HLTH 235

Industrialized agriculture system

Agriculture that relies heavily on machinery, technology, and chemicals

* Earth is a resource profit main priority short time horizon

Large scale: monocropping many costs (environmental, health)

Sustainable agriculture

Long-term productive farming methods that are environmentally safe

Regenerative agriculture

A system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services

**Main priority:** ensuring sustainability, infinit time horizon

* small scale, biodiversity

Agroecology

A holistic approach to food production that uses and creates social, cultural, economic, and environmental knowledge to promote food sovereignty, social justice, economic sustainability, and healthy agricultural ecosystem

Anishinaabe food system

The Anishinaabe food system is based on a deep connection to the land and respect for the natural environment

“Flow-through” agriculture

an agricultural system that involves the use of hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil, and aquaculture, the cultivation of fish and other aquatic organisms in controlled environments

Biophysical overrides

The range of ways that the biological and problems created or exacerbated by the industrialization of agriculture are managed in order to ensure continuing productivity

Food miles and critiques

the distance of food travels from its site of production to consumer

* the distance that food travels from “land to mouth” or “field to fork”


* based on the assumption that the further food has to travel, the more energy is required for transportation and the greater the environmental impact

Food insecurity

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food

* inadequate or insecure access to food due financial constraints

Food sovereignty

the fundamental right of all peoples, nations, and states to control food and agriculture systems and policies

* ensuring everyone has adequate, affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food
* requires the right to define and control our methods of production, transformation, distribution both at the local and international levels

Indigenous food sovereignty

When Indigenous peoples engage in meaning relationships with food, respecting and upholding our roles and responsibility within interdependent food systems with all our relations

* When Indigenous people define where and how food id grown, harvested, cooked, eaten, and cared for
* Involves protecting, maintaining, regenerating food sources which includes respecting lands and waters and ensuring they are not misused

Temporary foreign workers

Workers allowed into the country for a prescribed period of time in specified employment

* most rights of citizenship are not available to them

Seasonal agricultural workers

jobs that are only for a certain period of time, often in rural areas

* e.g. food picking

Problems that temporary/seasonal workers face

* exposure to pesticides
* heat stress
* working long hours
* inadequate housing, limited access to healthcare
* social isolation

Sustainable protein transition

refers to the shift in the way we produce and consume protein, with a focus on sustainability, health, and animal welfare

* involves moving away from conventional animal protein sources such as meat, dairy, and eggs, and towards plant-based proteins and alternative sources of protein such as insects, algae, and cultured meats

The future of sustainable protein

likely to involve continued shift away from conventional animal-based protein sources and towards more sustainable alternatives

* including plant-based proteins, alternative sources of protein, and cultured meat

Cultured meat

meat that is grown artificially from small number of cells that were taken from an animal; like ordinary meat

* meat made up of animal cells (mostly muscle cells) but the animal does not need to be killed in order to produce it

Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG #2)

End word hunger, achieve food security, and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030

Global hunger

Many people in the world are going hungry because they do not have enough money to buy or grow their own food

Global food insecurity - war and displacement

conflict, especially involving armed forces, prevent rural communities from carrying our their normal farming practices

* puts food security at risk

Adapting the food system to climate crisis

Critical challenge that requires a multi-faceted approach

* food system is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change

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Farm crisis

Mass production of farm products that lower the prices, which lowers the profits for farmers

* has led to the decrease in small farms

Precautionary prinicple

a concept that is used in environmental and public health policy

* states that if na action or policy has the potential to cause harm to the public or the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus, the burden of proof falls on those who are advocating for the action or policy to demonstrate that it is not harmful

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem

Monoculture

Biological simplification of a farm or landscape to focused on the production of a single crop which also usually involved a reduction of genetic diversity of that crop type

* Farming strategy in which large fields are planted with a single crop, year after year

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Soil mining

a way of describing soil degradation, when the biological and physical materials of soils are depleted at a greater rate than they are returned, in which soil is effectively transformed form a potentially renewable resource to a diminishing one

La Via Campesina

* global movement of 73 countries
* rural people defending small scale sustainable farming to promote social justice and dignity
* food sovereignty, localism

Peasant farmers

organizations of small and middle-scale producers, agricultural workers, rural women, and the Indigenous

National farmers union

Lobbies for higher government price supports for crops and livestock

Green revolution

rapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers

Oligopoly

A market or an industry dominated by a small number of large-sized sellers

Development of a limited variety of seeds and development only of seeds that require the company's other inputs.

* threatens biodiversity and food security \n ill suited to the small scale agriculture that feeds most of the world
* especially in developing countries.
* Locks farmers into industrialized agricultural production.
* Erodes farmers' right to decide what, how, and for whom to grow
* exacerbates social and environmental problems and existing power imbalances.
* makes innovation and the shift to sustainable agriculture more difficult and less likely.

