In the “Potential Contributions of Planning to Community Food Systems,” Clancy
addresses how food advocates can create a change in their communities to have
planners focus on food issues. She presenting ideas such as studying food
issues, joining planning commissions, and focusing on smart-growth solution.
Clancy’s article also integrates a large portion of “The Food System,” by
Potukuchi and Kaufman. These two men explained why planners aren’t doing more
to serve the food issue dilemma in their respective communities or counties and
found that many planners believed the food issue wasn’t their problem because
it is a private industry. They also discovered that planners have a difficult
time identifying what the issue is, and who exactly they can work with to
accomplish change.
Potukuchi and Kaufman found that
planners believed the food issue is a rural concern being that most of
agriculture is produced in the rural. This is where food advocates quickly see
the issue – that our food isn’t meant to be completely separated from us. It
should be integrated, hence the increasing need for specialized planners in
food systems. in addition, the authors found that of the 38% of planners who
agreed that they need to get more involved in food systems planning, their
responses expressed concern in nutrition, the local economy, and the environment.
Of those who oppose, they see no need for planning in the food systems if there
are huge, industrial super stores located nationwide to supply endless mounds
of food to those with cash in their pockets and the convenience of personal
automobiles.
The concern for food systems
planning is growing awareness and demand and it pushes me to question why or
how can people avoid the obvious? The impact of unsustainable agricultural
production through a monoculture system is quite evident through global
warming, farmer’s debt, access to food, food security and numerous other
factors.
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ReplyDeleteThis post is a great overview of the readings and I like that you bring up that our current food production system is unsustainable. This is true, as well as the fact that there is a huge detach between rural and urban areas. This detachment makes it harder for planners to conceptualize food issues, since food is usually produced by farms and distributed by the private sector (supermarkets), both of which are usually outside the planners jurisdiction. But, for us to have healthier cities and sustainable food systems, we must bring the food production, distribution, and consumption dynamics of food from being the veil and integrate it into planning efforts. This could be difficult I think, since, like you mentioned, supermarkets currently supply "endless mounds" of food that feeds a large number of people. This food system is heavily supported in its infrastructure, economics, and its politics, I mean the article went into great depth on how planners themselves have supported them and still lack the education and funding not too. There would need to be a big food revolution o undo the system we have now and place a more sustainable one in its place that is capable of feeding our oversized, growing population.
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