Feeding A Warming Planet

Our Food Supply Challenge

Written and Compiled By Robert Yehling

The United States produces more food than any country in the world. Yet, when it comes to sustainable practices, distribution, re-distribution and ability to withstand disruption, we have a long way to go.

The Coronavirus pandemic makes this readily apparent. The nation’s forced shuttering of doors cost many industries dearly, and created unemployment numbers not seen since the Great Depression. It disrupted the food supply chain to the point of sharply higher prices, lack of basic goods on store shelves, and a question on the minds of many: “Was there ever a Plan B in case of a national disaster or pandemic?” It also showed the perils and limits of a food supply built on the backs of the meat industry, centralized farming, coast-to-coast distribution and reliance on imported goods — all of which lack the basic principles of sustainability.

We’ve seen meat packing plants close due to massive COVID-19 outbreaks — then reopen under the pressure of a Presidential directive, though many have closed since to undertake thorough cleanings and safety measures. We’ve seen store runs on basics that looked like a cicada swarm’s first stop after 17 years of hibernation — and a struggle to re-supply. We’ve seen farmers kill pigs, chickens and cattle by the millions, unable to process and put into market. And we’ve seen others dump milk, soybeans and other cash crops because the distribution chain is so stressed, even broken in some cases. Not to mention dealing with the altered weather and pest issues associated with climate change.

It’s a serious situation, one that calls into question our way of distributing food — and growing and processing it.

However, with every difficulty or catastrophe comes an opportunity. We highlight new ways that scientists and farmers are working together to create stronger, hardier crops and ways of distributing more sustainably. We also look at how more and more North Americans are re-evaluating their food choices, by considering the resource cost of our traditional core food supply, namely meat and dairy.

As we slowly re-emerge from months of Coronavirus lockdown, the time is at hand to bring more sustainable growing, packing and distribution practices online. It’s now time to go beyond the visions and practices of our forerunners — like Lundberg Family Farms, Organic Valley, Nature’s Path, Seventh Generation and Stonyfield — and bake sustainable practices into our entire food supply. This will ensure more are fed nutritiously, we will eat fresh food from our local areas when possible, and we can better weather the next storm. �