Why Vancouver Island food security?
What is food security and why should I be concerned about it? Store shelves always seem to be overflowing with food and goods. The reality is many variables can abruptly disrupt the food supply from reaching us here on Vancouver Island, and it concerns and affects all of us.
Chaos
The state of the world is unstable in many ways - environmental, climate change, resource shortages, financial crisis and wars. Confronted with any given variable or combination thereof, we will still need to eat or we will face the same fate as thousands in third world countries who die daily from lack of food.
It is always worth repeating that Vancouver Island imports 95% of its food supply. A catastrophe will empty store shelves in three days. An earthquake or rise in sea level can render the airport and ferries unusable. Then what?
Interest in gardening will peak because it will no longer be a hobby or therapy, but a matter of survival, but will come too late to ward off starvation for those with nothing growing - a recipe for disaster. This is not fear mongering just as New Orleans preparing for hurricanes is not fear mongering.
We can always hope nothing happens in our lifetime to disturb the status quo, but every day that looks less likely, so an adequate food supply has to be part of any community emergency planning.
We are told to store enough food, water and supplies for three days, but then what? We need long term strategy and planning that involves year round growing systems for use anywhere, and growing food and raising small livestock on every bit of available, viable land and stop any more farmland from being developed.
Growing food will become a year round endeavor and technology to make that a reality will be in very high demand.
Contamination
Humans and animals are ingesting foods that are gentically modified and the consequences of that are unknown. This worries many people, especially since no lablelling is required, so ingestion is not voluntary.
Agribusiness introduces many chemical fertilizers into the land and the food supply which also has unknown consequences to the health of the population. The air is polluted with many chemicals which could have residual effects on outdoor plants.
Cost
The cost of food has been steadily rising and many families are faced with buying and eating highly processed, less healthy food. Some families supplement with a garden, but rely mainly on store bought food through winter and spring.
There are many reasons people want control of their own food supply.
Aside from growing vegetables, grains and fruit, another important part of food security includes livestock.
Deb Harper