TED: Carolyn Steel - How food shapes our cities

Summary

This script explores the complex question of how cities are fed, highlighting the remarkable process of food production, transportation, and consumption. It delves into the historical evolution of food systems, from ancient agriculture and urbanism to modern industrialization, and the environmental and social implications of our current unsustainable practices. The speaker advocates for a reconceptualization of our relationship with food, suggesting a shift towards a more sustainable and integrated approach, reconnecting cities with nature.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The global challenge of feeding cities is often overlooked, yet it's a remarkable feat that cities are fed at all given the scale of food production and distribution required.
• 🌾 Our cities are increasingly dependent on vast agricultural landscapes, such as soybean fields in Brazil, which are transforming the natural world to sustain urban populations.
• 🥩 The rise of urban populations and meat consumption is leading to a significant portion of global grain crops being fed to animals, which is an inefficient method of food production for humans.
• 📈 By 2050, the urban population and meat consumption are expected to double, posing a major challenge for sustainable food production and environmental impact.
• 🌲 The loss of rainforests for agricultural land and the inefficiency of food production, with a high calorie cost in fossil fuels, are unsustainable practices.
• 🚫 Despite the abundance of food produced, there is a lack of appreciation for it, with significant waste occurring in countries like the USA.
• 🌱 The concept of 'copia' (food and place) is introduced as a way to re-envision how food shapes our lives and environments, advocating for a more integrated and sustainable relationship with nature.
• 🏛 Ancient cities like Rome relied on 'food miles' and military conquests to secure grain, highlighting the historical importance of food in shaping urban and political landscapes.
• 🚂 The advent of trains in the 19th century revolutionized food transportation, enabling cities to grow without geographical constraints and altering the relationship between cities and their food sources.
• 🛒 Modern food systems have made food acquisition easier but have also distanced us from the process of food production, leading to a lack of trust and appreciation for food.
• 🌱 The speaker suggests that re-establishing local food networks and community projects can help reconnect urban populations with the origins of their food and promote a more sustainable lifestyle.

Q & A

What is considered one of the great questions of our time that is rarely asked?

How to feed a city is considered one of the great questions of our time that is rarely asked.

Why is it remarkable that cities get fed at all?

It is remarkable because every day, cities like London require a massive amount of food to be produced, transported, bought, sold, cooked, eaten, disposed of, and this process is repeated daily for every city on earth.

What is the relationship between the increase in urban population and the demand for meat?

As more people move into cities and adopt a western diet, the demand for meat increases, leading to more grain being fed to animals instead of directly to humans.

Why is feeding grain to animals before consumption by humans considered inefficient?

It is inefficient because it takes 10 times as much grain to feed a human if it is passed through an animal first, due to the energy loss in the conversion process.

What is the estimated increase in the urban population and meat and dairy consumption by 2050?

By 2050, it is estimated that the urban population will double, and there will be twice as much meat and dairy consumed compared to current levels.

What is the environmental impact of the current food production system in terms of rainforest loss?

Every year, 19 million hectares of rainforest are lost to create new arable land, while an equivalent amount of existing arable land is lost to salinization and erosion.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between food and cities in the pre-industrial world?

In the pre-industrial world, cities were shaped by food both physically and socially. Food was at the center of the city, and streets and public spaces were the places where food was bought and sold.

How did the advent of trains change the way cities were fed?

The advent of trains allowed for the first time to grow cities of any size and shape in any place, effectively emancipating cities from geographical constraints and enabling the import of food from far away.

What is the significance of the term 'copia' as introduced by the speaker?

Copia, derived from the ancient Greek words for food (ctos) and place (topos), represents a concept where food is recognized as a fundamental ordering principle and a powerful tool to shape the world better.

What is the role of community projects in the vision of 'copia'?

Community projects, such as greenhouses and local markets, play a crucial role in 'copia' by reconnecting people with nature and promoting local food production and consumption.

What message does the speaker believe Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good Government conveys about the relationship between the city and the countryside?

The message conveyed is that if the city looks after the countryside, the countryside will look after the city, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between urban and rural areas.