Globalization

The process of the world social transformation affect every aspect of society as each region’s information, goods, and images enter a commoditized global flow

Neoliberalism

A strategy for economic development that calls for free markets, balanced budgets, privatization, free trade and minimal government intervention in the economy

Free trade

A policy by which a government does not discriminate against imports or interfere with exports by applying tariffs and subsidies

Capitalism

An economy dominated by privately owned and controlled companies that hire wage workers and seek to maximize profits by producing commodities for sale in the market

Political ecology

Interdisciplinary field of research on human-environment relation**,** environmental change and development, combined with attention to political economy, environmental science, and human ecology

Supply Management

In its broadest form, refers to the processes that enable the progress of value from raw material to final customer and back to redesign and final disposition

Seed saving

Protect heirloom varieties to preserve biodiversity

* protects against "dinnertime boredom". \n active stewardship
* if seeds aren't grown out, they eventually die and the plants become extinct.
* seed sanctuaries, seed commons, seed banks.

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Open pollinated seeds

Pollinated by birds, insects, wind, humans,

* greater genetic diversity
* offspring are similar to the parents

Heirloom seeds

Open pollinated, with a history of being passed from within a family or community

* usually more than 50 years old
* known for food taste and flavour

“Nutritionism” (in defense of food)

The art of eating food for its component parts rather than eating food for taste, health, and love of eating

Fatphobia

Patholoigical fear of fatness often manifested as negative attitude and stereotypes about fat people

Diet culture

Belief that equates thinness to health and worth, promotes weight loss as a way to gain social status

Food justice

Addressing race and class disparities in access to food and food sovereignty

Industrial agriculture and COVID

COVID 19 pandemic had significant impacts on the industrial agriculture system

* large scale production and processing of food have been particularly affected by the pandemic
* Industrial agriculture relies heavily on a large workforce
* outbreaks of COVID-19 in meat processing plants and other agricultural facilities have resulted in significant disruptions to the food supply chain

Food system

All the steps a food goes through from being grown to being consumes

* including packaging, transporting, and selling

Colonial vs. Indigenous ways of thinking in relation to land and food system

fundamentally different ways of thinking

**Colonial:** based on the belief in that superiority of Western civilization and its economic and political system

* ways of thinking prioritize accumulation of wealth, power, and resources over well-being of the land and its inhabitants

**Indigenous:** based on the belief that all living things are interconnected

* that humans have a responsibility to care for the land
* prioritize the well-being of the land and its inhabitants over the accumulation of wealth and resources

As portrayed in the documentary Food Inc. and outlined in the assigned reading by Tony Weis, some of the unintended consequences of the industrialized food system include

Environmental problems such as:

* pollution of water by nutrients and animal manure
* pesticide resistance in weeds
* pollution of crop gene pools by genetically modified crops

According to the film Food Inc, corn can be grown so cheaply in the US because

The production of corn is highly subsidized by the US government

Dr. Power explained that supply management of dairy, eggs, and chicken:

* a unique feature of Canadian agriculture and coordinate supply and sets the proce, taking production costs into account
* ensures that farmers have a steady, reliable income
* prices for Canadian customers are less volatile than in the US

Susan Miller reading states

* colonialism’s essential activity is to extract resources from colonized lands and peoples
* revitalizing Indigenous languages is at the heart of Indigenous decolonization work because language reflects a unique worldview that includes knowledge of diet and food systems

Appropriationsim

Corporate practice for selling inputs to farmers that were previously produced on the farm itself

main difference between Canada and US agriculture

* different regulatory system
* not as many mega farms in Canada
* Supply management

What are the three myths about supply management?

1. Stands in the way of a free market
2. Makes some farmers rich
3. We will benefit if we get rid of supply management

What are the main ideas of the Anishinaabeg food system?

Involves relationships of care, respect, mutuality

* between humans and non-humans

Agriculture as a “Closed-Loop” System

Natures way

* animals produce waste, wastes goes into the soil, fertilizes the soil which helps the plants grow, animals eat the plants

Pesticide Treadmill

The cycle of dependence in which monoculture exacerbate pest problems

* more or new pesticides are needed as natural predators and controls are eliminated

How to mitigate climate change through agriculture?

Dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance sequestration capacity

Food security

When individuals have availability and adequate access to all times to sufficient, sage, nutritious food, to maintain a healthy and active life

What are the 7 pillars of food sovereignty?

1. Focuses on food for people
2. Builds knowledge and skills
3. Works with nature
4. Values food providers
5. Localizes food systems
6. Puts control locally
7. Food is sacred

Categories of food insecurity

**Marginal:** worry about running out of food or limited selection

**Moderate:** compromise in quality or quantity

**Severe:** missed meals, reduced food intake

What health problems can food insecurity cause?

* Poor self-rated health
* Poor mental, physical, and dental health
* Multiple chronic conditions
* diabetes, hypertension, asthma, etc.

Two main problems with food banks:

1. most people who are food insecure do not use them
2. Do not address the underlying problem - **poverty**

Three major issues with Indigenous peoples’ food systems

1. “Development” rhetoric legitimizes the appropriation (theft of Indigenous lands
2. Women are often disadvantages when traditional practices are replaced by formal land titling programs
3. Labelling land as “underutilized” displaces Indigenous uses of land and serves investors interests

What is land trust?

A non-profit charitable organization which legally secures land and land access for the purpose of conservation

What is the defining features of a land trust?

