Changing Food Systems Locally
"What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet." - David Suzuki
To address concerns over water scarcity, food insecurity, and food sovereignty, urban agriculture is on the rise. Globally, approximately 15% of the food supply is being produced in city limits, and this approach is largely underutilized.1 There are a number of systems being used in urban settings including community and rooftop gardens, hydroponics, and wild food foraging. Many are turning to permaculture for viable solutions. It is from this theory that the modern concept of food forests, or edible forests, has emerged.
What is a food forest?
While community gardens tend to focus on producing annual crops in very controlled spaces, food forests are intended to mimic self-sufficient, interdependent woodland ecosystems. This does not mean that there are not annual plantings incorporated into a functional food forest.
Additionally, food forests are not a new concept. Traditional peoples the world over have created and tended to "food forests" for thousands of years.2 In the modern context, food forests are an evolving solution for weaving traditional knowledge and practices with modern creativity and global access to forge pathways towards food abundance. Not only can these models provide food for both humans and wildlife in food deserts, but they can additionally restore critical ecosystem services and cycling across extensive urban footprints.
The key focus is all about design and promoting localized biodiversity through an applied understanding of ecosystem processes. Each design is biased towards food and medicinal production, but plant associations, climatic tolerances, nutrient cycling, shade, cover and wind breaks are equally essential factors. These food systems are designed in direct response to both site and place. This means that it will not look the same anywhere. This also means that there is a priority focus on all potential native plants and a secondary focus on plants and elements that can be integrated without the need for inputs over time. As a result, these forests are resistant to drought once established and often do not require any further irrigation. Because of the diversity of perennial plantings and focus on healthy soils, edible forests should also have more tolerance for the challenges to come with a changing climate.3 Once plants are established, and the multi-layer canopy develops, food forests have been shown to improve water retention, infiltration, and prevent soil erosion, all while producing a localized food supply.3
As a result, food forest implementations have great capacity to expand and shape an increasing awareness of regional culture by shifting the foods that we eat. Thus a food forest is much more than an urban garden. In an era where we are recreationally overusing and abusing natural areas, urban forests provide a close-in opportunity to connect with the natural world in the urban setting.4 In all reality, it has far less to do with the actual plantings and far more to do with the community relationship building and awareness that is fostered in the process. The goal is to interweave the connections that exist between social, cultural and ecological exchanges to support a semblance of urban restoration.5
Why does this matter?
Given the degree that urbanization drives food systems globally to encroach upon functional ecosystems, it is clear that you cannot accomplish relevant watershed restoration until you can envision a localized food system that can support this scale of regeneration. How can we, in Bend, collaboratively create in this manner?
From the small scale of a micro backyard to entire ecological landscapes, food forestry applications are expanding globally. Even in harsh environments, communities are working with these strategies to reverse desertification from thousands of years of human civilization in Jordan, Ethiopia, and the Loess Plateau in China.3 These examples illustrate the larger potential to raise water tables, restore hydrologic cycles and degraded lands, while building food security and models for human participation in the landscape once more. The reality is the achievements thus far are promising enough to garner further local experimentation in larger urban spaces.
What is a food forest?
While community gardens tend to focus on producing annual crops in very controlled spaces, food forests are intended to mimic self-sufficient, interdependent woodland ecosystems. This does not mean that there are not annual plantings incorporated into a functional food forest.
Additionally, food forests are not a new concept. Traditional peoples the world over have created and tended to "food forests" for thousands of years.2 In the modern context, food forests are an evolving solution for weaving traditional knowledge and practices with modern creativity and global access to forge pathways towards food abundance. Not only can these models provide food for both humans and wildlife in food deserts, but they can additionally restore critical ecosystem services and cycling across extensive urban footprints.
