Food (agriculture) production and distribution is estimated to cause approximately 25% of global warming (UN), which is causing drought in many areas. Agriculture uses 80% of the ground and surface water, increasing the water shortage. AgLantis is creating an urban farm right in the middle of heavy industry and will use hydroponic greenhouse production which yields as much as 40 times the produce using 10% of the water. The farm is on unused public buffer land, uses recycled agricultural grade water and is an innovate, replicable solution that dramatically decreases the carbon and water footprint of food production and distribution. Using recycled water high in nitrogen and phosphorus also eliminates the need for fossil fuel based fertilizers. The UN estimates 40% of agriculture is lost from farm-to-mouth. Growing in urban centers dramatically decreases that loss, much of which is due to long distane transportation.
1. CoCo San Sustainable Farm
Carolyn Phinney, Ph.D.
President and Executive Director
A Project of AgLantis TM
2. PROBLEM 1: Nutritional Poverty
It costs $1 a day to feed a child a salad;
35 cents for pizza.
• Most schools and many families cannot afford fresh produce
• The Contra Costa Food Bank cannot get salad vegetables
because they are highly perishable and unavailable locally
3. World, State, County Nutritional Poverty
Household Food Insecurity in 2008-2010 in
California: 15.9%
CoCo Food Bank Serves about 160,000
People/Month, 28% Children
Mt. Diablo Unified School District Serves 3,750,000
Meals/Year ~54% on Free or Reduced Lunch
UN predicts 6,000,000 will go to bed hungry by
2080
UN says worldwide food production must increase
70% in next 50 years.
5. Up to 25% of Global Warming
Is caused by Agriculture (UN)
6. Problem 2 :
Ag & Food Systems Cause Global Warming
1. 80-90% of ground and surface Water is used for Agriculture (USDA)
2. 19-29% of GHG emissions are due Ag & Food System (CCAFS.CIGAR)
3. 56% of non-CO2 emissions are due to Agriculture (CCAFS.CIGAR)
4. 28% of GHG are due to Transportation (much moves Ag) (EPA)
5. 32% of GHG are due to Electricity (much pumps water) (EPA)
6. 1.5 to 2% of GHG are due to fossil fuel based Fertilizer production and
distribution (UN)
7. 18% of GHG emissions due to deforestation and other land use changes
due to Ag (UN)
8. Up to 40% of Agriculture is lost between field and mouth (UN)
9. Up to 33% of Global Warming is due to the Food System (UN)
10. Up to 25% of Global Warming is due to Agriculture (UN)
IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE
7. Global Warming is Increasing the Food Crisis
1 in 8 are hungry; 12%; 868 million (UN: FAO 2010-
2012)
UN says worldwide food production must increase
70% in next 50 years
Yields from rain-dependent agriculture could be
down by 50 percent by 2020 (IPCC)
http://www.unwater.org/statistics/
CURRENT Ag CAN NOT SUSTAIN THE WORLD’S
POPULATION
8. Problem 3:
Global Warming is Causing a Water Crisis
UC Davis, July 15, 2014
• 3rd driest year in CA on record
• Surface water reduced by 1/3
• More drought years ahead
• Demand for water at all time high
• 6.6 million acre-feet shortage of surface water
• Ag pumped extra 5 million acre-feet of groundwater at a cost $454 million
• Groundwater use increased from 31% to 53% of Ag needs
• $810 million lost in crop revenue
• 2.2 Billion Total loss in revenue to California
• 17,100 Jobs lost
IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE
https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/files/content/news/Economic_Impact_of_the_
2014_California_Water_Drought.pdf
13. Part of a Solution?
1. Locally grown, Urban Ag
2. Close to water reclamation facilities
3. Recycled Water (preferably high in nitrogen &
phorphorus)
4. High-tech Greenhouses
5. Bio-intensive, Permaculture methods
14. PROPOSED SOLUTION
Low-cost, sustainably grown, local, produce
• 14.8 acres of public surplus buffer land
• Recycled, agricultural-grade water discharged into the Bay
• Recycled water is high in nitrogen, providing free fertilizer
• Food Bank will pick up and distribute to clients and schools
using existing transportation and distribution systems
We deploy under-utilized resources to nearly eliminate
4 of the major costs of food production:
LAND, WATER, FERTILIZER, and TRANSPORTATION.
33. Benefit:
SUSTAINABLE Ag and FOOD SYSTEMS DEGREES
Local Community Colleges:
Certificate and AA
• Introduction to Plant Biology
• Water Science
• Soils Science
• Irrigation
• Integrated Pest Management
• Equipment
• Plant Identification
• Crops and Climate
• Intro Greenhouse Management
• Science of Compost & Compost
Tea
JFKU:
Bachelors of Science
• History of Agriculture
• Intro to AgroEcology
• Hi-Tech Greenhouse Mgmt
• Food Systems and Food Justice
• Food Distribution and Marketing
• Introduction to Permaculture
• Advanced IPM
• Plant Physiology
• Advanced Water Science
• Advanced Soils Science
• Ag Business
• Ag Law and Public Policy
35. Benefit: PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT
1. Using Recycled Water otherwise discharged into the Bay
2. Conservation of Soil
3. Plants and Soil sequester carbon
4. Reducing carbon footprint of food system
1. Growing and delivering locally
2. Natural fertilizer in recycled water
3. Sustainable methods
4. Water not pumped long distances
5. Environmental Education
6. Showcasing Green Businesses
7. Sustainable Living Center
37. SCALABLE
1 TRILLION GALLONS
5,000+ ACRES BUFFER LAND
160,000 HUNGRY; 40,000 CHILDREN
1. Ironhouse Sanitary District
2. Delta Diablo Sanitation District
3. Dublin-San Ramon Service District
4. Rodeo Sanitary District
5. West County Sanitary District
6. EBMUD
38. NEXT 3 YEARS
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
• Fencing
• Irrigation
• Greenhouse
• Hydroponic Equipment
• Barn
MAJOR PLANTINGS
• Green Manure Crop
• Citrus Trees
• Teaching Gardens
• Edible Forest
• Herb Gardens
43. CoCo San Sustainable Farm
A Project of AgLantis TM
Dr. Carolyn Phinney
President, Executive Director AgLantis TM
62 Scenic Drive
Orinda, CA 94563
925-788-7374 cell
SustainableFarm@Comcast.net
www.Salads4Schools.org
44. Global Warming is Increasing the Food Crisis
CoCo Food Bank Serves about 160,000/Month, 28%
Children
Mt. Diablo Unified School District Serves 3,750,000
Meals/Year, all with produce, but much is not fresh with
depleted nutritional value
Household Food Insecurity in 2008-2010 in California:
15.9%
UN predicts 6,000,000 will be hungry by 2080
UN says worldwide food production must increase 70% in
next 50 years
CURRENT METHODS CAN NOT SUSTAIN THE POPULATION