Bristol Converge food sector workshop 1 introduction

www www.convergeproject.orgRethinking globalisation in the light of Contraction and CONVERGEnce Vala Ragnarsdottir Dean of Engineering and Natural Sciences University of Iceland

The CONVERGE team here today• From the University of Iceland – in addition to me – SigrúnMaríaKristinsdóttir – Charlotte JónsdóttirBiering• From the University of Lund, Sweden – Harald Sverdrup – DenizKoca• From the Schumacher Institute, Bristol – Ian Roderick – Alice Marie Archer – Emmelie Brownlee – Julia

Converge: Progress towards equity within the Earth’s biophysical boundaries

The aim of the CONVERGE project• Develop the idea of CONVERGE with societal, economic and ecological perspectives in connection to globalisation• Test CONVERGE as a framework for holistic indicators• Evaluate whether national, EU and international policies and agreements are opposite or support convergence processes and test the CONVERGE framework with communities and stakeholders

Aims cont.• Evaluate how different methods of community engagement can work towards the development of sustainable communities in the North and South, and test the CONVERGE framework with stakeholders• Find convergence methodologies from case studies• Use interdisciplinary methodologies to evaluate outcomes, and develop new understanding in acrossdisciplinary framework

Aims cont.• Recommend how CONVERGE can fit into the inner and outer policies of the EU• Distribute CONVERGE to different users through a variety of media

Focus on food• Communities tested – Iceland (an island – 320,000 people) – Bristol city (400,000 people) – Villages in Tamil Nadu (SCAD) – Communities where framework presented • Lund, Sweden • Gödöllö, Hungary

Stakeholder workshops• 3 workshops with systems analysis inbetween• One meeting where framework presented• Systems dynamics model given to participants

Methodology to develop the CONVERGE framework: systems thinking • The Natural Step • The ISIS compass • Systems analysis – Systems dynamics • Stakeholder workshops

How do we use the Earh´s resources and an equitable manner? Sverdrup et al.

Ecological footprint

The Earth isshrinking 1900 1950 1987 2005 2030 2050 7.91 5.15 2.60 2.02 1.69 1.44 YEAR Hectar of surface per personEcological footprint = the land we need to provide daily needs and take up thewaste. Now we are using 1.5 Earths per year.

Rockström et al. 2009 Climate change Pollution Ocean acidification Atmospheric Ozon in areosols stratosphere Cycling of N Biodiversity loss Cycling of P Land use change Water use Earth boundaries – we have surpassed 3 of 9

McDonalds Tourists Telephones Urban PaperPolulation GDP Dams Water population use use Car transport7 billion people

Perpetualgrowth? Sverdrup og Ragnarsdottir 2011

Peakenergy Oil 2005 Coal 2015 Global energy2020 ASPO

Gold 2000 Silver 2030 Copper 2040 Hubberts Zinc 2030 Lead 2020 Indium 2050 ,,peak” curves for 12 keymetalsIron 2030 Molybdenum Chromium 2050 2050Nickel 2050 Platinum Phosphate 2000 2030 SverdrupRagnarsdottirKoca2011

PeakfishPeakphosphate…Fishing Phosphate 2000 Sverdrup og Ragnarsdottir 2011

From cradle to grave – to cradle to cradle Biomimickry

Other important problems• Financial systems that don´t understand natural limits• Greed• Corruption

Humanneeds Subsis- Partici- Idleness tence pation Under-Protection Affection standingCreation Identity Freedom Manfred Max-Neef et al

Cycles of natureOpen system withrespect to energy Closed system with respect to matter 1) Nothing disappears 2) Everything disperses « Photosynthesis pays the bill » Sustainability is about the ability of human society to continue indefinitely within these natural cycles Slow geological cycles Slow geological cycles (volcanoeruptions and (sedimentation and weathering) mineralization)

How we influence cycles Physicallyinhibitn ature’sability to run cycles Barriers to people meeting their basic needsworldwide Introduce persistent compounds foreign toLarge flows of naturematerials from theEarth’s crust

TNS system conditions: In a sustainable society We’ve eliminated our contribution to… ...the systematic increase in concentrations of substances from the Earth’s crust, ...the systematic increase in concentrations ofsubstances produced by society, ...the systematic increase of physical degradation and destructions of natural systems, ...to conditions that systematically undermine people’s capacity to meet their needs.

