Food = Water

"It takes about 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of coffee 11,000 litres for one quarter-pounder hamburger, between 2000 and 5000 litres for a kilogram of rice, and 2000 to 4000 litres for one litre of milk. We grow twice as much food today as we did a generation ago, but we use three times as much water to grow it. To quench the thirst of these crops, many are highly irrigated, and much of the water is being pumped from underground reserves, which take eons to replenish."

-David Suzuki, The Sacred Balance

Reducing food waste is one very positive step you can take towards conserving our precious fresh water resources!

The Six Ingredient Challenge

Have you heard about the about the six ingredients challenge? It is a challenge where you are supposed to try to buy stuff from the store for a certain time with only 6 ingredients in the contents list.  Why? To make sure you eat more wholefoods and fewer artificial additives.

In February I did this challenge for a week but I also got curious and decided to check what we had at home before I started the challenge that contained more than six ingredients. I was quite happy with the result. Most of the things that contained more than six ingredients were in the fridge, mostly some sauces.

Here is a pick of most them, in addition to this we had some bread that contained more than six ingredients and a can of pea soup.

Your turn, what groceries do you have with more than six ingredients at home?

Catarina Holmsten-Carrizo

part of this post has been posted on rulesofgreen.com before

Permaculture

Do you know the word, “Permaculture”? Some of you may be familiar with this word, but others may not. This word is actually short for “permanent agriculture,” which describes an integrated, evolving system of perennial or self-perpetuating plant and animal species useful to man, according to David Holmgren (2002), one of the co-originators of permaculture concept with Bill Mollison. It is also described as consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre, and energy for provision of local needs.

In addition, he adds that he sees Permaculture as the use of systems thinking and design principles that provide the organising framework for implementing the above vision. In his mind, Permaculture is not just the landscape, or even the skills of organic gardening, sustainable farming, energy efficient buildings or eco-village development, but is used to design, manage and improve these and all other efforts made by individuals, households, and communities towards a sustainable future.

Therefore, permaculture is also conceived as being short for “permanent culture” as well. In other words, it can be widely incorporated in all of the areas and aspects in our lives and cultures. I regard it as a philosophical backbone realized through the process of implementing concrete design principles as follows, which everyone who has a long-term vision for our future should have in mind.

1.Observe and Interact -Beauty is in the eye of the beholder- 

2.Catch and Store Energy -Make hay while the sun shines- 

3.Obtain a Yield -You can't work on an empty stomach- 

4.Apply Self-regulation and Accept Feedback      -The sins of the fathers are visited on the children unto seventh generation- 

5.Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services -Let Nature take its course- 

6.Produce No Waste -A stitch in time saves nine. Waste not, want not- 

7.Design from Patterns to Details -Can't see wood for the trees- 

8.Intergrate rather than Segregate -Many hands make light work- 

9.Use Small and Slow Solutions -The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Slow and steady wins the race- 

10. Use and Value Diversity -Don't put all your eggs in one basket- 

11.Use Edges and Value the Marginal -Don't think you are in the right track just because it is a well-beaten pass- 

12.Creativity Use and Respond to Change -Vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be-  

In relation to food waste, we can refer to the design principle 6, “Produce no Waste”, in which it is regarded as important to have a radical perspective that sees wastes as resources and opportunities. Making composts is easy to come up with as an example of it, but, at the same time, if you have been wasting food as consumers, it can also be regarded as an opportunity to change your bad habits into a better one by achieving food literacy more and more!

Seiya Okawara

What happens to biodegradable waste?

Waste is probably not something that is high on everyone's agenda. However, what happens to food waste or any biodegradable waste for that matter, is incredibly important.

Tiny little microorganisms that live in healthy soil are imperative in the decomposition process of organic matter and nutrient cycling. To put it simply, without these organisms soil virtually becomes a dead substance.

Every time crops are harvested, nutrients are removed from the soil. Without returning organic matter back to the soil, nutrient levels become depleted. When inorganic synthetic fertilisers are used, soil slowly becomes more acidic and more saline which is not conducive for flourishing microbes. When certain herbicides (such as those containing glyphosate) are used, soil life is wiped out altogether and the vicious cycle of synthetic fertiliser dependency ensues...

In order to create a sustainable 'closed loop' system, all we need to do is return biodegradable waste to the earth instead of burying it under tonnes of shit in landfill where it decomposes anaerobically, creating methane (which is over 20 times more toxic than CO2) and leachate (to join our lovely, pristine waterways). Whoever invented the flushing toilet will no doubt be remembered as the biggest dick in history.

Not only does returning organic matter to soil improve conditions for all-important nutrient cycling microorganisms, but it also reduces the need for chemical fertilisers and even some herbicides. In addition, increasing the organic matter content of soil improves its structure and water-holding capacity which means that less water is needed to maintain growth and plants fare much better in hot, dry summers.

Our current systems seem so.. illogical.

Yes, change will require some effort but why ignore science and stick with methods that we are well aware are not only damaging but also impossible to continue indefinitely? Sustainable practices that incorporate a holistic view of environmental preservation and longevity should be the norm and not the exception as they are today.

Cathy Xiao Chen