The world produces more than enough food to feed everyone, yet 828 million people are still critically malnourished. In the face of that irony, there has been a growing chorus of calls to move food system reforms supposedly designed to alleviate it past siloed projects that actually stymie such efforts. Yet many solutions remain focused on improving agricultural practices. The problem demands a new paradigm – if we truly want to repair food systems, it’s time to look past the farm.
Unsustainable production presents many challenges for food systems, but agricultural improvements alone won’t solve the problem. Distribution and waste management issues also play a critical role. Effective solutions must bring every stakeholder to the table. They must offer benefits across the value chain, including to the farmers who they will impact and who are central to implementing them.
One such holistic approach is Integrated Landscape Management (ILM), a structured, long-term collaboration among land managers and stakeholders to achieve the multiple objectives required to help entire landscapes thrive. This technique focuses on nurturing the interconnectedness of activities within the landscape to foster synergies between otherwise competing land uses. ILM allows communities to pursue food-system-related economic, environmental and climate goals simultaneously. On the ground, ILM can take many forms. Farmers sell their agricultural waste, like manure, to a biogas facility. Land managers invest in ecosystem services critical to farming when launching a grassland conservation program that protects waterways and preserves pollinator habitats. A cooperative works with distributors and markets to sell local produce, which provides residents with healthy food while reducing transportation costs and emissions.
Continue reading the story on AgriLinks.org.
This story was written by EcoAg’s Communications Associate, Brianna Van Matre. The full story is posted on AgriLinks.org.