I.
Introduction
We learned in
ecosystem structure and dynamics that everything is interrelated and that the
action of each organism affects another organism either directly or indirectly.
In everyday colloquial environmental discourse, it is still difficult for
modern societal thinking to reconcile ecological processes with mundane social
and economic processes that shape the realities of urban settings. Living in
such settings disconnects urban dwellers from the environmental damage being
done in rural areas where resources are being sourced for urban consumption.
One of the
closest links or relationships of the common urbanite to the environment and
agricultural resources is his/her feeding behavior as dictated/determined by
the available food establishments, such as cafes and restaurants, which limit
or regulate nutritional input into a community.
With this perspective in mind, the feeding behavior of an individual is
a form of indirect participation in the selection of goods that are being
brought and utilized in the community. Using the food establishment as a unit
of analysis and as an energy center, this activity will determine the
sustainability of a food establishment in relation to its dependence on
external sources for goods and products and its self-reliance on internally
produced goods and products. The exchange and flows of energy, materials, and
information will connect the realms of both social and ecological interactions
within the system of the food establishment.
The ecological
principles and theories that inspired and became the foundation of this
activity came from the following sources: 1) the Systems Model of Human Ecology
by Rambo (p. 65, Module 9, ENRM 221: Socio-Cultural Principles of
Human-Environment Interactions); 2) Systems Ecology as defined by E.P.
Odum (p. 3, Module 1, ENRM 223: Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics); 3) Energy
Flow
in an Ecosystem (p. 13, Module 1, ENRM 223: Ecosystem Structure and
Dynamics); 4) Structure of Urban Ecosystem (p. 262, Module 12 , ENRM 223:
Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics); 5) Introduction to Organic Agriculture
(Module 1, Organic Agriculture, UP Open University); and 6) Introduction
to
Permaculture Design by Geoff Lawton (documentary/instructional film,
2009).
II.
Objectives
1)
To determine the dependence of food
establishment operations on external sources, such as supermarkets, based on
inventory lists and grocery lists as references.
2)
To map out the energy flow of materials
within the system of establishment operations.
3)
To list down practical and sustainable
practices that limit dependence on external sources.
4)
To list down grocery items that can be
reduced to limit external outputs and sustain and utilize goods, materials,
and products internally.
III.
Materials
and Methods
Materials
-
Receipts
from the supermarket, wet market, and sales invoice from suppliers
-
Complete inventory
list of goods and products being used
-
Address
list of establishments where goods and products are being bought and
sourced
-
Pen and paper
Method
1)
Collect all grocery and market receipts and food
inventory list. Identify items bought and then classify goods and products
according to type.
2)
Identify where the item was bought or acquired.
Include the name of the establishment and the address.
3)
Analyze the list you made and determine the
percentage of items coming from each source.
4)
Using a flow diagram, illustrate how external
and internal inputs interact with each other within the food establishment as
the main source of energy.
5)
List down practical and sustainable practices
that would help limit dependence on external sources.
6)
List down potential grocery items that can be
reduced using internal outputs.
IV.
Results
Figure 1. Sample list
of classified goods and products
|
Goods/Products
|
|
|
Meat Products
|
|
|
Ground Beef
|
|
|
Steak
|
|
|
Fish
|
|
|
Dory
|
|
|
Tilapia
|
|
|
Tuna
|
|
|
Vegetables/Fruits
|
|
|
Banana
|
|
|
Tomato
|
|
|
Lettuce
|
|
|
Kitchen Tools
|
|
|
Mixing Bowl
|
|
|
Utensils
|
|
|
Packaging
|
|
|
Paper Bags
|
|
|
Paper Cups
|
Figure 2. Sample list
of classified goods and products with corresponding source
|
Goods/Products
|
Source
|
|
|
Meat Products
|
||
|
Ground Beef
|
South Supermarket, Los
Banos
|
|
|
Steak
|
Wet Market, Los Banos
|
|
|
Fish
|
||
|
Dory
|
Wet Market, Los Banos
|
|
|
Tilapia
|
Wet Market, Los Banos
|
|
|
Tuna
|
Super Market, Los Banos
|
|
|
Vegetables/Fruits
|
||
|
Banana
|
Local Fruit Stand, Los
Banos
|
|
|
Tomato
|
Local Fruit Stand, Los
Banos
|
|
|
Lettuce
|
Personal Garden/Farm
|
|
|
Kitchen Tools
|
||
|
Mixing Bowl
|
Robinsons Supermarket,
Los Banos
|
|
|
Utensils
|
Robinsons Supermarket,
Los Banos
|
|
|
Packaging
|
||
|
Paper Bags
|
Tony's Grocery, Los Banos
|
|
|
Paper Cups
|
Tony's Grocery, Los Banos
|
Table 1. Sample percentage
of goods and products coming from specific establishments/sources
|
South Supermarket, Los Banos
|
17%
|
|
Robinsons Supermarket, Los Banos
|
17%
|
|
Wet
Market, Los Banos
|
25%
|
|
Local Fruit Stand, Los Banos
|
17%
|
|
Tony’s Grocery, Los Banos
|
17%
|
|
Personal Garden/Farm
|
8.3%
|
Given this table, the food establishment is 68% (South Supermarket + Robinsons Supermarket + Wet Market +
Tony’s Grocery) dependent on supermarkets and grocery stores; 25% dependent on local produce from the
wet market; and 8.3% dependent on
personal garden/farm or 8.3% independent from external sources.
Figure 3. Theoretical
interaction of internal and external inputs within the food establishment
Figure 4. Sample list
of practical and sustainable practices to limit dependence on external sources
1)
Use of eco-bags to reduce input of plastic usage
within the system
2)
Fruit and vegetable scraps go to compost
pile/compost pit
3)
Sell plastic and glass bottles, aluminum and tin
cans to junk shops/recycling centers
4)
Recycle paper to use as scratch paper, make new
paper, or as garden mulch
5)
Use old cardboard boxes to make coffee sleeves
and coffee bag packaging
6)
Make eco-bags and plant pots out of milk cartons
7)
Use coffee filters as mulch
Figure 5. Sample list of grocery items that can be
produced internally
1)
Lettuce
2)
Basil
3)
Tomato
4)
Onions
5)
Garlic
6)
Bags
7)
Plant pots
8)
Paper
9)
Furniture
10)
Décor
References/Sources
Energy Flow in an Ecosystem, p. 13, Module
1, ENRM 223: Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics
Introduction to Organic Agriculture, Module 1, Organic
Agriculture, UP Open University
Introduction to Permaculture Design by Geoff
Lawton, documentary/instructional film, 2009
Structure of Urban Ecosystem, p. 262, Module 12 , ENRM 223:
Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics
Systems Ecology as defined by E.P. Odum, p. 3, Module 1, ENRM
223: Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics)
Systems Model of Human Ecology by Rambo, p. 65, Module 9, ENRM
221: Socio-Cultural Principles of Human-Environment Interactions
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