Review: (Campbell et al., 2009) Beyond Baselines: Rethinking Priorities for Ocean Conservation

Campbell, L.M., N.J. Gray, E.L. Hazen and J.M. Shackeroff. 2009. Beyond baselines: rethinking priorities for ocean conservation. Ecology and Society 14(1): 14 Key Terms - SBS = refers to both concept and work it has inspired in marine historical ecology - marine historical ecology = a field of study that uses historical data sets and ecological modeling to describe what marine ecosystems might have looked like in the past - distinct from historical ecology due to marine historical ecology : natural sciences :: historical ecology : social sciences - “Stealth policy advocacy” (Lackey 2007) = policy preferences are implicit in the science instead of debated outside of it (should be avoided) What was/were the main objective(s) of the paper? - prove that impact of SBS on ocean mngmt will be limited by underlying and interrelated problematic assumptions about ecology and human-environment relations and prescriptions that these assumptions support - consider conceptual and operational merit of SBS and some problematic assumptions - assumptions relate to ecology and human-environment relations - suggesting ways to overcome limitations and capitalize on merits of SBS, toward goal of improved ocean management What were the important results and conclusions? - promote expanded discussion of SBS that engages broader range of social scientists, ecologists and resource users - explicitly recognize value judgments inherent in deciding what past ecosystems looked like and whether or not and how we might reconstruct them - Potential for interdisciplinary work is strong and unrealized for SBS o Enhance analysis of both problems and potential solutions, avoid divide between marine and terrestrial a.k.a. social science and natural science o Resilience and complex system theories: humans and nature are coupled and coevoloving in social-ecological systems (SES) (Berkes et al 2003, Folke 2004, 2006 Walker et al. 2006) • Rather than asking people to participate in SBS-defined vision of conservation, think how social-ecological systems work and structure participation in related and appropriate ways • Resilience asks how to strengthen capacity of ecosystems to support social and economic development and sustain desirable pathways and ecosystem states in the face of continuous change (Folke et al. 2002, Gunderson and Holling 2002) • Governance is a part of SES rather than external institutional structure imposed on ecological system o Resource users themselves • Who has the experience to warrant inclusion? - Expand SBS & related work in marine historical ecology to include resilience and SES theory + engage with resource users will do 2 things: 1. improve understanding of marine SES as existed in various times in the past 2. facilitate a more direct recognition of the value judgments inherent in deciding both what past states are most desirable (and to whom) and if, how and why we might try to recreate these in the future - *”… marine historical ecology is not the “natural” authority for determining the direction of ocean policy,” - have a place at the table, but one set considered among many Errors in experimental design, statistical analyses or analytical approaches? - consequences of conceptual separation of nature and culture in Western society (Cronon 1995, Castree and Braun 2001) - SBS calls to abandon sustainability as a management goal and instead work to reestablish historic baselines by reducing fleets, target species, establish MPAs; problematic because … 1. Without detailed understanding of consequences prescriptions may have negative results without looking at complexity of benefits and costs 2. Focus on economic gains assumes neoclassical profit-maximization driven by rational choice, ironically heavily looked to for modeling despite calls for interdisciplinary research 3. Natural baselines are not self evident and involve value judgment, must include all stakeholders 4. Ignores the role of fishers and other resources users in formation, uptake, monitoring and enforcement of policy change a. Overlooks co-management b. Opportunity to nurture diversity of uses and knowledge systems c. Participation occurs in a political vacuum with no consideration of power at work in participatory activities d. Breakdown TEK into simple choices of presence/absence and place & time Assumptions made with the data, calculations, models? Reasonable? - concept used for environmental advocacy outside of academia - interdisciplinary research hampered by epistemological one that distinguish between social and natural sciences and definition of what is data and science - 3 ecological assumptions that underlie SBS 1) a natural baseline exists and can be identified and agreed upon, ecologists make judgments about where to set baselines, suggesting there is noting “natural” or self-evident about hem (p.3) 2) once agreed upon baselines can be described accurately, problematic because … a) existing data about valuable & accessible species, not ecosystems b) good data is in context of contemporary understanding, can always be updated c) mass balance models rely on accuracy and completeness of inputs & simply processes thus still estimates rather than uncertainties 3) once described, baselines can be restored, “there and back again” ecology - Berkes and Folke (1998:12) argue “complex, non-linear, multi-equilibrium and self-organizing … permeated by uncertainty and discontinuities” - Holling et al (1998:354) argue “linear, equilibrium-centered view of nature no longer fits the evidence” - Resilience Theory (Holling 1973, Scheffer and Carpenter 2003, Folke et la. 2004) argues an ecosystem can occupy multiple stable states and can undergo dramatic regime shifts due to both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic forcers - climate plays an important role, anchovy vs. sardine (Pinnegar and Engelhard 2008) or unidirectional, single, stable state (Carscadden et al. 2002) - Pitcher (2005) “ecosystems do not rewind” - human-environment relations - Frank et al (2005) Canadian East Coast cod fishery 1992 fishing moratorium, possibly no recovery due to changes in physical environmental (temp and stratification) - humans are outside of nature, i.e. defining baselines as “pre-human intervention” - consequences: 1) if humans are “naturally” outside of marine nature, enter ecological equation as problem and overlooks role of non-antrhopogenic variability in marine ecosystems - also suggests humans behave the same way, overlooking individuals, groups & institutions degrade AND restore oceans 2) ecological baselines become only ones of interest, assuming human-free baseline is correct - call for few fishers, smaller fleets, economic benefit through more productive fisheries without giving context to fishers nationality, gender, community, society or culture Main conclusions supported by data? Why or why not? References? Meet stated objectives? Number of times cited? Impact on field? Opinion

