Ecological Systems Thinking in Sustainable Food Production By Independent Food Establishments in Urban Settings

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