The Food Footprint Session 3

Slides for Activity 2

Inputs and Outputs Inputs and outputs have environmental impacts. The a greater a food’s negative environmental impact, the bigger its “footprint.” Inputs; Things that enter a system (sunlight, water, fuel, and fertilizers) Outputs: Wastes produced (fertilizer run-off, food packaging, and emissions).

Processing Consumption Transport Growth and harvest INPUTS Solar energy, water, fertilizers, pesticides OUTPUTS O2 to atmosphere, run off to river Disposal Carbon emissions; food waste Electricity; glass, metal, paper Fuel, rubber, metal, wood, paper Car to get to store; home energy use Fuel, machinery, space Carbon emissions; discarded pallets Carbon emissions; food waste Emissions; leachate (liquid that drains out) Examples of inputs and outputs in strawberry jam

Summary of Key Points from Activity 3

The food system is embedded in the environment. ENVIRONMENT INPUTS: Fuel, fertilizer, water, plastic OUPUTS: Emissions, run- off, packaging Energy from the sun  Food system: Growing | Processing | Transport | Eating | Disposal Diagram: Creative Change Educational Solutions. Adapted from works of Herman Daly. Wastes stay in the environment. They are transformed, but do not go “away.”

All human activity takes resources from the environment and puts wastes back into it. The environment is thus the ultimate source of all materials and the final sink for all wastes. Different types of land serve source and sink purposes. The variety of life-sustaining functions provided by the environment are collectively known as “ecosystem services”. Key Ideas: The Earth as a System

ENVIRONMENT INPUTS: fuels, seeds, fertilizers, pesticide, machinery, paper,water OUPUTS: Emissions, run-off, packaging. Energy from the sun  This food system uses large quantities of fossil fuels as the energy source for manufacturing fertilizers & pesticides, machinery, processing, long-distance transportation, refrigeration. Wastes are landfilled. Diagram: Creative Change Educational Solutions. Adapted from works of Herman Daly. Larger food system “footprint”

ENVIRONMENT INPUTS: seeds, manure, water, compost, less use of fossil fuels and packaging OUPUTS: Nutrients that become inputs; fewer emissions. Energy from the sun  This food system has fewer inputs. It relies more on solar energy and less on fossil fuel energy. Some outputs (compost) are nourishing, & there are fewer polluting outputs. Smaller food system “footprint” Diagram: Creative Change Educational Solutions. Adapted from works of Herman Daly.

Consumption Growth and harvest INPUTS Solar energy, petroleum, soil, water, fertilizers, pesticides OUTPUTS CO2, run off Disposal Fuel, rubber, metal, wood, paper Car or bike to get to store; home energy use Fuel, machinery Packaging from stores, discarded pallets; CO2; food waste Package goes into the trash. Emissions & leachate. Trash goes to landfill. Sand, limestone come from the earth. Petroleum, natural gas, & coal are from the fossilized remains of plants/animals. Ores come from the earth. Run-off goes into wetlands and rivers. Rivers drain to ocean. Leachate may reach groundwater. CO2 goes into trees, oceans, atmosphere. The environment: the source of all inputs, the “sink” for all wastes Water from rivers, aquifers. Emissions; Land stores garbage. National distribution

Consumption Regional distribution Growth and harvest INPUTS Solar energy, soil, water, animal waste OUTPUTS “Waste” is composted. Disposal Fuel, rubber, metal, paper Car or bike to food coop; home energy use Food scraps, solar energy, microbes Discarded bag is recycled. Truck releases CO2. Food “waste” is composted. Container is recycled. “Waste” is composted. Metals come from the earth. The environment: the source of all inputs, the “sink” for all wastes Water comes from rivers, aquifers. Nutrients go to soil and become inputs. Petroleum, natural gas, & coal are from the fossilized remains of plants/animals. Paper becomes fiber or is used as mulch. CO2 goes into trees, oceans, atmosphere. Nutrients go to soil and become inputs.

Activity 4: Reducing our food footprint retail