Integrated Approach to Food Security

As you may have guessed, one of my passions is finding ways to enable people to feed themselves and to find nutritional food in their own environment which can be grown without undue (or no) cost and minimal drudgery. Here are some thoughts I have been working on recently. It definitely looks more organized in a Word document :(.

Integrated Approach to Food Security

A disturbingly large percentage of Hondurans suffer from malnutrition. In a country which is green year round, this seems hard to fathom. In addition, an even larger percentage of the population (both rural and urban) are, at all times, only a few days away from hunger. Disruptions caused by storms, droughts or political and market upheavals, in addition to the all-too-normal loss of jobs, medical and family emergencies and myriad other misfortunes, become full blown catastrophes in short order.

Malnutrition has long term negative effects. Children who are malnourished before the age of five become handicapped for life. Their ability to learn, make wise decisions and compete in the work force is severely hampered. They become, all too often, part of a downward spiral which includes future generations as well.

Strangely, there are often times of hunger in areas of the world where the landscape is still green. One can understand hunger in deserts, snow covered wastes or drought affected areas. But, to find hunger where the trees and landscapes are still green is disconcerting. Changing weather patterns are one factor that is making this type of hunger situation more and more common.

With this in mind, it is important to find plants which can act as living "bank accounts". They can be part of the regular diets (saving money and boosting nutrition) as well but their primary purpose is to provide emergency food.

The focus of agriculture throughout the world is, unfortunately, primarily on mono-culture plantings. The growing Permaculture movement is working to develop alternative methods of growing food. Large companies and, even, the education system continue to promote single crop production systems.

Using Permaculture principles, lines and boundaries of these living "bank accounts" can be integrated into current mono-culture production without loss of growing potential for current crop choices. These lines and edges can be viewed as a complement to traditional systems as opposed to competition. In fact, a more likely scenario is that these lines will enhance the traditional production.

Principles:

a. Harvest a maximum amount of sun and rain year round.

   - Picture a forest compared to a Canadian wheat field which harvests sun and rain for only 110 or so days each year.

   - Keep the rain on the property ... near where it is needed for all types of agriculture.

b. Prevent erosion with living, edible and medicinal contour lines.

  - Variety of species

  - Multi-layer plantings

     -- Three to five levels (remember the different "layers" of roots as well)

  - Multi-use plants

     -- Food, fodder, fuel, medicine, fruit, flowers, mulch, soil stabilization

         --- Short and long term perennials

         --- Coppicing ability

               ---- Able to be harvested multiple times and over several years

c. Seek to have a minimum of five(aim for 15) edible leaf species of plants.

  - Emphasize perennial (long and short term) species for year round harvest

  - Greater range of nutrients

  - Protection from disease or insect invasion on one species

  - Protection from toxicity build up. (Some plants may be toxic when consumed in too great a quantity or frequency - Leuceana, Chaya, Cassava)

  - Variety of root systems - greater sub-soil utilization

  - 5 species allows for one species 2 days a month (26 days a year)

  - Native or traditional plants (may often fit into tiny spaces of lines)

  - Plants considered weeds may, in fact, be highly nutritious (Dandelion, pigweed)

d. Differing widths of lines.

   - Single plant (row) lines

   - Narrow swaths of permanent plants

      -- Greater erosion control

      -- Greater production potential

   - Allows for different sizes and types of plants

      -- Pathway  / ground cover plants can have their roots within the lines and extend their branches to cover the pathway

   - Combinations of lines and permanent bed construction

   - Contour lines with small reservoirs or in-ground water tanks as part of long term water storage

      -- A tank 2.5 m x 5 m x 1.5 m deep can grow 75 - 100 lbs of fish in green water conditions

      -- Water tanks do not have to provide a year round supply of water - they can be used as season extenders (still very useful)

e. Differing placement of lines.

   - Contour lines

   - Boundary lines

   - Pathways / Road ways

   - Stream bed banks

   - Separation of crop plots

      -- Sometimes the plants around the plots can be used to assist with insect control

f. Use these plants to maintain a stock of leaf/vegetable powder. This powder should be a regular part of the diet in any case. Having a constant stock on hand allows time to concentrate on dealing with the emergency itself. Significant (in the nutritional sense) amounts of leaf powder do not take a great deal of space or effort to produce. It is primarily a matter of creating new habits - eating and time management (not easy). Leaf/vegetable powder is easily transported.

- Plants like Cassava, Sweet Potatoes and numerous vegetables have both above and below ground nutritional potential (fresh and dried)

- Thought:  Drying discarded leaves/vegetables would provide nutritional food for animals

g. Find ways to maintain at least one species of small animal which can utilize these plants.

  - Immediate source of protein.

  - Animals which reproduce quickly and use a variety of plant species.

     -- Most (all?) small animals benefit from the addition of leaf powder to their diets.

     -- Fish (Tilapia for example) can also utilize plants / powder

h. Growing systems that use the waste from crop or animal production to benefit other segments of the operation.

  - Chickens, fish, leaves, leaf powder

  - Chickens or rabbits in portable pens over permanent beds

  - Small livestock like guinea pigs which can use "waste leaves"

     -- Note:  Cost of foodstuffs for animal production is often prohibitive. Having a variety of food options for animals as well as people provides greater income generating opportunities.

i. There must be enough plants available to tide a family (and small livestock) over for at least six to eight weeks (long enough for garden produce to be planted and come into production).

j. Species to consider (Honduras species which are already part of the culture for the most part)

 - Note:  This is just a starter list. There are many more species to consider.

Food:

- Chaya, Pigeon Pea (large variety), Chipilin, Moringa, Leuceana, Mulberry, Sweet Potato, Cassava, Arachis pintoi (flowers)

   -- To investigate:  Calliandra, Gliricidia sepium, Arachis pintoi

        ---(Will the leaf powder from leguminous trees which are good fodder also be useable as food?)

Fodder:

- Moringa, Pigeon Pea, Sweet Potato, Mulberry, Arachis pinto, Calliandra, Leuceana, Calliandra, Gliricidia sepium (Madriado), other legumes, Vetiver

Erosion Control:

- Vetiver grass (really the very best choice), trees, Lemon Grass, Arachis pintoi, Sweet Potato vines

Medicine:

- Vetiver grass, Moringa, Papaya, various trees

Fuel:

- Leguminous trees are, generally, good sources of fuel

Fruit:

- Any and all (a variety is better than only one species)

   -- Consider the short term perennials like Papaya and Plantain/Bananas in wider lines