The direction action they take to protect and maintain a local land base for future generations

What are the pathways of land repatriation?

* Indigenous protected and conserved areas
* Addition to reserve
* Land claims
* Physical occupation
* Private purchase
* Land trusts

What are the indicators of Indigenous food sovereignty?

1. Access to adequate and culturally appropriate resources
2. Local food production
3. Fair and affordable trade
4. Consumption
5. Policy - Self-governance
6. Community involvement
7. Culture

Indigenous Knowledge

The cultural traditions, values, and belief systems that have enabled many generations of First Nation people in Canada to practice nourishing, healthful relationships with their natural and social environments

Traditional Foods

Originate from the natural environment, either form farming or wild harvesting

Traditional Foods

Original from the natural environment, either form farming of wild harvesting

What is environmental dispossession?

Large scale processes that reduce Indigenous peoples’ access to their traditional lands

Goal of Plant Breeding?

Produce crops with improved characteristics by changing their genetic makeup

What are the two types of seeds?

Open-pollinated and Heirloom

What are open-pollinated seeds?

Pollinated by birds, insects, wind, human

* greater genetic diversity

Are all open-pollinated seeds heirloom?

No

What is the advantage of hybrid seeds?

* Disease resistance
* Pest resistance
* Uniformity
* Marketability
* Vigour
* Timing or ripening

What are the disadvantages to hybrid seeds?

* Cost up to 5x more
* Require the optimal conditions to thrive
* Many varieties no long produce seeds (by design)
* Nutritional content and taste/flavour of the crop is often worse

What is greenhouse revolution?

Effort to reduce poverty as it was sought to increase and modernize agricultural production through he use of industrial agriculture techniques and technologies

What is Genetically Modified Ogransims? (GMOs)

Insertion of DNA fomr one species into another, giving ti new or different characteristics

What is Monsanto?

A chemical company, the first to produce GMOs

Concerns about GMOs

* Effect on human health
* Pollen contamination of non-GMO crops can never be reversed
* Increases herbicide use
* Unintended side effects (allergens, toxins, etc)
* Poor government oversight - too much reliance on the industry
* Intellectural property rights issue

What are the “Big Four” agrochemical giants?

* Bayer
* DowDupont
* Chemichina
* BASF

How does oligopoly work in the seed market?

* Development of a limited variety of seeds and development only of seed that require the company’s other inputs
* Erodes farmers’ rights to decide what, how, and who to grow for
* Exacerbates social and environmental problems and existing power imbalances
* Makes innovation and the shift to sustainable agriculture more difficult and less likely

Free market

A market in which individuals, companies, and countries compete for scarce resource without any intervention or interference from government

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers when qualified Canadians are not available

Four streams of temporary foreign worker program

* High wage stream
* Low wage stream
* Primary agricultural stream
* Stream supporting permanent residency

What is the main goal of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

To import labour, not people, creating a system that is flexible and sustainable

What are the main health risks of temporary foreign worker program?

* Occupational exposures and hazards
* Working long hours and many days with inadequate breaks
* Poor living and housing conditions
* Stressful separations from families
* Cultural dislocation

What is border imperialism?

The process that colonial states employ to manage border, restrict migration, produce labour precarity, and secure their own economic interests and those of multinational corporations

What are the biggest factors of lab-grown meat?

1. The biggest small factories
2. Costs
3. Need for sterile, pharmaceutical grade conditions
4. Prices of the growing medium
5. Cell waste and biological limits
6. Size
7. Lowered expectations

What is the sustainable protein transition?

Shift from diets centred on animal-sourced proteins to diets centred on plant-based proteins to other “novel” proteins

What are the 3 vision of the future of sustainable protein?

1. Repairing protein
2. Replacing protein
3. Restoring protein

What is meant by “repairing” protein?

Technological solutions in industrial food production to make it more sustainable

What is meant by “restoring” protein?

Restoring a more holistic balance between human and food, emphasis on biodiverse agricultural sytems

What is protein plurality?

A range of different perspectives on what constitutes the most beneficial role and make-up of protein foods in a healthy and sustainable diet

What are the transformative possibilities of veganism?

* Destabilizing hierarchies between human nad other-than-human animals to cultivate compassion for all
* Promoting social justice
* Reducing environmental impact of the food system
* Promoting sustainability

Problems with mainstream media portrayals of veganism

* Representations of vegan practices are aligned with white, cis, straight, slim, able-bodied women
* using moralizing language implying virtue and aligned with diet culture
* Erases the history of veganism and vegetarianism
* Erases vegan practices rooted in equity and anti-oppression
* Can promote inequalities

As described by Alya Fenton, the Canadian government prioritized agriculture oriented to export beginning in 1969. What are some effects of this policy?

Canadian agricultural-food exports have increased significantly by net farm incomes, have remained more or less stable, and large mulit-national agri-food corporations have reaped the benefits

Kiss the Ground’s relflects a colonial mindset as it has:

1. The narrative of a solitary white man who is the hero/saviour, travelling the country to rescue farmers from their ignorance about soil ecology and free them from government “welfare”
2. The lack of acknowledgement of other people, espeically Indigenous peoples, who have farmed ecologically for centuries