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LOCAL FOOD FOR THE MILLIONS - Coggle Diagram
LOCAL FOOD FOR THE MILLIONS
ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL
Purpose
A distribution hub for fresh produce
Functions
Wholesale distribution
Role in distributing large quantities of produce to retailers.
Connection between farmers/producers and buyers.
Market operations
Auctions and sales processes.
Daily activities and schedules.
Relationship with local farmers
Farm-table partnerships
Integration with farm-to-table initiatives.
Collaborations with local restaurants.
Producer representation
How farmers are represented and sell their products.
Inclusion of diverse local producers.
Challenges and innovations
Technology integration
Use of technology for efficient operations.
Online platforms for farmers and buyers.
Logistics
Managing the flow of fresh produce.
Transportation and storage considerations.
Local food impact
Supporting local agriculture
Percentage of locally sourced produce.
Economic impact on local farmers.
Seasonal availability
Encouraging seasonal eating.
How ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL handles seasonal changes.
Community engagement
ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL and public awarness
Encouraging consumers to support local through ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL.
Communicating the role of ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL to the public.
Educational programs
Public tours and educational initiatives.
Workshops and events for farmers.
Government and policy
Supportive policies
Government initiatives to support local agriculture.
Incentives for sustainable practices.
Regulations and standards
Compliance with food safety and quality standards.
Government oversight of ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL operations.
CHALLENGES OF EATING LOCALLY IN NORTH AMERICA
Supply Chain
It's not just local farmers who sell their products at the Ontario Food Terminal. Goods come from distant locations such as California, Florida, Texas and Philadelphia.
This ensures a constant supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Because the terminal facilitates the trade in long-distance foods, it's often criticized for being an obstacle to local food in Toronto.
On the other hand, the terminal gives the farmers a chance to sell large quantities of food directly to grocers
It also allows small businesses the opportunity to become players in the urban food chain.
Other cities that don't have a food terminal have to rely on supermarkets to import food into the city through their suppliers around the world.
to ensure food is always on the supermarket shelves requires a supply chain that crosses many borders
It begins with negotiations between the supermarket's chain's buyers, who decide what products will be featured in stores, and the food company's sales representatives, who lobby to sell as many of their products as possible.
Once a deal has been made the product must pass through the supermarket's chain's distribution center
Just-in-time replenishment:
suppliers shipping to distribution centers are given precise delivery appointments so the food can be repacked and sent to the stores before the product sells out.
Average stores receive between 3 and 5 deliveries a day.
a local food system will have a hard time competing with the convenience and diversity of products that the current system offers, a culture shift based on education will be necessary for the general public to live of a more sustainable food system
To stock one supermarket, a single retailer may have to deal with 15 000 different suppliers.
The supermarket supply chain is the antithesis of the local food system: supermarkets are criticized for selling lettuce imported from Mexico, meanwhile local farmers are harvesting the same lettuce.
From a business perspective, it's costly to deal with small producers
Has the size of our population and the complexity of our society limited the possibility of local food in Canada?
LOCAL FOOD STRATEGIES
CSA
subscriptions to a farm for a season
deliveries of produce
seasonal and local
DRAWBACKS
high risk for farmers (as explained by Sam during our fieldtrip)
seasonal dependance
high upfront cost (not available to poorer people), financial burden
similar to farmers markets these baskets have been accused of contributing to a somwehat classist and racist system
not enough variety, or too much (seasonal dependance)
learning curve to learn how to properly prepare an item if it is not explained
farms having to outsource certain products if a harvest is bad
educational opportunities to share knowledge around cooking
recipes
ancestral cooking
medicinal herns
supporting local farmers and a circular economy
better quality produce
FARMERS MARKETS
benefits
fresh
local (less food miles)
community buildings
educational opportunities
drawbacks
while dominated (not very culturally diverse)
higher prices
time (people are not always available to travel to a farmers market during its opening hours)
weather dependency
FARM TO TABLE PROGRAM
freshness since food has to travel less far
circular economy support
seasonal menu (keeping people closer to their food source, teaching the importance of seasonality)
transparecy (less steps in the food system)
DRAWBACKS
higher costs since the food is not mass produced (small scale farmers cannot afford to list prices the same way large monoculture farms ca since they would not be able to stay in this economy)
logistical challenges for the chefs (seasonal menu, changing, having a smaller menu)
COMMINITY/SCHOOL GARDENS
educational component
as learn our fieldtrips the biggest issue is maintance since
children implicated in the project graduate
teachers already have so much on their plate
job change
originally it is easy to get grants to start a project but not for upkeep
season does not match up with the school year (opposite even)
teaching children the importance of local and fresh food young
physical and mental health
FOOD MILES
Distance that food products travel from the place of production to the place of consumption
food miles can be in the thousands of km, due to packaging, processing facilities and production facilities being at different locations
Example from a food mile calculator (FoodMiles.com) : Bananas coming from Costa Rica (San Jose) travel up to 4,026km to arrive to Canada (Ottawa)
If this distance was covered by an Aeroplane that would create approximately
901 kgCO2 or 246 kg Carbon.
Example from a food mile calculator(FoodMiles.com): Rice coming from India (New Delhi) travel up to 11,337km to arrive to Canada (Ottawa)
If this distance was covered by an Aeroplane that would create approximately
2537 kgCO2 or 693 kg Carbon.
Environmental Impact
The transportation of food over long distances contributes to carbon emissions and other pollutants, which can contribute to climate change and air pollution.
Energy Consumption
Moving food from one location to another requires energy, whether it's through trucking, shipping, or air transport. The energy used in transportation adds to the overall carbon footprint of the food.
Globalization of Food Supply Chains
With the globalization of food supply chains, many food items are now transported across countries and even continents before reaching consumers. This has led to increased food miles for certain products.
Locavorism
The primary goal of locavorism is to promote sustainability, support local economies, and reduce the environmental impact associated with the transportation of food over long distances.
Reduces food miles to 100km or less
however, locavorism will not guaranty that food is produced sustainably, knowing the organization is the best way to be certain of sustainability
eating seasonally and locally is the even better to promote sustainability