Since our current food system gives us the freedom to go to the grocery store and buy any type of food packaged up on a shelf, the connection between the consumer and where food comes from is often lost and taken for granted. But all of our nourishment comes from the earth and that connection needs to be rekindled. We need to connect ourselves to our food to appreciate how important the Earth is to human existence, just like all other life, and to remember that we are a part of nature. Growing food in our own backyards is one way to foster this connection. People have been gardening for thousands of years, so through growing our own food from the land, we can learn skills that our ancestors have passed down to our generations and connect with history as well.

Cherry tomatoes from my best friend’s garden // Source: Siobhan Mullally

Growing our own food has so many benefits. The health benefits alone are plenty: gardening provides fresh produce, an opportunity to get fresh air and physical activity, and for many individuals, a way to de-stress. Many people have expressed their stress relief through gardening since the act of growing something in the soil takes you to the present moment where you can focus on your own hands planting seeds, weeding, and watering. In our current world, we can get so caught up in our work, our to-do lists, our future worries. With long hours on our computers and our phones always by our sides, it feels like there is no rest from the notifications and all the thoughts that come associated with them. I just finished my undergraduate degree and on my first day of “freedom”, I sat in my room and didn’t know what to do. I had to make a list of “things to do when you don’t know what to do” because my brain was so untrained to accept rest and free time. This is a product of the fast-paced, capitalist world we live in. But last summer, I visited my best friend’s house and helped her garden. When we were digging in the soil, spreading mulch, and watering flowers, there was no space to worry about other things. It was just me and the earth and the present moment. I think gardening can help us reduce our eco-anxiety and whatever other anxieties we feel by giving us this sense of peace.

In addition to growing food, planting native wildflowers is another way to garden that can improve native biodiversity, support pollinator and wildlife communities, and create beautiful, low-maintenance spaces of your yard to enjoy. Planting native vegetation is key to helping create and restore ecosystems for native wildlife.

“By planting vegetables or flowers, we can take those small steps towards sustainability in our own little corner of the world.”

Throughout history, people have planted non-native plants from different areas of the world usually for aesthetic reasons. Many of those non-native plants have since spread, dominated ecosystems, outcompeted important native species, and changed natural areas for the worse. Native plants are so important to support biodiversity and restore natural habitats for other wildlife. In the first article I wrote for A\J, I talked about ecological restoration and how individuals can help restore nature in their own backyard spaces. We all have an impact and we can all make those impacts positive. By planting vegetables or flowers, we can take those small steps towards sustainability in our own little corner of the world.

A mulberry from my mom’s backyard // Source: Siobhan Mullally

Gardening is such a wonderful way to connect to the earth, but it becomes a problem for those of us who do not have any space to do so. If you’re like me and you don’t have your own land to create a garden, there are other ways to plant and create mobile gardens. You can plant vegetables, herbs, or flowers in small pots in your house or apartment, on a balcony or porch, or in window boxes. You can also seek out local community gardens in your neighbourhood and look into renting or sharing a garden space there. There are options to be sustainable for nearly everyone and there continue to be more inclusive options as our communities move in the right direction.

If gardening just isn’t your thing or you can’t make it work for you, that’s okay. We’re all connected to nature and you can feel that just by going outside and appreciating what is around you. It starts with mindfulness. If you go outside, whether you are in your backyard, on a city street, or in a park, you can be intentional about what you focus on. Mindfulness teaches us to be present and aware of our surroundings. Being mindful in nature is paying attention to all the little details of nature around us. A mosaic of pinecones and leaves on your lawn, a fuzzy caterpillar crossing the sidewalk, birds singing to each other, the soft sound of wind blowing through trees, the feel of grass beneath your shoe soles. These details can ground you in nature and allow you to zoom in closer and feel like you are a part of it, not separate from it. It really comes down to establishing and fostering a relationship with nature whether you are planting a wildflower garden, growing tomatoes on your balcony, or taking a walk around your block and paying attention to the world around you.

Observing pollinators on my walk home from school // Source: Siobhan Mullally

“By stepping outside, not only are you getting a good dose of fresh oxygen, serotonin, vitamin D, and maybe a pretty sunset out of it – you’re reconnecting with the earth. The ground you’re walking on. The plants and animals that you coexist with. The little delights that live and thrive and breathe and walk and live all around you. And if we keep connecting with these things, I hope we will feel a little bit more grounded in our own backyards, realizing that we’re part of nature and we can take care of it in the footsteps of people who have done so for many generations. We can get to know the names of the species around us, the bird calls, the texture of the grass outside, the smell of the soil in our gardens. These details are important – they are vital to upholding the connection we have to the Earth. And we will be able to fight for this planet and remedy our eco-anxiety if we keep tending to the relationship we have with nature.” -Siobhan Mullally, “A Being in Nature: How the Mourning Dove’s Call of Inspiration Quieted My Busy Mind”

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The traditional purpose of gardens was to grow and cultivate plants for food and medicine. For centuries, it has provided individuals with the opportunity to learn more about the environment and better appreciate nature. Gardens have become a widespread practice in schools across the globe. Implementing garden-based teaching incorporates concrete experiences that contribute to the understanding of many topics in the classroom curriculum. It is interesting to see how school gardens can differ between regions and how a global pandemic has impacted school gardens. Families have turned to gardening to ease the mental and emotional strain that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on residents when the need for education surrounding nutrition and health is more critical than ever. Overall, this article aims to analyze the impact school gardens have on an individual’s wellbeing and environmental awareness.

Benefits and Challenges

School gardens can have a positive impact on an individual’s mental health providing students with a sense of autonomy as well as a feeling of belonging. The advantages of school gardens are numerous. For instance, a study done by UNICEF reported that the average happiness for children is the highest for children who play outdoors. Moreover, the memorable learning experiences provided by a school garden helps students link their learning to their feelings. Such engaging experiences like these stay with the students as they grow up and affect their behavior and lifestyle. They also influence the students’ values and decision-making skills. When students are given opportunities to take care of and maintain a school garden, they develop an increased sense of responsibility towards the environment and improve their social interaction skills by working in groups and communicating their experiences. They also experience enjoyment from watching their products grow and sharing their produce with their community. Additionally, school gardens can instill healthy eating habits in students by exposing them to fruits and vegetables, which makes them favor natural produce. However, the benefits of school gardens are still not enough to overcome the challenges that are facing these gardens. For example, school gardens suffer from a lack of funding from the school districts and those gardens rely on contributions from the community members. In addition, school gardens are constrained by the national curriculum guidelines that do not allow teachers to try different approaches with their students.

