Sustainable Food Solutions

 

1. Agroecology
   the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design, development, and management of sustainable agricultural systems.
2. Allotment Gardening
   a concentration in one place of a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individual families. In allotment gardens, the parcels are cultivated individually.
3. Biodynamics
   comprises an ecological and sustainable farming system, that includes many of the ideas of organic farming. It is based on the anthroposophical teachings of Rudolf Steiner.
4. Community Gardens
   small plots of land allocated to groups of people by some organization that holds title or lease to the land, sometimes for rent, sometimes simply as a grant of land.
5. Community Supported Agriculture
   a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.
6. Certified Organic Farming
   relies on developing biological diversity in the field to disrupt habitat for pest organisms, and the purposeful maintenance and replenishment of soil fertility. Organic farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
7. Composting
   used in gardening and agriculture as a soil amendment.
8. Fair Trade Food Products
   an organized social movement which promotes equitable standards for international labor, environmentalism, and social policy in areas related to the production of labeled and unlabelled goods, which may range from handcrafts to agricultural commodities.
9. Farmer's Markets
   are markets, usually held out-of-doors, in public spaces, where farmers can sell their produce to the public. Products at farmers' markets are renowned for being locally-grown and very fresh.
10. Food Sovereignty
    a concept advocated by a number of farmers', peasants', and fishermen's organizations, namely the claimed "right of peoples to define their own food and agriculture," in contrast to having food largely subject to international market forces.
11. Forest Gardening
    a permaculture food production and land management system based on replicating woodland edge ecosystems, substituting trees (such as fruit or nut trees), bushes, shrubs, herbs and vegetables which have yields directly useful to humankind.
12. In Vitro Meat Substitute (a.k.a. Cultured Meat)
    meat produced in vitro, in a cell culture, rather than from an animal. Has the potential to be safer, more nutritious, less polluting, less resource intensive, and more humane than conventional meat.
13. Local Food
    a principle of sustainability relying on consumption of food products that are locally grown.
14. Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (goal #1)
    eight goals that all 191 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. Goal number 1 is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
15. Masanobu Fukuoka's No-Till Grain Cultivation
    one of the pioneers of no-till grain cultivation. His system is referred to as "natural farming", Fukuoka Farming, or the Fukuoka Method.
16. No-Till Farming
    also known as conservation tillage or zero tillage is a way of growing crops from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage.
17. Perennial Food Crops
    the Land Institute is working to create food crops that are perenials instead of annuals that require fewer chemicals and would eliminate tilling that erodes our soil.
18. Permaculture
    a design system which aims to create sustainable habitats by following nature's patterns.
19. Seed Saving
    the practice of saving seeds from open-pollinated vegetables and flowers for use from year to year. This is the traditional way farms and gardens were maintained.
20. Sustainable Agriculture
    integrates three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities.
21. Urban Agriculture
    the practice of agriculture within or surrounding the boundaries of cities.
22. Vegan Organic Gardening
    aims to produce organically grown foods and other crops whilst minimizing (preferably eradicating) the exploitation of, or causing of harm to, any living creature.