ABQ Climate Action Plan Features Local Food

During these food-intensive months of November and December, it's worth directing attention to the fascinating proposals included in the Local Food and Agriculture track of the new Climate Action Plan.

The track's recommended Executive Orders and Budget Directives would integrate local food production and "food sovereignty" into the fabric not only of land use and purchasing, but also of transportation, education and senior affairs. The CAP notes that food accounts for over 20% of local residents' greenhouse gas emissions and targets a 25% reduction in 2000 levels by 2025. See http://www.cabq.gov/cap, pages 38-41.

A 2008 study found that the average American household's climate impacts related to food equaled 8.1 tons of CO2 emissions per year, and that dietary changes can often have as much effect on one's climate impacts as attention to food sources. The study's authors concluded that food choices can and should be multi-dimensional, with concern for health, the environment, and supporting communities, among other factors. See "Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States," at http://psufoodscience.typepad.com/psu_food_science/files/es702969f.pdf.