Source: Unsplash

School Gardens Across the World

School gardens supply outdoor learning and access to healthy food for students and local communities. As the global food supply chains have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, access to healthy food options and nutrition is more important than ever. Outdoor learning and school gardens help fill nutritional gaps in places where access to healthy food may be limited, while also supplying recreation, stress reduction opportunities and supply a safe outdoor learning environment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the international level, the World Food Programme has supported Home Grown School Feeding initiatives at the community level. These initiatives work to promote nutrition education and better eating habits, and encourage the diversification of production with a special emphasis on local crops. Community involvement, in turn, enhances the sustainability of programs.

Many countries decided to tackle the challenges of food security by educating the younger members of society on how to grow their own crops. Indeed, across many countries, we have seen an increase in school community gardens due to the current spread of the COVID- 19 pandemic. For example, children in El Salvador have grown vegetable gardens in the communities and inspired young people and adults in seeking to replicate their initiative to secure their food and avoid the high market prices affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, at least 700 children from across India are now bound together in a microgreens project initiated by Chennai-based E-zone India, a company that does environment projects with and for school children. Founder Hafiz Khan says that the lockdown helped to convert the program into live WhatsApp video sessions with students from anywhere in the world learning how to nurture their school gardens and home gardens. Another example is happening in Papua New Guinea, in the city of Lae, where the launch of a new garden program for secondary schools represents an approach to reduce outside dependence on the external food supply and building community hubs that can help the health and economic recovery from the pandemic.

Since multiple countries are undertaking similar projects, we are left asking how the meaning of school gardens has changed during these challenging times? Children used to be involved in gardening projects at school to be close to nature and enjoy outdoor activities. Now though, learning how to grow your own food is essential for your survival, not just a mere hobby. Children are understanding the importance of learning how to nurture a garden and grow their own food. Indeed, their experience is leading them to be the protagonist of food security and sovereignty in their community, and they are proving to be engaged and successful in such endeavors.

Conclusion

It is imperative to acknowledge the influence school gardens have on students and their understanding of the environment. Schools across the nation have been implementing outdoor learning into their curriculum. This hands-on teaching style has displayed several benefits for the individuals involved. It has created a sense of community during this global pandemic. There are several challenges that could arise when trying to implement a new school garden. Funding and government policies are some of the leading problems preventing schools from executing this learning technique. However, around the world, schools are trying to overcome these obstacles and standardize the use of school gardens. As previously mentioned, gardening has become much more than just a hobby. Not only does it result in the production of food, but it has also become a new teaching method for the younger generations.

This article is part of our March 2021 Western Student Editorial Series – a series that showcases the works of students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability program. Read more articles from this series here!

References

Basu, S. (2020). Budding kitchen farmers. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/the-covid-19-lockdown-has-encouraged-children-across-the-country-to-create-their-own-microgreen-farms-at-home/article32041705.ece

Berezowitz, C. K., Bontrager Yoder, A. B., & Schoeller, D. A. (2015). School gardens enhance academic performance and dietary outcomes in children. Journal of School Health, 85(8), 508-518.  https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12278

Borbon, C. (2020). Children grow vegetable gardens in El Salvador to survive COVID-19 pandemic, The Gulf News. Retrieved from: https://gulfnews.com/photos/lifestyle/children-grow-vegetable-gardens-in-el-salvador-to-survive-covid-19-pandemic-1.1598003097530

Cornish, L. (2020). Can school gardens help alleviate the economic impact of COVID-19 in the Pacific. Devex. Retrieved from https://www.devex.com/news/can-school-gardens-help-alleviate-the-economic-impact-of-covid-19-in-the-pacific-98161

DeMarco, L. W., Relf, D., & McDaniel, A. (1999). Integrating gardening into the elementary school curriculum. HortTechnology, 9(2), 276-281. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.9.2.276

Evans, D. & Davies, J. (2020). 4 reasons why the world needs more urban farming post-pandemic. World Economic Forum. Retrieved from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/09/urban-farming-flourish-post-pandemic/

Food Corps. (July 22, 2020). Growing Healthy Communities in School Gardens during COVID-19. Retrieved from https://foodcorps.org/growing-healthy-communities-in-school-gardens-during-covid-19/

Gromada, A., Rees, G., & Chzhen, Y. (2020). Worlds of Influence: Understanding What Shapes Child Well-being in Rich Countries. Retrieved from https://www.unicefirc.org/publications/pdf/Report-Card-16-Worlds-of-Influence-child-wellbeing.pdf

Ozer, E. J. (2007). The effects of school gardens on students and schools: Conceptualization and considerations for maximizing healthy development. Health Education & Behavior, 34(6), 846-863. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198106289002

Passy, R. (2014). School gardens: Teaching and learning outside the front door. Education 3-13, 42(1), 23-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2011.636371

Waite, S. (2007). Memories are made of this: Some reflections on outdoor learning and recall. Education 3-13, 35(4), 333-347. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004270701602459

World Food Programme WFP (2020). Home Grown School Feeding. Retrieved from  https://www.wfp.org/home-grown-school-feeding

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There’s nothing funny in the above paragraph. Which is ironic given that no one here at Alternatives Journal (A\J) who had the pleasure of working with (or even just meeting with) Wayne went away without smiling. The subject matters that interested Wayne most were also important and very serious matters, yet our team members first recall the witty headline suggestions and the self-deprecating asides. Don’t get us wrong; the deep ponderings and unique perspectives that Wayne shared with our readers in A\J issues throughout the years were always a feast of food-for-thoughts. You don’t become an ’eminence gris’ without earning the accolades, which Wayne did as individual Canadians, government officials, leading corporations and impactful charitable organizations came to appreciate Wayne’s persistent advocacy for more secure food systems to benefit all Canadians.

We all – all Canadians – have benefited from Wayne’s insights and ideas as they’ve shaped policy and planted the seeds for more meaningful actions to ensure that access to affordable and healthy food choices are available to each and everyone of us.

“When someone in Toronto goes to a farmers’ market or they harvest from a community garden or they see that their local grocery store has more local food in it — Wayne played a vital role in making that happen,” Mike Schreiner, Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario leader said.

“He is the godfather of good food policy for Canada for the things that he contributed to food policy in Toronto and Canada at large,” mentioned Anan Lololi, executive director of Afri-Can FoodBasket.

And, as mentioned, we were fortunate to have Wayne share his wisdom and witticisms with our readers on a frequent basis, starting in the mid-00s. His frequent collaborator on our side is long-timer A\Jer and our Publisher Emerita, Marcia Ruby. Marcia shared her thoughts with as as she reflected on Wayne’s involvment and impact our our own work – and the legendary legacy he leaves for others to follow.

