College Events / Archives
2008-2009
Building a Community-based, Sustainable Food System: Case Studies and Recommendations
April 30, 2009 05:00 PM
Annenberg Auditorium at Weill Hall at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Building a Community-based, Sustainable Food System: Case Studies and Recommendations
Presented by students of Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan
Something is wrong with the design of our food system. Consider the following facts:
* Shrinking profit margins for American farmers
* Six million acres of farmland lost to development between 1992 and 1997
* Food traveling 1500 miles on average before sale
* Ten calories of fossil fuel required for every calorie of food energy
* Nineteen percent of greenhouse gas emissions from the food sector
* A majority of Americans overweight and one quarter obese
* Ninety-six billion lbs of food grown in the US lost before consumption in 1995
Nine graduate students at University of Michigan's Taubman College in the urban planning program and two faculty advisors have explored these issues for the last eight months. They have traveled to communities across North America to highlight innovative practices in the production, processing and distribution of food. Together, these case studies illustrate the components of an alternative: a more community-based, sustainable food system. They reveal the practical steps that individuals, businesses, government and community organizations can take to help build this more sustainable alternative.
Join us for a public presentation and discussion of these findings. A reception will follow, featuring locally-sourced food.
The students include Rachel Arndt, Rebecca Cheney, Jaimie Cohen, Allison Craddock, Stephanie Etkin, Caitlin Greeley, Brendan Moriarty, Nicholas Posavetz, and Catherine Sanders. The faculty advisors are Larissa Larsen and Eric Dueweke.
