Biodiversity of food species (species and genetic diversity) 2) Biodiversity of crop production within a region (ecological diversity) 3) Biodiversity of types of farmers and farming methods (technical, process & ecological diversity)

1) Biodiversity of food species:
The loss of the diversity in the types of food sources we have both in general across food sources (types of vegetables and animals we eat) and within specific food types such as corn, greatly dimin- ishes our food security globally since we are depending on such a small number of food species. As naturalist Edward O. Wilson explains “…some 7,000 species of plant are known to have been used by different human societies throughout history. Today, just twenty species provide 90 percent of the world’s food” (100-Mile Diet, Smith and MacKinnon, 2007, p.7).

2) Biodiversity of crop production within a region
It has become common place now for a region to specialize in a very small number of food products for export (e.g., corn, wheat, soy, beef). This same region then imports the other foods it does not produce. While specializing in a couple food products and importing the rest might seem like a good exchange for all regions, this only works as long as each region can produce a constant amount of a product through time or that the market for such products will remain constant, and this is not always the case. Climatic, economic and political factors can all put up barriers to consistent and reliable trade in food products. The more diverse the mix of food products a region produces on it’s own, the more food secure it will be in times of crisis. Growing a more diverse mix of food products in a region also helps nurture the bioregion’s unique varieties, and can demonstrate growing techniques of food products under different growing conditions and methods.

3) Biodiversity of types of farmers and farming methods
The consolodation of small farms into large industrial farms is putting small farmers all over the world out of business. This is reducing the diversity of farming methods and preferencing industrial mono- culture over integrated polycultures (where many plants and animals are grown together symbioti- cally on the same farm). The reduction in smaller polycultural farms and the increase in industrial agriculture that depends heavily on chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, also reduces the diversity of farm ecological community members such as pollinators (bees, butterflies, ants etc), fer- tilizers (nitrogen fixing legumes), trees (water purifiers and wind protectors).

Diversity is the survival method of all life. Diversity ensures resistance to disease, pests, and climate disturbances ensuring food security for the people of a region. Our modern preoccupation with monoculture is rendering many of our diverse food sources extinct and with them sources of nutrition, taste, and cultural practices. Besides being boring in a culinary and aesthetic sense, monocultures and large scale global farming and trade systems (where countries specialize in one or two kinds of foods (e.g., corn or soy) for export) rob countries and or bioregions of the ability to weather changes in global economics (e.g., corn growing for ethanol), consumer preferences (e.g., Atkins diet) and natural weath- er patterns (e.g. bad growing years for grapes). Biodiverse farming is sustainable farming. Diversity in nutritional sources is also good for human health and generally more interesting culinary wise!

What can you do to support food and agricultural biodiversity?
1.    Support local farmers by shopping at the farmers market and asking them about their unique va- rieties. Go to this website for a listing of a farmers market near you http://www.bcfarmersmarket. org/findamarket.asp

2.    Purchase and plant seeds produced by Dan Jason from Saltspring Island Seeds. Dan Jason grows and saves seeds from many near extinct plants and provides a zero mile diet seed pack and tips on saving seeds and growing locally adapted varieties http://www.saltspringseeds.com/

3.    Learn more by visiting the following sources below

Resources:

Sustainable Table: Biodiversity Overview http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/bio-diversity/
This website is a gem of a find for information on sustainable agriculture. In particular this well re- searched and written overview leaves you with a solid understanding of the main concepts associ- ated with food biodiversity issues. It takes about ten minutes to read and is very clear and easy to understand.

Navdanya (Nine Crops) http://www.navdanya.org/ Great case study of a seed saving network in India working toward conservation for biodiversity. The movement and the website are facilitated by Vandana Shiva who is India’s David Suzuki for food and agricultural issues.

How to Guide to Basic Seed Saving: http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html

Expert Village Seed saving video how to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUcOEZBP_s&feature=channel Video on using old seeds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy5R-8MIZu8

Seed to Soil
Online Series

Slow Food Movement:
Slow food goes beyond discussions of what is sustainable. It encompasses all aspects of food including
the cultural, political, ecological, social, and taste considerations.
The Slow Food Movement was started in Italy after a McDonalds opened in Rome. The prevalence
of fast, unsustainable and unhealthy food eaten alone and on the run prompted the creation of the
movement for slow food.
The history of the slow food movement is best told by one of the movement’s founders Carlo Petrini
in Slow Food: The Case for Taste.

