Defining 'profit' values
Hi:
I've created this blog so people can begin sharing ideas about 'values' that result from growing local food organically and using heritage seeds.
Not all local food is created equal. Some farmers will use GMO seed and piles of chemical fertilizers and herbicides. But it's still 'local' food.
I've worked in the grassroot organic movement since 1986. In the 'good old days' we certified organic food in our bioregion. We knew the farmers and for the most part 'organic' food was locally grown. Then we began to get 'imported' organic food, usually from California. So 'local' organic food defined a 'quality' of food that usually received a premium price. So 'local' food was profitable.
With the introduction of the book '100 mile diet' people began to demand ' local food'.
Now we need to start defining the 'green' values that comprise local food.
I think there's profit when farmers choose heritage varieties. They are helping conserve agricultural biodiversity. They also can save their own seed, save, share and sell that seed.
I think there's profit in managing land organically. Building high quality local food needs good soil health. That's done with sound organic management including rotations, soil fertility management, etc. We are doing a cool project with adding fungi and bacteria to soil to develop the 'terroir' of a variety and location and add nutrition to the crop. Munk Bergin in the US coordinates the project Heritage Foods and Seeds Corn Nutrition Project.
Higher nutrition will add food profit to food.
So it's not just the dollar value of 'profit' with local food but social capital, community development and values, community seed banks, healthier food, healthier soils and hopefully then we might start defining 'carbon credits'. That's alot of greenwash because nobody really can define 'carbon credit'. It's used all the time but has no agreed upon 'value'.
Sharon
I've created this blog so people can begin sharing ideas about 'values' that result from growing local food organically and using heritage seeds.
Not all local food is created equal. Some farmers will use GMO seed and piles of chemical fertilizers and herbicides. But it's still 'local' food.
I've worked in the grassroot organic movement since 1986. In the 'good old days' we certified organic food in our bioregion. We knew the farmers and for the most part 'organic' food was locally grown. Then we began to get 'imported' organic food, usually from California. So 'local' organic food defined a 'quality' of food that usually received a premium price. So 'local' food was profitable.
With the introduction of the book '100 mile diet' people began to demand ' local food'.
Now we need to start defining the 'green' values that comprise local food.
I think there's profit when farmers choose heritage varieties. They are helping conserve agricultural biodiversity. They also can save their own seed, save, share and sell that seed.
I think there's profit in managing land organically. Building high quality local food needs good soil health. That's done with sound organic management including rotations, soil fertility management, etc. We are doing a cool project with adding fungi and bacteria to soil to develop the 'terroir' of a variety and location and add nutrition to the crop. Munk Bergin in the US coordinates the project Heritage Foods and Seeds Corn Nutrition Project.
Higher nutrition will add food profit to food.
So it's not just the dollar value of 'profit' with local food but social capital, community development and values, community seed banks, healthier food, healthier soils and hopefully then we might start defining 'carbon credits'. That's alot of greenwash because nobody really can define 'carbon credit'. It's used all the time but has no agreed upon 'value'.
Sharon
posted by Sharon at
12:15 PM
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