In early 2000s, Wayne reached out to A/J to ensconce the idea of food sovereignty in food conversation and policy (29:4, 2003). Food issues have been one of the most popular issue themes here at Alternatives, performing the best on newsstands, and referred to by researchers and activists.

Three years later, for the same reason, Wayne led the editorial charge to scale up on Canada’s food security measures. (32:3)

had many conversations with Wayne apart from his issues and articles. He was generous in contributing advice and strategy for Alternatives, quite separate from editorial. He was a connector– sometimes he’d refer writers working on cutting edge research to me and I’d often refer budding food activist students to Wayne. Not many months would pass without an email exchange or two.

Wayne would always add a special splash to any line of copy, including this, the last line in the editorial for Food Securtiy:

Welcome to food sovereignty: crisp and eager, with a note of the commons, an undertone of nature, a good nose and a sharp finish.

We were very fortunate in 2007 when Wayne agreed to join the A\J’s editorial board, the roundtable of luminaries who help shape issue themes and story ideas. Not a Food issue went by that Wayne did not contribute to. One of the memorable articles was “Eat This Recession” (35:6, 2009) where Wayne crunched a bunch of numbers to show the virtuous results of several approaches including green roofs and a four-day work week. It was so thick with numbers that our editor, Nicola Ross, was compelled to send it to several referees. She had so many opposing views that she wrote a little intro, shared these views and invited others to offer theirs. And I summarized these scenarios by working with an artist to create diagrams of each. One of the higher maintenance but rewarding things I’ve done at A\J. It was a lot to chew and pretty popular.

I sent him this note this past Sunday.

Hi Wayne

You are one inspiring man, Mr. Roberts! Thank you for the years of guidance and for all of your contributions to the food movement – in Alternatives and the ocean of other initiatives and thinking that you have created over the years. So much of your generous and sage advice came my way (always delivered in good humor and your infectious giggle, hence, whenever I think of you, I see your face and your great big grin).

Wayne, I’ve got to say, you get the prize for most innovative and entertaining writing on food in Alternatives! “Digest This!” “Eat This Recession” and “Eating Insects: Waiter, There’s no Fly in My Soup” to name but a few.

Love you lots Wayne.

Marcia

Wayne’s contribution, Eat This Recession, in a 2009 issue of Alternatives Journal (A\J)

Nicola Ross, A\J editor from the mid-00s to 2011, also remembers Wayne fondly:

Wayne had the best laugh and the most positive outlook. So smart and he came up with what I think was the best article title during my tenure. On his article about eating insects, the title was “Waiter, there’s no Fly in my Soup.”

Wayne most recently wrote for us in 2017, contributing Radical Food Resistance to our, you guessed it, FOOD issue that year. You can read it yourself – actually, you really should – as he started the article as follows:

I feel totally torn about what I’m going to write here. I’ve been working mostly from the right side of my brain since I became a food enthusiast 20 years ago, but now I feel my left brain calling me to pay more attention to logic and analysis. My right brain tells me we have chalked up a string of successes over the past two decades, and should continue building on that momentum.

Indeed, few social movements can claim as impressive a list of accomplishments as food movements, advances made almost entirely through the efforts of young volunteers, poorly paid employees of grassroots groups and mindful shoppers.

As an organization dedicated to crafting and delivering entertaining and enlightening environmental storytelling, we always knew we could count on Wayne to lift our spirits and expand our mental horizons. We were so very fortunate to have shared those stories with you, our readers, as it gave us an opportunity to meet the man himself. And, as you can read from the above anecdotes and special notes, we are so profoundly grateful for that opportunity.

Please enjoy Wayne Robert’s writing in A\J.

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…including ways we can right our environmental wrongs and help nature thrive…”

I do not believe that humans are inherently bad for nature. In history, humans lived harmoniously with nature for generations, living as an intertwined part of nature rather than separate from or in control of it. In fact, even today, in many places in the world, healthy ecosystems actually depend on human intervention and stewardship to thrive.

Does that mean the problem is that humans aren’t living in harmony with nature anymore, as we should be? Well, that may be a piece of it; however, in addition to being better environmental stewards by taking measures to protect the environment, I also believe that we should be taking reactive measures to fix the problems we have already caused. This is where ecological restoration comes into play. There are plenty of things individuals can do to help the environment, including ways we can right our environmental wrongs and help nature thrive in places it used to. Ecological restoration is just that – righting the wrongs, repairing the relationship.

WHAT? – Defining Ecological Restoration

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) is the leading organization in ecological restoration across the globe. SER defines ecological restoration as “the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed”^[1]. In other words, ecological restoration involves looking at spaces that used to be natural areas that have been ruined in some way as a result of human activities and disturbances, and then taking measures to turn those areas back into functional ecosystems.

The process of ecosystem restoration // SOURCE: Medium

An example of this process in a community could be transforming a damaged, unused parking lot space into a city park where native vegetation can be planted. A larger scale project might look like reverting a decommissioned, highly polluted mine site back into a thriving natural ecosystem. But, wait. Isn’t this supposed to be about how individuals can practice ecological restoration? Absolutely! Ecological restoration does include large scale projects, research, and experiments, since restoration ecology is an academic field of study. But the concept of restoring natural spaces can also be scaled down to the local, household level. So let’s get into what ecological restoration has to do with YOU.

WHY? – The Benefits

Before we discuss the how, we should discuss the why. Why should you care about ecological restoration? Because it benefits you!

Restoring natural areas can do wonders for human health and wellbeing by making our communities healthier and more desirable places to live. For example, transforming degraded areas into functional, natural spaces may improve air and water quality. Ecological restoration projects could also combat climate change, since plant life takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and cools our environment.

Natural areas also directly benefit human mental health and wellbeing by providing recreational outdoor space, and making urban and suburban areas more aesthetically pleasing. Several studies, including one conducted by the NASA Earth Observatory, have shown the link between positive mental health and both the accessibility and proximity to green spaces. Green spaces are valued by many for enjoyment, boosting their mood, and inspiring deeper connections with nature. To break it down: Ecological restoration = more parks and gardens = more outdoor fun and good-looking cities = happier people.

Ecological restoration projects also usually provide increased and improved habitat spaces for wildlife. Now, I know this article is focused on why ecological restoration is relevant to people, and you are probably not a butterfly or toad looking for habitat, but hear me out. Some very important species are at risk of extinction since their habitat needs are becoming harder to meet in this era of urbanization and climate change. Many natural areas have been reduced or destroyed, and the animals who need to live in those spaces are struggling to survive in many cases. The karner blue butterfly is just one of many examples of a pollinator species that has gone locally extinct in Ontario.