From the mouths of the movement: Excerpts from Slow Food International
“Our philosophy
We believe that everyone has a fundamental right to pleasure and consequently the responsibility to
protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make this pleasure possible. Our movement
is founded upon this concept of eco-gastronomy – a recognition of the strong connections between
plate and planet.
Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it
should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health;
and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.
We consider ourselves co-producers, not consumers, because by being informed about how our food
is produced and actively supporting those who produce it, we become a part of and a partner in the
production process”. http://www.slowfood.com/about_us/eng/philosophy.lasso

“The Slow Food Manifesto
The Slow Food international movement officially began when delegates from 15 countries endorsed
this manifesto, written by founding member Folco Portinari, on December 10, 1989.
Our century, which began and has developed under the insignia of industrial civilization, first invented
the machine and then took it as its life model.
We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast Life, which disrupts
our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes and forces us to eat Fast Foods.
To be worthy of the name, Homo Sapiens should rid himself of speed before it reduces him to a species
in danger of extinction.
A firm defense of quiet material pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal folly of Fast Life.
May suitable doses of guaranteed sensual pleasure and slow, long-lasting enjoyment preserve us
from the contagion of the multitude who mistake frenzy for efficiency.
Our defense should begin at the table with Slow Food.
Let us rediscover the flavors and savors of regional cooking and banish the degrading effects of Fast
Food.
In the name of productivity, Fast Life has changed our way of being and threatens our environment
and our landscapes. So Slow Food is now the only truly progressive answer.
That is what real culture is all about: developing taste rather than demeaning it. And what better way
to set about this than an international exchange of experiences, knowledge, projects?
Slow Food guarantees a better future.
Slow Food is an idea that needs plenty of qualified supporters who can help turn this (slow) motion
into an international movement, with the little snail as its symbol”.
http://www.slowfood.com/about_us/eng/manifesto.lasso

Resources:
Slow Food International: http://www.slowfood.com/welcome_eng.lasso
Slow Food Canada: http://slowfood.ca/
Slow Food Vancouver: http://www.slowfoodvancouver.com/

What’s in season in June: http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/inseason.htm
Apples, Cauliflower, Cherries, Chinese Vegetables, Chives, Cilantro, Lettuce, Peas, Potatoes,
Radish, Rhubarb, Rosemary, Sage, Salad Greens, Spinach, Strawberries, Thyme,
Turnips.

Slow Food Recipe: Classic Apple Pie
Nothing could exemplify slow food more than the classic apple pie made from
scratch. Accomplish this feat of cooking from scratch and you will truly experience the
deliciousness of slow food.
Here is a recipe from an excellent natural foods recipe website

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000122.html
Learn about the diversity of BC apples available:
http://www.bctree.com/products/apples/index.php
Apple Orchards in BC: http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/bc.htm
Apple Politics: Should we support our local apple farmers?

http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/greenman/archive/2010/04/04/b-c-apple-growers-in-crisisshould-we-care.aspx

Congratulations to the 140 SFU community participants who took the 2010 Green Living Challenge!

The challenge is complete but the Green Living Guide will continue to grow. Check back often for links to resources to help you go green at home and at work.

Results:

140 SFU community members participated in the challenge and committed to at least one action for one month. Some people committed to the actions suggested and others suggested their own actions. Many committed to more than one action.

337 actions were committed to for the month. 255 of these actions were those suggested below and 82 were suggested actions submitted by participants

Actions break-down:
Actions are broken down based on estimates of the frequency that participants acted on their commitment. Actual numbers could be a little more or a little less than those below. Numbers are given as an estimate of the impact of the challenge.

MARCH IS EARTH MONTH AT SFU

Join in the celebrations by entering the Earth Month Green Living Challenge.

SIGN UP HERE http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/51586295

On March 1st sign up for the Green Living Challenge by picking one of five actions to try out for the month and entering to win one many cool prizes! Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for the Green Living Challenge using the link that will be provided above

2. Try out the action you choose for the month

3. At the end of the month and email will be sent to you asking you about your challenges and/or successes

4. Your name will be entered to win one of the prizes!!

FIVE ACTIONS TO CHOOSE:

1. Use a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water
2. Use a reusable coffee mug instead of buying coffee in a throw-away cup
3. Bring your lunch in a reusable container*
4. Ask for  “for here” plates, glasses etc at dining locations on campus when eating in
5. Ask for china when ordering catering for an event or meeting

Already do all these every day? You can still win a prize. Here’s how:

1. Suggest an action that you will try out for the month
2. Tell us how you do one of the following actions above (tips, successes, challenges overcome)
3. Sign up to post a blog post, submit a tip for our weekly tips email, tell your story for an SFU News story

*We recommend choosing glass or stainless steel as the best container choices as they last much longer and are not derived from plastic. If you already have a hard plastic Tupperware container though…do not toss it out to buy glass or stainless steel unless you are concerned about the health impacts. Using the materials we already have purchased is almost always better than tossing used materials for new ones.

Have questions about the challenge? Email us at sustainability@sfu.ca