KATRINA DUGGAN

A lot of people say that the food system today is broken. I don’t think it’s broken. I think it’s working exactly as a food system during a period of late capitalism is supposed to work. Its principle role is not to feed people, but to be profitable.

 

By understanding that our food system is part of a capitalist model, it provides us with the opportunity for a new perspective within an economic structure. This allows us to place ourselves within this food system and we can develop an understanding about what the possibilities are for transformation.

 

It is unlikely that the agriculture and food system can remain as it is. Given its ‘built-in’ instability. The food supply chain is bound to change; It changed “10,000 years ago, with settled agriculture, and again with enclosures and plant and animal breeding.

 

As a species, the evolution of our relationship with food has been dynamic and extreme. The partnership of Capitalism and Globalization has molded an environment where the food industries have become self-created super powers and have strong governmental and political influences, far exceeding their physical parameters or moral obligations.

 

The return of Peasantry and Commoning, which we are now witnessing in growing numbers across diverse cultures and international boundaries, is a deliberate rejection of the “globalized lifestyle”. Researching food and questioning food values play a critical role in this movement. These communities are sowing the seeds of their own future, eliminating a dependency on profit and stake-holder driven corporations and embracing simple community ideals.

 

 

B: COOPERATIVE

 

When transitioning from the research component of my capstone project to the concept development, I found that I needed to continuously refer to these several words to make sure my project was consistent, with a strong focus and contemporary substance:

 

• DEGLOBALIZATION

• LOCALIZING FOOD SYSTEMS

• OWNERSHIP

• TRANSPARENT

• SUSTAINABLE

·      LONG TERM

 

Keeping the project at a grass roots level, it is much more in keeping with the food sovereignty methodology, allowing for a community appropriate approach. The cooperative.

 

This is when my research took me to Lamma Island. (Lamma is Hong Kong’s third largest island and is situated to the South.) Initially I was under the impression that Lamma was one of Hong Kongs most food secure territories, given its popular fishing village and sea food restaurants. People genuanly think that the best fish comes from Lamma Island. However, after living on Lamma for a week, talking to most of the 6000 residents, and investigating the real source of their fish and produce, my hypothesis was completely wrong. Lamma in fact is heavily reliant on imports, fish from the Aberdeen Whole sale market, and vegetables from the supermarkets either by the ferry pier in Aberdeen or at Central. Everything is ferried in, and anything sold at the convenience stores in Lamma is sold at a premium.

The prices on Lamma are unstable and unpredictable.

 

 

DESIGN PROPOSAL

 

Therefore my proposal is to create an alternative food system.  In this system of exchange the use of a stable community currency that helps to provide a level of food sovereignty for the population will be implemented.

 

This will create an environment that will help to nurture the food production potential of Lamma over time, building the sovereignty to ten percent in five staple products.

 

A cooperative structure will play a leading role in the success of the project:

 

•        Spatially, being the meeting point of the transparent system of buying, selling and exchanging for members and non-members.

 

•        Practically, a coordinator of these, and the development of long term education programs and practical reinvestment or sponsorship into local food production enterprises.

 

 

C: SITE ANALYSIS

 

My feasibility study of Lamma involved the overlapping of different geographical information, such as topography, soil types, wind speeds and depth of water, in order to determine the areas most suitable for different types of food production.

 

The transparent model illustrates the conclusion of my analysis.

 

At this stage I was faced with a mountain of variables. The diagram in section C shows the range of foods that the average Hong Konger consumes. You can then see I selected five staple foods from this list to focus on.  My goal was to provide an increase of 10% food sovereignty in these five foods:

 

• Honey

• Fish

• Oysters

• Eggs

• Vegetables

 

The table answers the following questions:

 

• What is the average consumption of ‘say’ eggs per day for a Hong Konger?

• So how many eggs are consumed per day by 10% of Lamma?

• How many chickens does it take to provide that many eggs?

• How much space does a chicken take up?

• And how intensely do we want to farm them?

 

Looking at methods to produce such a lot of food in the most environmentally and sustainable way was the next challenge. Investigating symbiotic relationships such as aquaponics, in a closed system, or an open nutrient system such as egg-shells or chicken feseases providing nutrients for soil.

 

The networks and collaboration between producers is important for the success of the quality and management of the product and waste.