The key focus is all about design and promoting localized biodiversity through an applied understanding of ecosystem processes. Each design is biased towards food and medicinal production, but plant associations, climatic tolerances, nutrient cycling, shade, cover and wind breaks are equally essential factors. These food systems are designed in direct response to both site and place. This means that it will not look the same anywhere. This also means that there is a priority focus on all potential native plants and a secondary focus on plants and elements that can be integrated without the need for inputs over time. As a result, these forests are resistant to drought once established and often do not require any further irrigation. Because of the diversity of perennial plantings and focus on healthy soils, edible forests should also have more tolerance for the challenges to come with a changing climate.3 Once plants are established, and the multi-layer canopy develops, food forests have been shown to improve water retention, infiltration, and prevent soil erosion, all while producing a localized food supply.3
As a result, food forest implementations have great capacity to expand and shape an increasing awareness of regional culture by shifting the foods that we eat. Thus a food forest is much more than an urban garden. In an era where we are recreationally overusing and abusing natural areas, urban forests provide a close-in opportunity to connect with the natural world in the urban setting.4 In all reality, it has far less to do with the actual plantings and far more to do with the community relationship building and awareness that is fostered in the process. The goal is to interweave the connections that exist between social, cultural and ecological exchanges to support a semblance of urban restoration.5
Why does this matter?
Given the degree that urbanization drives food systems globally to encroach upon functional ecosystems, it is clear that you cannot accomplish relevant watershed restoration until you can envision a localized food system that can support this scale of regeneration. How can we, in Bend, collaboratively create in this manner?
From the small scale of a micro backyard to entire ecological landscapes, food forestry applications are expanding globally. Even in harsh environments, communities are working with these strategies to reverse desertification from thousands of years of human civilization in Jordan, Ethiopia, and the Loess Plateau in China.3 These examples illustrate the larger potential to raise water tables, restore hydrologic cycles and degraded lands, while building food security and models for human participation in the landscape once more. The reality is the achievements thus far are promising enough to garner further local experimentation in larger urban spaces.
WORKS CITED
1. Clark, K. H., & Nicholas, K. A. (2013). Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services. Landscape Ecology, 28(9), 1649-1669. doi: 10.1007/s10980-013-9903-z
2. Mann, C. (2002). 1491. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/03/1491/302445/
3. Schutgens, Marie. (Producer), & Rob Van Hattum and John D. Liu (Directors). (2012). Green Gold [Documentary]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLZmwlPa8A
4. Poe, M., McLain, R., Emery, M., & Hurley, P. (2013). Urban forest justice and the rights to wild foods, medicines, and materials in the city. Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 41(3), 409-422. doi:10.1007/s10745-013-9572-1
5. McLain, R., Poe, M., Hurley, P., Lecompte-Mastenbrook, J., & Emery, M. (2012). Producing edible landscapes in Seattle's urban forest. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 11, 187-194. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2011.12.002 b
Additional Image Sources
Loess Plateau, Ethiopia:
http://permaculturenews.org/2012/06/28/hope-for-a-new-era-before-after-examples-of-permaculture-earth-restoration-solving-our-problems-from-the-ground-up/#beforeafter
Jordan:
http://permaculturenews.org/2013/12/10/desert-food-forest-organic-commercial-production-three-years-update-wadi-rum-consultancy/
1. Clark, K. H., & Nicholas, K. A. (2013). Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services. Landscape Ecology, 28(9), 1649-1669. doi: 10.1007/s10980-013-9903-z
2. Mann, C. (2002). 1491. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/03/1491/302445/
3. Schutgens, Marie. (Producer), & Rob Van Hattum and John D. Liu (Directors). (2012). Green Gold [Documentary]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLZmwlPa8A
4. Poe, M., McLain, R., Emery, M., & Hurley, P. (2013). Urban forest justice and the rights to wild foods, medicines, and materials in the city. Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 41(3), 409-422. doi:10.1007/s10745-013-9572-1
5. McLain, R., Poe, M., Hurley, P., Lecompte-Mastenbrook, J., & Emery, M. (2012). Producing edible landscapes in Seattle's urban forest. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 11, 187-194. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2011.12.002 b
Additional Image Sources
Loess Plateau, Ethiopia:
http://permaculturenews.org/2012/06/28/hope-for-a-new-era-before-after-examples-of-permaculture-earth-restoration-solving-our-problems-from-the-ground-up/#beforeafter
Jordan:
http://permaculturenews.org/2013/12/10/desert-food-forest-organic-commercial-production-three-years-update-wadi-rum-consultancy/