Sustainable Food > Roosevelt Home > Yale > Environment > Sustainable Food
Industrialization, the Green Revolution, and globalization have led to dramatic increases in the energy consumption of United States agriculture, food transportation and processing. These currently account for approximately 16.5% of the energy consumed in the United States. While energy-intensive farming with synthetic inputs is economically productive in the short term, it degrades the soil, biota and nutrients upon which crop production depends, leading to further dependence on fossil fuel-based agricultural inputs in order to maintain yields. In the face of climate change and scarce fossil fuel resources, investigating fuel use is critical. This paper investigates Yale’s food system and finds that if Yale were to use all conventionally produced and supplied food, the most basic components of its food system would use more than 900,000 gallons of fossil fuel annually — the quantity of fossil fuel used by over 1,700 average cars in a year. These elements of Yale’s food system also would also emit approximately 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. In contrast, if Yale were to use all locally and sustainably produced food, it would save more than two thirds of this fossil fuel, or 630,000 gallons annually. While a university’s transition to entirely sustainable food would reduce its fuel use and environmental footprint, it would also directly benefit the university by spurring positive publicity and by providing a strategy to meet any university energy reduction pledge. Moreover, the educational focus and institutional influence that Yale and other universities hold give them potential to have long-term influence on their student bodies and other institutions. Related Materials and Links: Full Policy Report on Sustainable Food Systems: December 2006 Published 25 Ideas Piece: July 2007 Group members:
Danny Townsend
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