Horticulture Enterprise Zone FAQ
| "The Age of Less," which we are now barely beginning, will be one of severe restrictions. The global distribution of roles in industrial and agricultural production will bring us back to rely, once again, on traditional activities. The supply of oil will be durably inadequate in the face of constantly increasing demand; political shocks will aggravate shortages; Europe will suffer from them; they will be a tragedy for many poor countries. The world will lack water, wood for cooking food, fertile soils for agriculture." -- From "Doing Better with Less" by Robert Lion in French or here in English. |
What is a Horticulture Enterprise Zone?
This is an initiative that seeks to create enterprise zones of interdependent entrepreneurs involved in all aspects of food production (growing, processing, distributing, and serving), as well as entrepreneurs involved with solutions for local sustainability, food and water security, environmental safety and remediation, and microindustry. The goal of the initiative is to revitalize linkages between small farms and cities to promote participatory economic advantages and a stronger regional economies.
Why do we need local food production initiatives?
Because the nation's and the world's food production system under the current industrial model of agriculture is not sustainable. As a consequence, our food security is at risk. There are several converging factors that lay at the root of this, some historical, some lifestyle related, and some due to irrational polical and economic policies. Among them are the ever-rising cost of fossil fuel, the dependence of industrial agriculture on fertilizer manufactured in the Middle East, global warming, the growing national debt, growing populations, environmental pollution and other Ecological Costs, pressures on potable water supplies, urbanized land use is rapidly growing, farm populations are decreasing while urban and rural non-farm populations are increasing, almost half of the principal farm operators are approaching retirement age, and their principal retirement savings is their land, and each year the depletion of fertile soils becomes ever more acute to name just a few.
| "Prof. Lewis Wolpert at University College London has done great damage to science by claiming science is against common sense. Science is not against common sense; it is against common prejudice. Science is systematic investigation and analysis that enables people to dispel common prejudice and restore good common sense. A lot of scepticism on climate change is linked to vested economic interests in business as usual, so we should be immediately sceptical about what the climate change sceptics say." — Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, "Global Warming is Happening," Institute of Science in Society. |
The urgency before us now is to construct sustainable, energy efficient, inexpensive, safe, job creating, water conserving, food production systems that offer alternatives to fossil fuel dependent industrial agribusiness and the impending problems associated with Global Warming, some of which truly will be catastrophic in less than 10 years. Therefore, time is of the essence.
What are some benefits of an HEZ?
Some aspects of this system have been practiced for centuries by monasteries and other cooperative groups. Such activities were not designed to be commercial, however – only to sustain the group. The HEZ is a commercial enterprise and is designed to sustain a far larger community through a cooperative open-source network! Although its vitality is tied to entrepreneurship and brainpower, it succeeds only with a commitment to collaboration across social boundaries.
Why locally grown food? Reason number 1
Not only can an HEZ provide food to a community, but income to local communities, increased local business, and long-term livelihoods (jobs) for all involved.
Why locally grown food? Reason number 2
Locally grown foods are generally more nutritious and fresher. Most importantly, buying locally enriches the residents of the community where you live and promotes social cohesion.
Why locally grown food? Reason number 3
Growing foods locally reduces threat of invasive pests from other regions, such as "citrus greening" or Huanglongbing (HLB), which is found throughout Asia, the Indian subcontinent and neighboring islands, the Saudi Arabian peninsula, and in the Sâo Paulo State of Brazil. In 2005, Huanglongbing was discovered in backyard citrus in southern Florida. "This discovery greatly increases the risk of the disease making its way into California. The citrus greening bacterium is transmitted by Asian citrus psyllid, grafting, and possibly by citrus seed," says entomologist Beth Grafton-Cardwell from University of California.
Why locally grown food? Reason number 4
Locally grown foods saves fuel. Therefore, by buying locally consumers help to decrease carbon emissions in to the atmosphere. Savings are measured in Food Miles. If the energy source is fossil fuel, then the combustion of the fuel will emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Thus, fewer food miles would translate to lower greenhouse gas emissions - another environmental incentive to purchase local foods. Using food miles as a relative indicator of greenhouse gases may be misleading, however, unless the mode of transportation is accounted for. Water transport uses far less fuel per pound transported than rail, which uses less than trucking, which uses less than air and land transport.
How can I get involved?
It's easy. Contact the author via email. Provide your name and contact information, together with your skills and experience in growing, if any.
Regional colleges, universities, private businesses, and social entrepreneurs are especially welcomed as they can be extremely helpful in establishing pilot projects for this initiative, providing resources (for example, adjunct staff/faculty positions, laboratory analyses, and student input), as well as labor and brainpower. Within higher education, I believe that degree programs can be built around this initiative and become a recruitment and revenue generator for the institution that makes the investment.
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