The Karner Blue Butterfly // SOURCE: Nature Canada

Pollinators are especially valuable species for the health of the entire planet, so we really can’t afford to lose any more of them. It is estimated that up to 95% of flowering plants depend on pollination^[2]. In terms of plants that humans eat, that means roughly one out of every three bites of food that you take exists because of pollinators. So if pollinators can’t find habitats and continue to decline, our entire global food system could be at stake. Now that is a scary thought. Allow me to bring back the optimism. It is truly amazing that we have the capability to stop those environmental dooms from happening, and a key method to do so is ecological restoration!

HOW? – The Actions

The individual’s role in ecological restoration is simple: transform your areas with little to no diversity into biodiverse paradises, and take part in local community projects.

One great starting point for figuring out where you should do ecological restoration is identifying areas outdoors that have little to nothing growing there. The average North American lawn is a great example of this. What comes to mind when you think of a lawn? Probably an expanse of short, uniform grass. Let me explain why lawns are one of the areas with the most potential for ecological restoration at the household level.

Lawns are very common green spaces in urban and suburban areas, yet they have no ecological value. Many lawns actually do more harm than good for the environment because they require lots of water and can even release more greenhouse gases than they absorb. It is nonsensical that these precious areas of green space are being wasted on lawn grass!

The key to remember here is simply – restore your green spaces so they are welcoming to a diversity of species in order to create functional ecosystems and promote sustainability.

nstead of having a boring, homogenous lawn, you can transform that space into something more beautiful and ecologically-beneficial! Alternative lawns may look different depending on where you live and what kind of space you have available, but planting a diversity of native plants is a good start. Using a diversity of plants, meaning plants of different species, is important to create habitats. The more diverse your space is, the more types of pollinators and other species it will accommodate, and the more functional the ecosystem will be! If you take pride in the beauty of your yard, then now is the time to let your creativity shine! Check out Credit Valley Conservation’s tips and resources on how to “ecologically landscape” your lawn.

SOURCE: Hamilton Pollinator Paradise

If you don’t have the resources to completely change your lawn right away, don’t worry. You can also just let your grass grow longer instead of regularly cutting it, which can lower the lawn’s water requirements and still foster a space for pollinators. Even simply taking a break from raking leaves in the fall is a strategy to make your spaces more ecologically beneficial because leaf piles are actually super important spaces for small critters to live and hide, like butterfly larvae, salamanders, and shrews!

The key to remember here is simply – restore your green spaces so they are welcoming to a diversity of species in order to create functional ecosystems and promote sustainability.

 For those who don’t have a lawn and don’t have any areas where you can create habitats and gardens, there are still things you can do – just get involved. There are so many local ecological restoration community projects, practically across the whole globe. Finding a project near you that you can help with is just a few clicks away! Just research ecological restoration projects near you. You can also go to the project database on SER’s website to find some larger scale projects in your area if you’re interested in learning more! Many ecological restoration projects welcome volunteers with open arms. You could spend a day in nature by joining a team pulling invasive species in a natural area, or donate to a local initiative trying to turn an old landfill site into a park in your city, or even take a field trip to a conservation area! For example, the Ontario branch of SER hosts several field trips each year in order to introduce the public to restoration efforts near them. Even during the pandemic, they are hosting virtual field trips and webinars.

I study at the University of Waterloo and I like to go for walks on my study breaks. Recently, I took a walk in Filsinger Park, in Kitchener, and I found out that the Filsinger Park stream had been a restoration project. The city replaced the concrete stream channels with native vegetation to create a naturalized, functional stream ecosystem, and it is now a beautiful place to take a walk and appreciate nature! My point is, simply going for a walk and discovering ecological restoration in your city could be the first step in making your mark on the environment a positive one. Ecological restoration is relevant to you. We can all contribute to restoring natural spaces in our own backyards and communities. And by making these contributions, we can restore our relationship with nature, one step at a time.

^[1] Society for Ecological Restoration, “International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration: Second Edition” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ser.org/resource/resmgr/docs/ser_international_standards_.pdf>^[2] Ollerton J, Winfree R, and Tarrant S, “How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals?” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x>

^[2] Ollerton J, Winfree R, and Tarrant S, “How many flowering plants are pollinated by animals?” (accessed January 7, 2021) <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18644.x>

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Plastics should be a food group all on its own since most of the food we eat contain micro- and nanoplastics. Whether we like it to or not, plastics have become a hidden part of our diet. Fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood or bottled water are becoming laced with tiny pieces of plastics. While microplastics dominate the oceans, they along with nanoplastics dominate the soil. Microplastics have made waves in environmental awareness of their impact on the oceans and the aquatic life that consume them. However, they’ve been affecting us right on our plates in the terrestrial environment and in the air. Only recently have studies shown that they are indeed in our fruits and vegetables due to plastic contamination of soil and water used for crop irrigation.

Plastics have now been proven to be found inside fruits and vegetables

Source: Unsplash

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), microplastics are plastics 5 mm long. Whereas, nanoplastics are smaller than a micron, according to the Nature Research Journal. That’s the size of a grain of rice compared to that smaller than a human red blood cell (5 microns), respectively. The latter is smaller than the diameter of a human hair strand (75 microns)- that’s microscopically small. Nanoplastics can, therefore, have a greater negative impact in the environments that they exist as they cannot be seen with the naked eye like microplastics.

How did plastics get into the soil? The terrestrial environment is littered with macroplastics such as bottles, plastic bags, single-use straws and cutlery. The aging process of plastics including their degradation and disintegration rates differ based on the item. This process breaks down macroplastics into micro- and nanoplastics. According to the World Wildlife Fund, coffee pods can take up to 500 years to decompose, plastic bottles, 450 years and plastic straws 200 years. As with any object, the larger the surface area the easier it is to cleanup. However, once macroplastics are broken down into microplastics, anything of that size and beyond has irreversible impacts.

The lifespan of plastics after they are disposed of

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Therefore, downsizing the (plastic waste) problem is upsizing the negative environmental and human health impact. Globally, approximately 32% of plastic waste find their way into the soil and aquatic ecosystems. Terrestrial microplastics are more dominant than ocean plastics and depending on the environment can be 4 to 23 times higher according to a study by German researchers. While more research needs to be done on the impacts of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems we can certainly expect that over time the outcome would not be healthy. When would society realize that the plastics we use and dispose of improperly are affecting our health?

Nanoplastics are formed from degraded litter that is poorly disposed of

Source: Plant Experts

According to National Geographic, microplastics have been found in other food including seafood, salt, honey, sugar, honey, alcohol and beer. A study done by the University of Newcastle, Australia and commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund found that on a weekly basis, we can be consuming 5g of microplastics- that’s equivalent to the weight of a credit card.

