The December 2015 issue of The Journal of Environmental Studies and Science includes the second Symposium on ‘Food System Resilience,’ a collection of fourteen articles which explore the national and global implications of food supply, scarcity, and strategies to create greater food security from a variety of different interdisciplinary environmental perspectives.
From the JESS Editorial staff:
- A discussion by James Ward of the claim that urban agriculture (UA) reduces food costs and therefore has a role in improving household resilience during economic hardship. Using linear programming, he addresses the gap between claims and reality when it comes to UA actually reducing food costs and provides a case study as an example of how important factors such as crop yields, food prices and inputs (such as irrigation water) can be realistically quantified and an estimate of overall diet cost can be optimized. He concludes by proposing methods to meet regional food needs.
- An exploration by Laura Lengnick of food system vulnerability resulting from exposure of the system to specific climate effects, the sensitivity of the system to those effects, and the capacity of the system adapt to those effects in order to maintain system integrity. Based on a synthesis of recent literature conducted to explore the vulnerability of the US food system to climate change, the author suggests that the interaction between regional climate change effects and the geographic specialization and concentration of agricultural production in the USA increases the vulnerability of the US food system to climate change.
- A description by Brett Tolley of the innovative Fish Locally Collaborative (FLC), an international decentralized network of fishermen and their allies which is promoting a paradigm shift in strategies to prevent chronic overfishing and recurring stock collapse of favored commercial fisheries. The FLC’s importance to small- and medium-scale fishing operations and its strategies to support coastal fishing communities are discussed at length, including attention to achievements, challenges, and case studies that promote more sustainable and resilient fish resources.
We invite all members and non-members to submit articles for the Journal. Contributions are welcome from any discipline or combination of disciplines, any vocation or professional affiliation, any national, ethnic or cultural background. Articles may relate to any historical and global setting. See the website for more details.
