Welcome to Activity 1.1  Topic 1 of the Global Food Systems and Health Module: 

The introductory quiz was amazing, I tried so hard through guess work I got 6/10 correct. I had very little understanding of global statistic on this topic. This is an eye-opener.

What is a food system? The concept of a food system involves the wide range of activities and actors starting from the food production, processing, marketing, distribution, consumption and management of the waste.  There are different actors performing crucial roles and responsibilities to ensure that the food system is completed by obtaining the objective of food security- where everybody has the access to affordable and nutritious food for theirs well beings. The diverse actors are represented from household, local, national and global. The global reduction in hunger and food crises is largely a determinant of the success of the food system. However, many of the food system activities such as production, distribution etc pose threats to environmental and socioeconomic aims. In the food system scenarios, the Actors + their Activities = pose threat to Environmental and Socio economic long time goals

Statistics

Statistics mentioned that the food system is inefficient with 60% biodiversity loss, overfishing of commercial fish stock with an increasing value of 33%, a significant value (1/3) of food is waste along the food system. Important to note.11 undernourished and 39% overweight. Inequality in food system

What constitutes the 'global' food system?

The exponential growth in production put more pressure on global food system. In the bid to feed the world’ population, demands pressures on the terrestrial and marine ecosystem, through increased land use for farming, use of chemicals and pesticides. The global change in environmental, social and economic conditions will automatically impact in global food system thereby undermining the global food security, although the global food system is not equal. Climate mitigation activities such solar energy projects will require large land use affecting production activity. The global food system constitutes of those activities and actors stemming form from local perception or national and regional but may have a global phenomenon.

How might food systems be transformed for global sustainability, while meeting peoples' diverse needs?   

We are faced with the challenge of global food production, distribution, marketing, processing, and consumption in the way that will have very little of no impact on the global environment, social and economic goals in the long term. This has a number of factors and determinants to consider. I would like to refer to the global food analyses statistics of which 1/3 goes to wastage, and the unequal distribution ratio of 11:39 (undernourished and overweight). Addressing such issues within the food system may hugely reduce pressure on some environmental and social changes that may result to unattainability of global resources.

Key point for global sustainability I observed.

·   Change in human behavior- desires towards unreadable demands, eg having more than needed

·   Recycling and returning to some tradition methods of living while maintaining standards

·  Promoting equability in food security to achieve balance between unnourished and the overweight.

 I want to reflect on the environmental and social impacts associated with food systems, and considering sustainable food systems.  as mentioned above, the food system cycle poses threats to environmental and social condition that will undermine long term goals. To mention few E&S impacts associated with food systems include land degradation, pollution by chemicals and pesticides, overfishing, etc. the impact of global food system will affect the global bio geophysical environment and intends to the socio economic and cultural affects.  

  

1.4 Activity: How sustainable is your fruit?

 

I am Ranita Koroma, a female Sierra Leone living in Freetown Sierra Leone, the West coast of
Africa. I currently work as an environmental specialist in an Education ministry and currently implementation a World Bank construction project where is environmental integration is crucial.  I am interested in study Global environmental and sustainability issues. I am happy to be here

I bought a packet mango juice this morning for this activity and before drinking I reflected on the assignment, but trust me guys, it was difficult for me to figure out the sustainability aspect of this fruit considering my own environment.

This product was purely imported juice from America so I found it difficult to analyze the food production process, especially in relation to the ecology, planting, harvesting, processing and preservation, storage, packaging, distribution, marketing and I am only the consumer?? But comparing this mango product to my locally produced mango in the local market. However, I think hardly to come up with criteria for assessing the sustainability aspect of this fruit juice in relation to the different activities it undergoes in the production and the different actors that interface with the process.

Criteria  

Water

I analyze some sustainability condition based on my location, living around the tropical rain forest with abundant rain fall and high humidity and organic soil highly conducive for planting mango trees. So water is no problem for sustainability. However, climate change impact   may alter the rain fall.

Energy

I am aware of the rate of energy required for processing mango juice and it relative impact on the environment. Large scale mango juice processing is a mechanized   

Fair Labour

 I further think about the labour involved in mango juice production ranging from planting to distribution and marketing requires large number of people for a large scale production. This activity will great employment and income for workers and the labour and employment policies will cover each worker

Carbon sink, because of lack of research, I cannot comment on carbon

Food mile, I have no or very little idea on the food mile