From vision to action plans Creative Solutions FutureBaseline Prioritisation

Think out of the box ,,We cannot solve problems by using the same way of thinking as we had when we created them” Albert Einstein

Sustainability is... A set of conditions and trendsin a given system that cancontinue indefinitely AtKisson 2008

Sustainable development is... A directed process of continuous innovation and systemic change in the direction of sustainability AtKisson 2008

Sustainablity compass– indicators• N =NatureEnvironment, resources, ecosystems, climate, cultivation• A = Economy Production, consumption, employment, energy, fertiliser Nature• S = Society Economy Society Government, culture, institutions, Well being schools, common issues, education for sustainability, nature protection in constitution, voters• V = Well being Individual health, families, education level, quality of life, happiness, healthy food AtKisson 2008

Steps towards sustainability • Think long term • Understand systems • Know limits • Protect nature • Change commerce • Show equity • Support innovation (AtKisson 2008)

Systems thinker• Looks for the big picture• Looks for the cycle that links cause and effect• Sees how things change with time• Looks for new angles• Evaluates the effect of short term and long term actions• Finds unexpectedafleiðingar AtKisson 2008

Soil + rock + oil = people Ragnarsdottir og Sverdrup 2010

Closing the nutrient cycles Ragnarsdottir og Sverdrup 2010

Organic farming – Vallanes NE Iceland Agroforestry

How much food can we produce in cities? Vision of Herbert Girardet

Cuba – city cultivation• Cuba went through“peak oil” 20 years ago - Learned Permaculture – Up to 90% of vegetables cultivated in cities and towns – Car parks, gardens, roofs, pateos, balconies – Peoples health has improved – Communities have strengthened

Your brainstorming now• An huge eruption has lasted for 3 months in Iceland.• All flights in the northern hemisphere are off.• Oil is expensive and few ships arrive with food; few trucks distribute food to supermarkets.• The city of Bristol and nearby counties have a joint emergency meeting and decide that all food needs be produced in Bristol and its bioregion.• The question is how?

Spaceship Bristol-bioregion1. Imagine sustainable Bristol 1. How does it look like?2. Where are we now? (baseline) – remember that the baseline today is not the same as after a 3 month eruption in Iceland3. Then find steps from the future to the present (connect step 1 to step 2)

Coffee break

Dig for victoryRemember how the gardens were changed from flower beds tovegetable patches during the war! Talk to your mothers/grandmothers!

Conventional fertilizer• N:P:K in different proportions• When phosphate mines empty and energy is limited – what fertiliser will we use?

A few suggestions• Close all cycles• Waste from one process used as resource for another• Societal equity is prevalent

CONVERGE principles• Convergence for sustainability is the progress towards human equity within biological planetary boundaries.• In a converging society, every global citizen has the right to a fair share of the Earth’s bio-capacity and the opportunity for secured human wellbeing.• In a converging society, people have the opportunity to meet their basic human needs.• In a converging society, nature is systematically cared for, maintained and restored.• A converging society is aware of the fact that everything humans have and use comes from nature. In a converging society, nature’s resource inflow to society is recognized and the focus is on using resources in the least harmful way possible.• A converging society deals with its outflow (waste), using the four R’s as a guideline – reduce, recycle, refuse and reuse. It is a circular society (as opposed to a throw-away society) that has learned from nature.

Principles cont• A converging society is aware of the fact that everything humans have and use comes from nature.• In a converging society, nature’s resource inflow to society is recognized and the focus is on using resources in the least harmful way possible.

Principles cont.• A converging society deals with its outflow (waste), using the four R’s as a guideline – reduce, recycle, refuse and reuse. It is a circular society (as opposed to a throw-away society) that has learned from nature.

Harald and Deniz take over

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Bristol Converge food sector workshop 1 introduction

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Bristol Converge food sector workshop 1 introduction — Presentation Transcript