Source: Kancil Awards

A study published in June 2020 by Nature Nanotechnology Journal showed that nanoplastics can accumulate in plants which can affect food safety and crop yield. The higher the nanoplastic concentration in the soil, the shorter the plant roots and lower the weight (41.7%- 51.5%). The electrical charge of the nanoplastics whether positive (found in root tips) or negative (found in apoplast and xylem), determined their location within the plant. The charge also influenced how much damage was done and whether the nanoplastics were absorbed by the plant. The location of the positively charged particles affected the plant’s health despite being in lower concentrations compared to negatively charged nanoplastics which were found in areas that transported fluids like water and essential nutrients within the plant.

Differently charged nanoplastics being uptaken by plant roots and the plant’s response

Source: Nature Nanotechnology

We’ve known for years that plastics are in our air, ocean and soil. And now finally we have the proof plastics are in the fruit and vegetables we feed to our children.” Sian Sutherland          Co-Founder of Environmental Campaign Group A Plastic Planet

Plants have been uptaking nanoplastics with water through their roots from the soil and contaminating our fruits and vegetables. Another recently published study in 2020 in the Environmental Research Journal on this topic by Dr. Conti and research team, showed that micro- and nanoplastics, depending on their size, are capable of penetrating plant cells in their roots, stems, leaves, seeds and fruits. Carrots appeared to be the most plastic-contaminated vegetable (with very small plastics 1.51 μm), while apples were the most plastic-tainted fruit. However, the study also found them existing in pears, broccoli and lettuce which are ranked in order of most to least contaminated amongst apples and carrots at both ends of the spectrum, respectively. Lettuce was found to have the largest pieces of microplastics at 2.52 μm. Compared to vegetables, fruits had a higher concentration of microplastics due to their age of trees (e.g. years vs. 60-75 days for vegetables like carrots), their greater complexity and size of their root system. Accumulation of nanoplastics of appropriate size can delay flowering and growth as they affect the uptake of essential plant nutrients.  

We are aware of the culprit and their entry point into plants, but how are they moving into the food we eat? A study on the uptake of microplastics in crop plants such as wheat and lettuce published in July 2020 in the Nature Sustainability Journal confirmed that movement is promoted through the act of transpirational pull. The higher the pull, the greater the force allowing nano- and microplastics to move from the roots to the edible above-ground parts of the crops easily. The study found that these plastic particles had some degree of flexibility which made it easier for them to squeeze into root cells. This study also highlighted that wastewater which is usually used to irrigate crops globally are also contaminated with microplastics and are another source apart from those in the soil. Crops grown in fields contaminated with sewage sludges or wastewater treatment discharges are prone to having more micro- and nanoplastics.

Potential sources, transport pathways and ecological risks of plastics in the soil

Adapted from Source: Environmental Pollution Journal

If it is getting into vegetables, it is getting into everything that eats vegetables as well, which means it is in our meat and dairy too”.  Maria Westerbos                  Founder of environmental group Plastic Soup Foundation

While fruits and vegetables are potentially the most commonly consumed food source globally compared to meat and seafood, it’s not something that can be eliminated from our diet. At present, the impacts of nanoplastics on human health are unknown but can imaginably be negative.

With the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables being compromised, I’m curious to see what solutions, rules and regulations will be established in the future and concerned about the resultant health impacts.

Once again humans have managed to allow their pollution to come back to bite them in the food that they bite. Since fruits and vegetables cannot be removed from our diet anthropogenic induced pollution can only be stopped if industries reduce the production of plastics, governments impose bans on single-use plastics, consumers do not litter but recycle when possible or attempt to be Strong and Plastic-Free. Similarly, switching to environmentally friendly alternatives and looking into the 10 R’s for discontinuing the plastic cycle may help reduce the quantity of plastics we use in our daily lives.

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To learn about the existence of 1.9 million pieces of microplastics in 1m² on the seafloor, see the article Two Million Too Many.

Akin to measuring your carbon footprint, the World Wildlife Fund and Your Plastic Diet have created a short Plastic Test to help you determine how much plastic you’re consuming and what you can do about it.

The post Plastic Food appeared first on A\J.

I took a sip of the beer that was nested in my hand and looked around the room. When they said the event was called “Green Drinks”, I was under the impression the beer would be green. To my disappointment, it was not.

The event* was being held by a non-profit called LEN, or London Environmental Network, in celebration of the London Brewing Co-op receiving organic certification. LEN has been connecting like-minded, local, environmental businesses together since 2015. At first, I was reluctant to go to this event. Over the past few years of my professional career, networking has always been a pain in my side that I pretended didn’t exist. But one cannot say NO to organic beer.

Now making my way through my Masters in Sustainability (Western University’s Centre for Environment & Sustainability is part of LEN), I have really come to understand the importance of networking and fully appreciate the work LEN does. By lifting smaller environmental organizations up who might have struggled to make it on their own, these businesses can share resources and network beyond their inner circles at workshops and conferences.

I took another sip of my beer. At the podium was LEN’s Executive Director, Skylar Franke. She was speaking about the latest news on LEN’s Environmental Incubator Project. “The project,” she mentioned, “allows local businesses to pitch environmental ideas and, in return, LEN will support them with coaching and financing needs to make this idea come to life”.

“One of the recent Environmental Incubator Programs is the Pollinator Pathways project…” she went on. I recognized the creator of this project, my prof, Dr. Gabor Sass. From what I knew, the purpose of the project was to encourage citizens and businesses along the Dundas corridor in London to plant pollinator gardens to support local bee populations. The idea of mowing natural spaces to fit in with a concrete jungle aesthetic has always irked me, I made a mental note to check out the gardens next time I jog downtown.

Another program run through the Environmental Incubator is the Community Composting Program. Since the municipality doesn’t collect compost through curbside pickup, Urban Roots, the leader of the project, has offered to take organic waste which would normally end up in a landfill. In my experience working as an environmental consultant specializing in organic waste, I know people want to compost in London but don’t know how or don’t see it as simple. And while London still has a long way to go in terms of composting, this program is a great first step.

Programs like these wouldn’t be able to run without the support of LEN.

After her speech, Skylar Franke came to speak to the crowd. We spoke briefly about her path and how she became the Executive Director for LEN. After her speech, I listened to Jeff Pastorius talk about an organic delivery service called On the Move Organics, as well as Becca Minielly from the Organic Council of Ontario. Not knowing much about the organic movement, the event allowed me to peer into a new social circle I would have not met otherwise.

I was glad I went.

