508
Solutions to racial disparities in FEW security require government intervention
in the market place (policy heavy). Civil society institutions are also developing
programs based on public and philanthropic support to meet FEW needs using the
unique assets of such communities and to build capacity of different kinds.
Technological solutions that are affordable and appropriate need to be considered in
such efforts. Small-scale examples of FEW integrated, bottom-up solutions in
Detroit include stormwater/rainwater capture for urban gardens, compost, and
energy production using food waste from nearby restaurants, breweries, and
farmers’ markets; and solar-powered water pumps for agriculture in Detroit.
Efforts to address social disparities in FEW security need to be based on an
analysis of the historical patterns of exclusion, including the role that government
policy and regulation played in such patterns. They need to be informed by efforts
that such communities are putting in place to address needs and solve problems, and
they need to involve members from excluded communities in leadership roles.
Lessons from such efforts potentially have wider applications in communities here
and elsewhere.
Additional factors contributing to FEW nexus insecurities in cities in the USA
and around the world are as follows:
• Unprecedented growth (population and geographic)
• Income polarization
• Sprawl
These impacts are creating crises with FEW impacts at the household and community levels. In Midwestern US “rustbelt” cities, the FEW crisis cascade is exemplified by Flint; there are different manifestations elsewhere. Resilience planning
will likely take various forms in other cities.
18.5 Case Studies: Nexus Innovation at the City Level
The real excitement, of course, happens when the private sector, public sector, civil
society, and individual agency come together to influence the linkages between
food, energy, and water. The examples that follow illustrate current transformative
actions at the FEW nexus in cities. These examples transcend classic examples of
transformative change
3
and attempt to illustrate centralized and decentralized
actions across various scales using both integrated and separate practices. In places
where the drivers of the FEW nexus align around the shared objective of greater
sustainability, examples such as these can be found.
3 One such classic example is the successful adoption of solar cookers in tropical cities that were
formerly dependent on traditional charcoal stoves. Solar cookers proved to be well suited to the
long, slow cooking needed for the dried fish, vegetables, and rough grains of local diets. Charcoal
stoves were inefficient with unhealthy fumes, and contributed to deforestation and associated negative impacts on local lakes and rivers as well as carbon sequestration.
C. Harris et al.
Solutions to racial disparities in FEW security require government intervention
in the market place (policy heavy). Civil society institutions are also developing
programs based on public and philanthropic support to meet FEW needs using the
unique assets of such communities and to build capacity of different kinds.
Technological solutions that are affordable and appropriate need to be considered in
such efforts. Small-scale examples of FEW integrated, bottom-up solutions in
Detroit include stormwater/rainwater capture for urban gardens, compost, and
energy production using food waste from nearby restaurants, breweries, and
farmers’ markets; and solar-powered water pumps for agriculture in Detroit.
Efforts to address social disparities in FEW security need to be based on an
analysis of the historical patterns of exclusion, including the role that government
policy and regulation played in such patterns. They need to be informed by efforts
that such communities are putting in place to address needs and solve problems, and
they need to involve members from excluded communities in leadership roles.
Lessons from such efforts potentially have wider applications in communities here
and elsewhere.
Additional factors contributing to FEW nexus insecurities in cities in the USA
and around the world are as follows:
• Unprecedented growth (population and geographic)
• Income polarization
• Sprawl
These impacts are creating crises with FEW impacts at the household and community levels. In Midwestern US “rustbelt” cities, the FEW crisis cascade is exemplified by Flint; there are different manifestations elsewhere. Resilience planning
will likely take various forms in other cities.
18.5 Case Studies: Nexus Innovation at the City Level
The real excitement, of course, happens when the private sector, public sector, civil
society, and individual agency come together to influence the linkages between
food, energy, and water. The examples that follow illustrate current transformative
actions at the FEW nexus in cities. These examples transcend classic examples of
transformative change
3
and attempt to illustrate centralized and decentralized
actions across various scales using both integrated and separate practices. In places
where the drivers of the FEW nexus align around the shared objective of greater
sustainability, examples such as these can be found.
3 One such classic example is the successful adoption of solar cookers in tropical cities that were
formerly dependent on traditional charcoal stoves. Solar cookers proved to be well suited to the
long, slow cooking needed for the dried fish, vegetables, and rough grains of local diets. Charcoal
stoves were inefficient with unhealthy fumes, and contributed to deforestation and associated negative impacts on local lakes and rivers as well as carbon sequestration.
C. Harris et al.