Module 5 – Food Sustainable Food

? Organic agriculture Organic farmers only use natural methods of fertilising their crops, like manure and compost. This means that there are no nitrous oxide emissions from artificial fertilisers. Manures and composts add carbon back into the soil, so they are trapping CO 2 instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.

? Pests and predators Instead of planting just one crop which is vulnerable to pests, it is possible to plant a mix of different crops close together. This means that they will attract a lot of different wildlife, so there is a good balance of predators and pests. Ladybirds love greenfly, so providing homes for ladybirds is an example of natural pest control!

? Local food The most important thing to check for sustainable food is how it is grown and processed. If it is grown sustainably and locally that is even better because it will also reduce the amount of energy needed to transport and store the food. All of these foods are grown in Wales.

? Urban Agriculture in Cuba When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba lost their source of imported oil. In order to survive, Cubans had to grow food without fossil fuel fertiliser, and without oil powered farm machinery. They also grew it everywhere it was needed so it didn’t need to be transported long distances. This is Havana, the capital city.

? Urban agriculture in Wales It is possible to grow fresh and local food in the places where it is needed even in the city! People have been growing food in allotments for centuries.

? Sustainable meat and dairy If we want to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions we will need to eat only a small amount of dairy and meat products. These cows and sheep are raised organically and have good standards of living.

? Hill farming in Wales We have a lot of hills and mountains in Wales which are very difficult to farm because of bad weather and access for machines. Some of this land will probably continue to be used to farm sheep for meat and wool to be shared by people across Britain. But it is possible to grow vegetables at high altitudes like these ones at CAT, many metres above sea level on the site of a derelict slate quarry!

? Forest gardening Another way of using hilly areas is by making the most of forest crops like fruit and nut trees. It is possible to plant other perennial plants like fruit bushes underneath the trees, and other plants like vegetables and herbs on the ground layer. You can also plant perennial root crops under the ground! Image credit: London Permaculture

? Peas and Beans Even if we eat less meat and dairy, we can still get plenty of protein from other sources such as peas and beans!

? Cooking Making our own food from fresh and local ingredients is a great way to reduce our food footprint, because cooking at home uses much less energy than processed and packaged food.