issuesComplex, interconnected issues must be dealt with rapidly and effectively if we are to achieve a resilient future.
explore the issues
support pci
Post Carbon Cities
The introduction of fossil fuels into agriculture reduced much human suffering — but it also created a massive spike in global population, creating an ever-growing need for more food. While our population continues to grow exponentially, our resources for growing food — from oil (for fuel) and natural gas (for fertilizer) to freshwater and topsoil — are rapidly depleting around the world.
Eating organic and eating local are only part of the solution. How do we reform global industrial agriculture so that we can feed nearly seven billion people (and rising) without wasting precious resources needed for at least the rest of the century? How do we build the food resilience of communities which have grown dependent on food supply chains built for a world of cheap oil?
PCI Community Food Systems Fellow Erika Allen discusses how agricultural expertise can bring self sufficiency to the socially disadvantaged, elevate them to a position of advantage and provide critical nutrition.
+++
Erika Allen is Chicago Projects Manager for Growing Power, a nationally acclaimed non-profit organization and land trust providing equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe, and affordable food, especially in disadvantaged communities. She helps food producers of limited resources strengthen their farm businesses and work in partnerships to create healthy and diverse food options in inner city and rural communities.
Erika and her father, Growing Power founder Will Allen, have recently received significant attention for their work, including a feature article in The New York Times Magazine. Erika is co-chair of the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council, and was appointed by Governor Pat Quinn in 2008 to the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force. In 2007 she was honored by Family Focus for her work in community food systems, and in 2006 she received the Good Eating Award from the Chicago Tribune. Erika has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MA in art therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Energy used by the US food system accounted for 80% of the increase in American energy use between 1997 and 2002, according to a recent report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service. … >>
[Excerpt] Wes Jackson and his colleagues at the Land Institute are working on a 10,000 year-old problem -- agriculture. Not simply problems in agriculture, but the problem of … >>
EXCERPT: My “standard of living” is a fraction of what it formerly was, but my quality of life has never been higher. We live in a house less than half the size of our former … >>
"What we must think about is an agriculture with a human face." In six compelling essays, Wes Jackson lays the foundation for a new farming economy grounded in nature's … >>
A must-read collection by some of the world’s most provocative thinkers on the key issues shaping our new century. Receive a 20% discount for ordering early.
read more
what is pci?Founded in 2003, Post Carbon Institute is leading the transition to a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable world. The Institute has gathered 29 of the world's leading experts on a wide range of interdependent social and scientific issues.
learn more
take actionShould President Obama put solar back on the White House?
Support the 350.org campaign and sign the letter urging President Obama to PutSolarOn.It!
share your story
