What is Food Resilience?
Here at OFN, we often talk about Food Resilience and what the true definition of that means. While food resilience can be interpreted in a myriad of ways - you only have to google the question and it will provide multiple answers! But let’s take a look at what Food Resilience means within our Planetary Boundaries.
But what are planetary boundaries?
In 2009, The original concept of the Planetary Boundaries was first published in Ecology & Society Nature. Here, leading scientists presented a novel idea, planetary boundaries, for estimating a safe operating space for humanity with respect to the functioning of the Earth System.
The nine planetary boundaries (Fig. 1) include global biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, and water; major physical systems like climate, stratosphere, and oceans; Earth’s resilience features such as marine and terrestrial biodiversity and land systems; and critical aspects of anthropogenic change like aerosol loading and chemical pollution.
In 2023, an international team of scientists provided a detailed outline of planetary resilience by mapping out all nine boundary processes that define a safe operating space for humanity.
The 2023 update not only quantified all boundaries, it also concluded that six of the nine boundaries have been crossed.
Crossing boundaries increases the risk of generating large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental changes. Drastic changes will not necessarily happen overnight, but together the boundaries mark a critical threshold for increasing risks to people and the ecosystems we are part of.
Planetary Boundaries are interdependent, meaning that if we cross one Boundary, we will affect others, or even cause them to cross out of the safe operating space.
The nine planetary boundaries and their status
Climate change: The change in the ratio of incoming and outgoing energy of the Earth, caused by increased greenhouse gasses and aerosols. More trapped radiation causes an increase in global temperatures and alters climate patterns. This boundary is transgressed.
Novel entities: The introduction of novel entities includes synthetic chemicals and substances (e.g. microplastics, endocrine disruptors, organic pollutants), anthropogenically mobilized radioactive materials (e.g. nuclear waste, nuclear weapons), and human interventions in evolutionary processes, such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and other direct modifications of evolution. Currently, the amount of synthetic substances released into the environment without adequate testing is above the safe level.
Stratospheric ozone depletion: The stratospheric ozone layer protects life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The thinning of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, primarily due to human-made chemicals, allows more harmful UV radiation to reach Earth's surface. The current total amount of stratospheric ozone is within safe levels, and recovery is ongoing, with values still below mid-20th century levels.
Atmospheric aerosol loading: The rise in airborne particles from human activities or natural sources influences the climate by altering temperature and precipitation patterns. Currently, the interhemispheric difference in atmospheric aerosol loading is within the Safe Operating Space.
Ocean acidification: Ocean acidification is the phenomenon of increasing acidity (decreasing pH) in ocean water due to the absorption of atmospheric CO2. This process harms calcifying organisms, impacting marine ecosystems, and reduces the ocean's efficiency in acting as a carbon sink. The indicator for Ocean Acidification, the current aragonite saturation state, is within the Safe Operating Space but is close to crossing the safe boundary.
Modification of biogeochemical flows: The disruption of the natural nutrient cycles of key elements like nitrogen, and phosphorus through the environment and organisms, which are crucial for supporting life and maintaining ecosystems. Both the global phosphorus flow into the ocean and the industrial fixation of nitrogen (extracting nitrogen from the atmosphere), are disrupting the corresponding nutrient cycles beyond the safe level.
Freshwater change: The alteration of freshwater cycles, including rivers and soil moisture, impacts natural functions such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity, and can lead to shifts in precipitation levels. Human-induced disturbances of both blue water (e.g. rivers and lakes) and green water (i.e. soil moisture) have exceeded the safe level.
Land system change: The transformation of natural landscapes, such as through deforestation and urbanization, diminishes ecological functions like carbon sequestration, moisture recycling, and habitats for wildlife, all crucial for Earth system health. Globally, the remaining forest areas in all three biomes (tropical, boreal, and temperate) have fallen below the safe levels.
Biosphere integrity: The decline in the diversity, extent, and health of living organisms and ecosystems, threatens the biosphere’s ability to co-regulate the state of the planet by impacting the energy balance and chemical cycles on Earth. Both the loss of genetic diversity, and the decline in the functional integrity of the biosphere, have exceeded their safe levels.
So what can we do to help our planet and secure the future of generations to come?
Food Resilience is only one of the many actions that we can take to ensure that we operate within our planetary boundary. By ensuring food supply and biodiversity of our food is maintained, Our Food Network aims to strengthen those around us already working towards this greener future, by educating, connecting and enhancing novel ideas by supporting those who strive for the same result.
Food Resilience at a local level within Ōtepoti Dunedin can be guided by these few categories.
Cooperate locally and build collective knowledge.
Share ideas, resources, enhance and collaborate with communication and networking. Head along to network meetings, hui, workshops and even host your own.
Promote sustainable and nutritious food consumption.
We have many knowledgeable farmers, gardeners and cooks in Ōtepoti, lets learn from them. Help out our seed libraries ensuring that traditional plants are kept accessible for generations to come.
Improve food storage and distribution.
Food is seasonal, we need to be reminded that we can mitigate seasonal challenges by being prepared. Preserving, dehydrating and freezing are have been around for centuries, this type of food technology should be well known in every household. Excess fruit and vegetables, and other food products should be redistributed back to the community. At a national level we should be feeding ourselves before exporting our prime meats and dairy products.
Prioritise climate-smart policies and investments.
At Our Food Network, we look at policies to ensure it has important strategies to strengthen food security and resilience without being detrimental to our planetary boundaries. We voice our opinion to ensure that our people have access to land, water and an equal opportunity to thrive.
Implement sustainable agricultural practices and technologies.
By connecting with young farmers and growers we can ensure our land space and environment is used without damaging our planet, and that abundant fresh crops are nutritious for the health of our people.
What are you doing to strengthen Ōtepoti Dunedin’s Food Resilience?
Resources:
https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html
https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2023-09-13-all-planetary-boundaries-mapped-out-for-the-first-time-six-of-nine-crossed.html
https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol14/iss2/art32/
