Carolyn Steel: How food shapes our cities

How do you feed a city?

The speaker discusses the challenges of feeding cities and the dependence on the natural world for food production. The increasing urbanization and meat consumption pose significant problems in feeding the growing population.

Feeding Cities: A Global Challenge

• It is remarkable that cities are able to get fed considering the amount of food that needs to be produced, transported, bought, sold, cooked, eaten, and disposed of every day.

• As more people move into cities, more natural landscapes are transformed into agricultural land to meet the demand for food.

• A significant portion of grain crops globally is used to feed animals instead of humans, which is an inefficient way of feeding the population.

• By 2050, it is estimated that twice as many people will be living in cities and there will be an increase in meat and dairy consumption.

• This poses a major problem as it requires finding sustainable ways to feed a growing population.

Unsustainable Practices

• Rainforests are being lost at an alarming rate each year to create new arable land while existing arable land is also being lost due to salinization and erosion.

• The production of food requires a high amount of fossil fuels. Approximately 10 calories are needed to produce every calorie consumed in the West.

• Despite the high cost of food production, a significant amount goes to waste. In the USA alone, half of the produced food is thrown away.

• These unsustainable practices result in global trade in food being controlled by just five multinational corporations.

Urbanism and Diet

• With urbanization comes an adoption of Western diets which are unsustainable when projected into the future.

• The speaker highlights that around 10,000 years ago was when agriculture and urbanism began in ancient Near East known as the Fertile Crescent.

• Agriculture and cities are interconnected as agriculture provided a stable food source that supported permanent settlements.

• Ancient cities were centered around grain and harvest, with temples acting as central food distribution centers.

• Rome, with its access to the sea, imported food from distant places, shaping its hinterland through its appetite.

Historical Examples

• Ancient Rome imported oysters from London, showcasing the extent of their food trade.

• In the 17th century, London relied on grain transported along the Thames and had dedicated grain markets leading up to the main market at Cheapside.

• Fish was also transported by river, and Billingsgate served as London's fish market until the mid-1980s.

The Relationship Between Agriculture and Urbanism

The speaker explores how agriculture and urbanism are intertwined throughout history. The discovery of grain by ancient ancestors led to permanent settlements supported by agriculture. Temples played a crucial role in organizing harvests and distributing grain to sustain cities.

Agriculture and Permanent Settlements

• The discovery of grain provided a large and stable enough food source for ancient ancestors to establish permanent settlements.

• Compact settlements surrounded by productive farmland emerged as a result of agriculture's ability to support communities.

Temples as Food Distribution Centers

• Ancient cities had large temple complexes that acted as spiritualized central food distribution centers.

• Temples organized harvests, collected grain offerings for gods, and redistributed uneaten grains back to the people.

Feeding Large Cities like Rome

• Rome relied on importing food from distant regions due to its access to the sea.

• This allowed them to overcome transportation challenges in the pre-industrial world where roads were rough and perishable goods spoiled quickly.

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the need for sustainable solutions in feeding cities. Understanding historical relationships between agriculture, urbanism, and food distribution can provide insights into addressing the challenges of feeding a growing urban population.

The Need for Sustainable Solutions

• The current practices of food production, distribution, and consumption are unsustainable.

• Finding sustainable ways to feed the growing urban population is crucial for the future.

Historical Insights

• Examining historical examples such as ancient Rome and London provides insights into how cities have fed themselves in the past.

• Understanding the interplay between agriculture, urbanism, and food distribution can inform sustainable solutions for feeding cities today.

New Section

This section discusses the historical significance of food in shaping cities and how the introduction of trains and cars changed our relationship with food and cities.

Food Shaping Cities

• London's meat market, Smithfield, was located in the northwest because much of London's meat came from Scotland and Wales. Poultry came from East Anglia to the northeast.

• The names of streets in old cities often give clues about their history with food. For example, Friday Street was where people bought fish on Fridays.