*BC (Before Covid-19)

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Born into a farming family in a small town where corn stalks reign supreme, I saw firsthand the physical effort and mental stamina it takes to be a farmer. I watched my father work 12+-hour days, oftentimes for weeks on end.

While completing my bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, I began to learn about the environmental problems resulting from modern farming techniques used across the world: algal blooms in lakes from nitrogen and phosphorus run off; synthetic hormones and pharmaceuticals in factory farming; or the massive amounts of methane entering our atmosphere from raising livestock. I witnessed handfuls of protests and rallies, a few of which my close friends participated in, all sharing the same message: modern, technology-driven agriculture is ruining the world.

It was during this time I faced an internal conflict. How could my father participate in such a system? Are farmers like my father really turning a blind eye and simply disregarding the environmental degradation that comes with modern farming?

Here is what I’ve always understood: a healthy natural environment is the very thing farmers depend on for their income – an unbalanced natural ecosystem means a poor farmer. In other words, why would a singer want to purposely damage their vocal cords?  Perhaps the burden lies in the tools and procedures farmers must use to feed our growing population.  And our population keeps on growing.

In 1900, the average Canadian farmer grew enough food to feed about 10 people; by 2014, that same farmer now had to feed 120 people in the same timeframe. Today, that number is likely even higher. Yes, we have been increasing our ability produce more food per acre by modernizing farm equipment, improving irrigation methods, and using crop ration. But we cannot forget this success was also by the means of pesticides, hormones, genetic modification, and other developments which sit at the core of an environmentalist’s angst.

Our food productivity rates are now beginning to slow down, while population growth is not. Farmers must use the tools they have at their disposal to keep up with population demand. Unless we provide farmers with more environmentally friendly options proven to be equally, if not more, efficient than current methods like pesticides and insecticides, we cannot condemn the farmer. At least not if we want to keep eating.

Farms are changing. Canadian farmers represent an aging population, with the average farmer in their mid-fifties. As Michael Pollan said in the New York Times, “as a society, we devalued farming as an occupation and encouraged the best students to leave the farm for better jobs in the city”. Moreover, smaller farms are becoming obsolete – and, as a result, we are witnessing further consolidation of mega-farms, which will continue to leverage their economies of scale to operate as efficiently at possible, filling a demand that will only intensify as more farmers retire.  

We need to find better solutions which pose less strain on the environment, without sacrificing farmer yields. 

A possible solution lies in harnessing population growth and rethinking our food consumption. Project Drawdown listed family planning as one of the most effective solutions to solving our climate crisis, partially because it may relieve the strain on our current food systems. However, as the authors mentioned, linking family planning with the health of the natural environment remains controversial and, after all, farmers are more interested in planting more seeds!

Regardless of the controversy, should our planet reach 9.8 billion people by 2050 as current predictions show, we will need to feed all these people and feed them efficiently. 

SOURCE: Pexels

To add to the problem, a third of all food produced by farmers worldwide goes to waste. In the global north, we overfill our plates, then toss our leftovers in the trash. We throw out a bruised apple or tomato if we think it looks ugly or undesirable. All while farmers work overtime to grow this food. Simultaneously, the global south lacks the proper infrastructure for the food to reach them at all, and once it does, they struggle to store it properly. Rather than challenge the status quo of our food systems, we often protest the small farmer relying on genetically modified seeds or insecticides to make a living.

I recognize global food systems are inherently complicated, and larger economic powers and political influences direct this system. However, one thing can be sure; while populations rise and we continue to demand an aesthetically pleasing, never ending supply of food, farmers will need to use modern, more intensive farming techniques. We need to find better solutions which pose less strain on the environment, without sacrificing farmer yields. 

I am proud to come from a farming family. I am also proud to consider myself an environmentalist. I have learned many lessons so far and I know there are things I still do not understand. But one thing that I am certain about is that I recognize we are fighting for the same team, not against each other.

The post Farm Beefs appeared first on A\J.

For the first time in approximately 7, maybe 8 weeks, I finally left my house this past weekend.

On March 20, I boarded a flight headed for my home of Barbados, unsure of when I would be returning to Canada. At the time, Barbados had only two or three known cases of coronavirus, fewer than in Canada, or even in the city of London, Ontario (where I reside in Canada). As such I ensured my family stocked up on two weeks of supplies and upon arrival, began our self-isolation period. I could not wait until this period was over, as the cases in Barbados remained low, and were only among tourists or returning nationals from highly impacted nations such as England and America. All I wanted to do was see my friends whom I had told I would not be home for summer. On day 13 of my self-isolation, there was a spike in cases in Barbados – the dreaded words ‘community spread’ were heard all around the island, and an emergency broadcast by the prime minister was scheduled for 7pm that night.

The beach! At last, I could return to where I feel the most home

The result: 24-hour lockdown, beginning immediately. I could not believe it – we weren’t even allowed to go to the supermarket! What was the government thinking? Was the situation so bad that it warranted the potential for people starving? To be fair, we were warned to stock up – but what about people who don’t listen to the news?

Well, there was nothing I could do, and thankfully family members had dropped off groceries for us the day before, as we were all still under self-isolation due to my return.

This 24-hour lockdown lasted 10 days before the government released its updated plan, allowing residents to go to supermarkets on designated days, based on the first letter of your last name, in alphabetical order. Only 1 family member was to go and time inside of stores was limited (although this was never enforced).

All of this backstory is to explain why I had not left my house in over 7 weeks, as only this week were restrictions lifted enough to allow us to go out to exercise. And, best of all from the hours of 6am-9am, we could go to the beach!

Gibbs Beach, Barbados. Source: Alexander Goddard

The beach! At last, I could return to where I feel the most home, on the white sand beaches of the tropical island I have called home for my whole life. But should I go to the beach? What if someone broke social distancing rules and sat too near to me? Thankfully, there is a beach near to my house that is hard to access. I decided that I would go right at 6am, and if I saw any cars parked nearby, I would leave – I really don’t want coronavirus. Saturday came and I packed my snorkels and headed to the beach as there is a beautiful reef off of the beach that catamaran cruises often stop at. No one was at the beach when I arrived, allowing me to feel comfortable. As someone who really loves the outdoors, animals, and just being around people, the past 7 weeks have been tough and cabin fever was really starting to set in. Being back outside was like a breath of fresh air and my soul and spirit felt rejuvenated. I had been reading all of these articles about how nature was returning due to less human interactions, which made sense, and I was really excited to see if there would be any difference in the reef ecosystem, as no loud boats would be around to scare the fish, as well as no tourists who often can’t help but touch the reef, and even break off pieces to take back to their homelands.

