Urbanization, Food and Ecological Footprint

Do you ever stop to think where the food which you consume come from? What are all the different materials which has been used to produce the products which you use? This photo gives us a hint as to where some of or food may be coming from. This photo also indicates that Trinidad alone is not responsible for feeding its large population. I it is imortant to note that there were no signs in Hi-Lo saying "Today's choice, succulent local cuts." In my opinion this photo also illustrates our increased consumption of imported foods, due to our increased demand.It also displays the land, labour, feed, water ,capital and the many other resources which was gathered to create these packages of meat.

With the change in consumption patterns of urbanites, one cannot stop and ponder what are the spin off effects on our surrounding environment, and also our environment that is not in immediate reach? 

As we progressed along this blog, we have seen that there is an increase in taste for foreign products within urban areas of Trinidad. Food imports have increased to approximately 90% with cereals being the single largest commodity followed by vegetables. In addition there is an increase in food consumption on a whole which has result in a food import bill of $4.0 billion in 2009. Thus, the gap between what we are importing and what is being locally produced is becoming wider.

As our trini urban diets continue to grow, and in preference for foreign items, primary consumption would be greater than the political boundaries by urban inhabitants of Trinidad. One must ask then, if we are importing more food than we produce, where are these products coming from? Rees 1992, states that urban areas act as wormholes drawing resources from “elsewhere”. It is important to remember that when food is imported we not only take those products but we also take nutrients from within their soils, virtual water, capital and human labour, we are importing the carrying capacities of these exporting countries. Carrying capacity may be defined as the resources which can sustainably support a given population. From this, with our increasing consumption due to our urban diets there is an increase in the land which is needed to support our growing demands thus, increasing our demand on the ecosphere or our ecological footprint. The video gives a better understanding of what this whole idea of what the concept of ecological foot print is and its importance.

This importing of carrying capacity is facilitated by this world free trade, which is also very much evident on a local scale (Rees 1992). Many Thursdays since I have been here in Trinidad, I have journeyed to the port in Port of Spain to collect those goodies that I just can’t get here in Trinidad. On many  occasions have noticed sacks upon sacks of ground provision that were being off loaded from boats traveling from St Vincent and the Grenadines (home). So here we see Trinidad consuming more than it is providing for its people. Although money is being made through such trade, is it sustainable for Trinidad? Has our urbanized diet with increased consumption and less production steering us down a path void of self-sufficiency?

References

Rees, E. William. 1992.” Ecological Footprints and appropriated Carrying Capacity: What Urban Economics Leaves Out.” Environment and Urbanization 4, 2.