• In the past, streets and public spaces were the only places where food was bought and sold. People were aware of where their food came from.

Changes with Trains and Cars

• The introduction of trains allowed animals to be transported into cities more efficiently, leading to the growth of larger cities that were not constrained by geography.

• With trains, animals were no longer walked into markets but slaughtered out of sight in the countryside before being brought into the city by rail. This marked a significant change in our relationship with food.

• Cars further disconnected people from their food sources as they could drive to supermarkets on the outskirts instead of relying on local markets within the city. This led to a shift in how we value and trust our food.

Sitopia: Using Food as a Tool for Change

• Sitopia is an alternative concept that recognizes our world is already shaped by food and suggests using it as a powerful tool to shape society differently.

• Food should be at the center of family life, celebrated, enjoyed, and given time for appreciation. It requires people who think ahead, plan, and have knowledge about different types of foods.

New Section

This section explores the irony of modern food systems, which have made obtaining food easier but have distanced us from our relationship with nature and made us dependent on unsustainable systems.

Irony of Modern Food Systems

• Modern food systems have made it easier to build cities anywhere, but this has distanced us from our important relationship with nature.

• We have become dependent on systems that are unsustainable and can only be delivered by these modern food systems.

Historical Utopian Visions

• Thomas More's book "Utopia" envisioned semi-independent city-states where people farmed, grew vegetables in their gardens, and ate communal meals together. Food was a fundamental ordering principle in this vision.

• Ebenezer Howard's concept of "The Garden City" also emphasized arable land around metropolitan areas connected by railways, with food as an ordering principle. However, the actual implementation did not align with his vision.

Sitopia: A Conceptual Tool for Change

• Sitopia is proposed as an alternative to Utopian ideas, recognizing that we already live in a world shaped by food. By realizing this, we can use food as a powerful tool to shape society differently.

• Sitopia envisions a society where food is at the center of life and family celebrations, where people take time for it and value its importance. It requires individuals who think ahead and have knowledge about different types of foods.

The Importance of Local Food and Community Projects

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the significance of local food and community projects in creating a sustainable and interconnected environment.

Recognizing the Value of Local Food

• Without local food, it is impossible to have a place that integrates food production with the landscape.

• Local food allows for a connection between what is grown and consumed, rather than treating it as a commodity from an unknown source.

• The speaker mentions "cows with a view" and "steaming piles of humus" as examples of how local food brings together various elements.

• These initiatives are considered community projects that aim to reconnect people with nature.

Reconnecting with Nature through Projects

• The speaker shares an example of visiting a greenhouse in Toronto where children learn about growing their own food.

• Such projects play a crucial role in reestablishing our connection with nature.

Seeing Cities as Productive Organic Frameworks

This section focuses on changing our perception of cities by recognizing them as productive organic frameworks connected to food production.

Sitopia: A New Way of Seeing

• Sitopia refers to recognizing the existence of small pockets where sustainable practices already exist.

• The goal is to connect these pockets using food as a lens to view cities differently.

• By doing so, cities can be seen as part of a productive organic framework rather than unproductive entities.

Shifting Towards Permaculture

• The speaker highlights the need to move away from conventional methods of food production shown in an image depicting large-scale agriculture.

• Instead, permaculture should be embraced, which involves designing systems that mimic natural ecosystems.

Rethinking the Relationship Between City and Countryside

This section explores the relationship between cities and the countryside, emphasizing the importance of good governance and its impact on food systems.

Ambrogio Lorenzetti's "Allegory of Good Government"

• The speaker refers to a 650-year-old painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti called "Allegory of Good Government."

• The painting depicts the interdependence between cities and the countryside.

• It conveys the message that if cities take care of the countryside, it will reciprocate by taking care of the city.

Urgent Questions for Today

• The speaker poses a thought-provoking question: What would an allegory of good government look like in today's context?

• This question highlights the urgency to address issues related to food systems and governance.

• Understanding that our well-being is directly influenced by what we consume is crucial.