 I hope that the general population immerse themselves in nature a little more, and hopefully they too may become impassioned by nature

What I saw was amazing; I had never seen so many fish on the reef, and I even saw a few green sea turtles, which often are only found further up the coast. All of the articles I had read seemed to be true; nature really was returning in all of its glory. In that moment I truly felt so grateful to be able to experience the beauty found within coral reefs yet couldn’t help feeling some sense of guilt; I hoped the fish didn’t mind my presence too much. I swam back in to the shore and sat on the beach, wondering whether or not my favourite pastime of snorkeling had any adverse effects on marine ecosystems. Upon contemplation, I decided no, there is little to no impact of me floating on the top of the surface appreciating the fish. After all my time spent inside, I had forgotten how much being completely immersed in nature can really improve your mental wellbeing, as well as just your general outlook on life. In that moment I couldn’t help but wonder how more people are not impassioned by the environment, and why there aren’t more people fighting to save our reefs, to save our forests, to stop the burning of fossil fuels.

And then, the privilege I have really dawned on me. How lucky am I to have grown up in paradise – where many people dream to vacation? How lucky am I to have been able to see what most only are able to see through a TV screen? How (strangely) lucky am I to have experienced firsthand the destruction of climate change on coral reefs and marine ecosystems. This has all allowed me to understand why climate change is the most important long-term issue of our generation, despite the current global health pandemic making it hard to think of the future. 

Colony Club Beach, Barbados. Source: Alexander Goddard

This is all to say, I really hope that once the pandemic is over, we learn to appreciate the beauty of nature and the outdoors a little bit more and learn to acknowledge what a privilege it is to live in a world so beautiful. I hope that the general population immerse themselves in nature a little more, and hopefully they too may become impassioned by nature. This doesn’t have to be at a beach, or even in a forest; it could just be by walking through a city park or sitting down by a nearby river.

I hope when this is all said and done, we don’t return to the normal that everyone is crying out to re-boot but that we collectively begin to embark upon a new normal, one that places value on the outside, a place (and a space) that we’ve all come to realize is so important to us all, during good times and in bad.

The post Isolation Reflections appeared first on A\J.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2020

My neighbourhood 7-Eleven convenience first supplied me with hot fried foods to snack on during the movie, and then I made the 1-kilometer walk, on un-shovelled sidewalk, sprayed by icy slush while the snow found its way underneath my scarf onto my neck, to the bus stop. The bus was understandably 25 minutes late and brought me to the theatre at warp speed with no regard for human life. I arrived just in time to order a quality genmaicha tea and get my ticket to Fantastic Fungi, the only movie playing on the one screen in the quaint, independent Hyland Cinema.

In 2009, the BBC released their Jungles episode of Planet Earth in which parasitic cordyceps infiltrate insects’ bodies and brains, causing them to exhibit strange behaviours. Suddenly, cordycep fruiting bodies erupt from their heads, releasing deadly spores into the air capable of infecting and killing insects in the vicinity! “How cool”, I thought–invisible spores able to bring down a colony of millions of ants in a matter of weeks. So began my amateur mycophilia, or love of mushrooms.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2019

If anything, hundreds of millions of ants living in organized, hierarchal underground colonies deserve a worthy predator. Like ants, fungi also live underground; extending their mycelia networks trillions of miles all over the planet. But they also live within us, in the deepest oceanic trenches, within Antarctic rocks, and maybe on Mars. Fantastic Fungi presents the magical, mysterious, and sometimes mystical world of mushrooms through stunning visuals. Using CGI, time-lapse, and mesmerizing fractal animation, Brie Larson occasionally narrates from the point of view of the collective Fungi kingdom.

As you may recall, according to botanist Carl Linnaeus’s hierarchy of biological classification, the fungi kingdom is the most populous and diverse. With an estimated 2.2 million to 3.8 million species, ranging from unicellular organisms to bioluminescent mushrooms, Fantastic Fungi illuminates how little is actually known about this beautiful kingdom.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2019

The mysterious nature of fungi leads to fear in some cases. Fungi are primarily associated with death and decay; imagine a decomposing mouse or moldy cheese. But different species of fungi return that mouse slime to the soil in the form of beneficial nutrients, and others work together with bacteria to produce the veiny, intentional mold in blue cheese. Fantastic Fungi seeks to shift the fungi narrative from one of death and decay to one where fungi represent rebirth, rejuvenation, and regeneration. While plants and animals die every day, fungi, working as the digestive tract of the planet, feast on this death and enable rebirth. Without fungi, there wouldn’t have been space on the Earth for humans to evolve alongside the epic piles of dead plant and animal matter.

No discussion on mushrooms is complete without mention of the psychedelic variety. This is another quality of mushrooms that has been largely ignored by the scientific community due to government controlled substance acts. However, certain advocates hypothesize that early human’s contact with psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound in ‘magic mushrooms’, caused the rapid evolution of cognitive abilities. This so-called ‘Stoned Ape Hypothesis’ may offer an explanation for the unusually rapid doubling of the human brain somewhere between 2 million and 100,000 years ago. Certainly any modern human with experience with psilocybin can attest to its consciousness-altering effects. In fact, Fantastic Fungi’s human hero, passionate mycologist and mushroom entrepreneur Paul Stamets, unlearned his childhood stutter after a somewhat misguided (read: dangerously high) dose of psilocybin.

Fantastic Fungi is a mesmerizing, brief foray into the fungi kingdom of unrealized potential. Considering humans would be much more vulnerable to disease without the various antibiotics derived from fungi, one might be curious to learn more about them.

Photo credit: Hilary Boucher, 2019

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Sources

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/thames-river-floods-after-nearly-70-mm-of-rain-1.5424630

https://globalnews.ca/news/6433339/snow-storm-squall-london/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0038s7y

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/fungi-in-space/

https://www.inverse.com/article/34186-stoned-ape-hypothesis

The post Mesmerizing Mushrooms appeared first on A\J.

A\J: Why did you make the decision to go fair trade?

This interview with La Siembra Co-operative, the company behind the Camino brand, is an exclusive preview of our Invest in Change issue. Invest in Change will be out in the new year!

A\J: Why did you make the decision to go fair trade?

La Siembra Co-operative: By the late 1990s, some great worker-owned co-operatives like JustUs! in Canada and Equal Exchange in the US, were working hard to teach consumers about fair trade in coffee.  However, no one was addressing the issues within the chocolate industry, which has always been one of the most corporate-controlled unfair markets.  One of our founders, Tia Loftsgard, was an educator, and in combining her interest in teaching youth with the need for a pioneer in fair trade in chocolate, she and two other like-minded entrepreneurial friends, started La Siembra and created our chocolate brand Camino.

A\J: What were some obstacles and triumphs in your journey to becoming a fair trade company?

