There is an upcoming a three day conference in Ireland concerning food security in a time of energy scarcity. Here are a few snippets about these issues and the link for more info:
"The systems that produce the world's food supply are heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Vast amounts of oil and gas are used as raw materials and energy in the manufacture of fertilisers and pesticides, and as cheap and readily available energy at all stages of food production; from planting, irrigation, feeding and harvesting, through to processing, distribution and packaging. In addition, fossil fuels are essential in the construction and the repair of equipment and infrastructure needed to facilitate this industry, including farm machinery, processing facilities, storage, ships, trucks and roads. The industrial food supply system is one of the biggest consumers of fossil fuels and one of the greatest producers of greenhouse gasses."
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"Industrial agriculture and the systems of food supply are also responsible for the erosion of communities throughout the world. This social degradation is compounded by trade rules and policies, by the profit driven mindset of the industry, and by the lack of knowledge of the faults of the current systems and the possibilities of alternatives. But the globalisation and corporate control that seriously threaten society and the stability of our environment are only possible because cheap energy is used to replace labour and allows the distance between producer and consumer to be extended."
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"However, this is set to change. Oil output is expected to peak in the next few years and thereafter steadily decline. We have a very poor understanding of how the extreme fluctuations in the availability and cost of both oil and natural gas will affect the global food supply systems, and how they will be able to adapt to the decreasing availability of energy."
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Topics of this three day conference will include:
Day One - Food Under Threat
- the threats to the security of the global food supply
- the relationship between food and fossil fuels
- the structures and origins of the agriculture and food industries
- how should food systems be evaluated?
Day Two - Solutions To Reduce Fossil Fuel Use
- Does the conventional agriculture industry offer any solutions?
- Is organic farming enough?
- Is the location of production more important than the methods used?
- Who should control our food supply systems?
Day Three - Precedents and Possibilities
- holistic approaches to food production
- from fossil fuel dependence to low carbon food systems
- sustainable, productive and culturally supportive farm systems
- allotments, urban agriculture and community supported agriculture
- fisheries and aquaculture
- control, policy and education
- the Irish and EU context
http://www.feasta.org/events/foodconf/food_conference.htm