Sustainable Food Solutions

Agroecology: the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design, development, and management of sustainable agricultural systems.
Agroforestry: the growing of both trees and agricultural / horticultural crops on the same piece of land. Designed to provide tree and other crop products and at the same time protect, conserve, diversify and sustain vital economic, environmental, human and natural resources.
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.
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.
Carbon Sequestration through Agriculture: various methods of increasing carbon sequestration on agricultural lands. Some organizations promoting this practice: Carbon Farmers of America, Carbon Coalition Against Global Warming, and the Soil Carbon Coalition.
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.
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.
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.
Composting: used in gardening and agriculture as a soil amendment.
Conservation Agriculture: aims to achieve sustainable and profitable agriculture and subsequently aims at improved livelihoods of farmers through the application of the three CA principles: minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotations.
The Dinner Garden: provides seeds, gardening supplies, and gardening advice free of charge to all people in the United States of America. Assist those in need in establishing food security for their families.
Eco-Farming can Double Food Production in 10 Years (UN Report): UN report finds that small-scale farmers can double food production within 10 years using ecological farming methods - especially in unfavorable farming environments.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Holistic Management: systems thinking approach to managing land resources that builds biodiversity, improves production, generates financial strength, and improves the quality of life for those who use it.
Keyhole Garden: a raised bed, lasagna garden, composting, and recycling system all rolled into one. The design creates a garden that uses recycled materials, less water and maintenance, and can be made handicap-accessible.
In Vitro Meat Substitute (a.k.a. Cultured Meat or Lab Grown 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. Article: Food: A Taste of Things to Come
Local Food: a principle of sustainability relying on consumption of food products that are locally grown.
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.
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.
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.
Organic Agriculture Outperforming Conventional in Developing Countries: UN research finds that in developing countries organic agriculture can outperform conventional and traditional systems in terms of yields, cost-effectiveness and diversity. See also Feeding the World with Organic Agriculture.
National Systems Agriculture: the Land Institute is working to create food crops that are perennials instead of annuals that require fewer chemicals and would eliminate tilling that erodes our soil. See also Perennial Food Crops article.
Permaculture: a design system which aims to create sustainable habitats by following nature's patterns.
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. The Native Seed Network is a good resource.
Sustainable Agriculture: integrates three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities.
Urban Agriculture: the practice of agriculture within or surrounding the boundaries of cities.
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.
Window Farms: vertical, hydroponic, modular, low-energy, high-yield edible window gardens built using low-impact or recycled local materials.

ecotopics

Sustainable Food Solutions