LS: There were very few standards for fair trade in cocoa or sugar at that time.  So in addition to all the regular challenges faced by a start-up – getting the word out, finding capital, developing a team —  we had to work with activists and rural organizers in Latin America to identify small-scale producer organizations and figure out what is fair for cocoa farmers and  sugar cane farmers. Both international markets are highly distorted, and even to this day there is a lack of transparency by a few large multinational companies. When you compare what a shopper pays for chocolate — $30/kg at the supermarket, and what farmers receive for their crop by corporate buyers — $2/kg for cocoa beans and 10¢/kg for sugar cane, the unfairness is obvious.  But re-defining the terms of trade was a herculean effort that our founders took on.

The first owners had lots of community support, though!  First United Church in Ottawa let us use some of their space to hand-pack tins of hot chocolate in that first year.  Activists and friends signed on as non-voting investors. So it truly was a grassroots community effort.

A\J: Can you tell us more about your organic policies and the reasoning behind going organic?

LS: Looking at the food system, there are two kinds of farming – petro-chemical farming (or conventional farming) and sustainable farming (the latter of which includes organic farming methods). However, it’s difficult to ignore that our global food system is dominated by petro-chemical-intensive farming systems with a need for sustainable alternatives. We are fortunate in working to empower small-scale farmers to organize themselves and build a dignified future for their children and their communities.  To take a holistic approach to fairness for consumers and producers, we want to not only address the economic aspect, we also want to address the health and ecological aspects. The organic farming systems and practices do just that. All the ingredients and final products we sell are 100% organic for those reasons.

A\J: How has investing in sustainability affected your bottom line?

LS: In our 20-year history, the organic and fair trade premiums we have paid to growers represent 100% of profits.  We put farmers first, our member-owners know that, and our outside investors know that as well. When worker-owners and investors put their money into the co-op they become stewards of our mission. We like the Small Producer Symbol’s (SPP.coop) fair trade standards because they require companies to ensure a significant and ever-increasing portion of the overall business to be conducted under fair trade terms.  There are plenty of companies who have 1 or 2 products with a sustainable claim and the rest of their product lines are business-as-usual-race-to-the-bottom economics.  Fortunately, this new generation of shoppers sees through any efforts to use sustainability as window-dressing.  Our worker co-op is all in – democratically run organization, fair trade and organic as part of our DNA, and this is why our brand sells year on year.

A\J: Why did you decide to build your brand as a worker-owned co-operative as opposed to more traditional practices?

LS: We wanted a truly alternative model that respected the contributions and value of one’s labour and baked democracy into our work. In many ways it feels like the current dissatisfaction with the status-quo and our political climate is about just this. That democracy and transparency is not just in buying from co-operatives of small-scale farmers, and not just in voting on fair trade terms. It also means worker-control of the place where we all dedicate our workday. We have all heard the phrase “people over profits”. Giving one vote to one person, instead of more votes for whoever owns more shares, is a way to live and breathe that concept. La Siembra, like Equal Exchange, Planet Bean and JustUs!, also wanted to model a new way of doing business. Not a non-profit with a social mission, not a company hoping to grow and sell out, but instead a self-funding and growing social change organization.  

A\J: In our latest Issue, Invest in Change, we look at the concept of bottom-up, grass roots investment compared to top-down investments from large organizations. Would you say your organization is more aligned with a top-down or bottom-up organizational structure?

LS: Very bottom-up.  We have slightly over 140 investors who have risk capital in La Siembra but do not have a vote.  They invested to support the social mission and have a right to earn dividends, but voting control rests with the worker owners. So it’s an innovative capital model that reinforces La Siembra’s vision that these kinds of economic relationships (like the ones we have with our farmer suppliers) should be built for the long-term and the value we create left within the community.

A\J: How do you think being a worker-owned co-operative has benefitted your organization? What setbacks might this approach have caused, if any?

LS: If we were not a worker co-op, our business would have sold out by now. Our brand may not have the same soul, our products may not taste as good as they used to, our Camino fans may no longer be the same, and the nature of our relationships with our producer partners may be more transactional. Being a worker co-op means that every employee / worker owner cares deeply about the business, its reputation, its service and the quality of its products. We all have some skin in the game and the governance of the co-op will pass from member to member. This is a real strength, and it makes a real difference during times when it’s harder to feel that we can all count on each other to do the job that needs to get done.

The worker co-op model is also not an easy one to understand, so there is definitely a learning curve for any new employee. As to become an owner, it is required to invest in the business; it can definitely alienate certain people. Understanding how to govern and make strategic decision for our collective business also takes practice and time. Those aspects can be difficult at times but they are so incredibly rewarding and meaningful that it makes it all worth it.

A\J: Have you included Sustainable Development Goals into your mission and day-to-day operations?

LS: There is a deep alignment between the SDG’s and the values and core principles of fair trade and cooperative organizing. We have long measured ourselves against these and how we put these principles into practice. We talk about triple bottom line now as a means of meeting our corporate social responsibility but before this term became a part of the corporate business vernacular, we were already employing small farmer fair trade as a means to deliver on the sustainable development goals. There is a good article here that talks about the reinforcing relationship between fair trade, organic and the SDGs.

A\J: In what way do you think small and medium businesses can address the climate crisis?

LS: We think SMEs are key to tackling climate change issues. It is hard to turn the ship around when you are a large corporate entity that functions first and foremost to serve the shareholders. It’s a financial disincentive. This is not to say that there aren’t amazing large businesses out there doing good work, but for the most part it is because sustainability and social impact has been embedded in their business model and leadership as part of the DNA.

Small community-based businesses have to live in and thrive in the communities they serve and are therefore incentivized to respond to the demands of the community. They can be both nimble and innovative in the way they respond to climate issues and will see this reflected back in the community almost immediately.

A\J: How big a role do you think small and medium businesses should have in the community?

LS: We talk about the illusion of choice at La Siembra. Consumers see so many options available to them, especially at the grocery end and especially on the shelf that you would find our Camino products on, and yet the reality is that it’s all owned by the same 5 corporate food distributors.

It looks like a lot but it’s just a variation of the same 6 ingredients. Commerce is much like the homogeneity at the store shelf. This is why we think its important to invest in and support local community-based businesses. They are the choice that consumers deserve as patrons. And often they are the heart and soul of diversity and cohesion in small communities. 

A\J: What more can people do to help organizations like yourself?

LS: People who want to see our food system change for a healthier, more democratic and fair one, can support organizations like ours by making small and incremental changes to their purchasing choices. We invite them to join us on the Camino team.

The post The Co-operative That Created Camino Chocolate appeared first on A\J.