Manoa Valley POI

Moving Forward...

If you consider the beginning of my PhD journey to be August 2009, I have spent almost 3.5 years fumbling around, figuring out my life and finishing up research that indirectly contributed to my research. In this time, I have finished classes, had a child and published one report about Hawaii's seafood consumption and submitted one journal article to the Journal of Food and Agribusiness regarding Hawaii chefs' seafood preferences with a focus on local versus imported and aquaculture versus wild.

After submitting that journal article I have since refocused my sites, formed a committee, have an outline for a proposal which is motivated by a USDA-NIFA Fellowship application due on March 7th, provided they accept my letter of intent which is due January 3, 2013.

I have wiped out all research previously collected and have decided with a blank slate where I am familiar with all the literature and where it stands contextually in regards to my dissertation question:

WHAT IS HAWAII'S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION POSSIBILITIES FRONTIER? CAN IT FEED HAWAII'S POPULATION?
(Finding regional agricultural production possibilities: The case of the Hawaiian Islands)

These questions will be addressed in the following three chapters:

Chapter 1- Literature Review Regarding Hawaii's Food and Agricultural Production
This will be a documented and systematic literature conducted using the following six search terms:
- Hawaii Food Production
- Hawaii Food
- Hawaii Agricultural Production
- Hawaii Agriculture
- Food Production
- Agricultural Production

A wide breath of sources will be searched:

- UH Voyager
- Amazon.com
- Dissertations & Theses
- Print Indexes (Historical)
- Web Searching
- CAB Abstracts, Agricola, Agril
- Biological/PubMed
- Google Scholar/Scirus/Electronic Index
- Science Citation Index & Web of Science
- Google Reader Account

The list will be categorized based on how it contributes to defining Hawaii's agricultural production possibilities frontier and how Hawaii's population can feed itself. Categories will be organically decided and regrouped as necessary. This literature review will define how the agricultural production possibility frontier is created in order to calculate it for Hawaii.

Chapter 2- Defining Hawaii's Agricultural Production Possibilities Frontier
The approach for this chapter is to basically define the parameters for the frontier as justified by the literature review. This chapter will also discuss testing of the model and required adjustments to the assumptions as the methodology is created. In the end a grid of monthly agricultural yields for a growing lists of agricultural products will be created based on soil, water and climate conditions at the plot level. Hopefully this can turn into an extension tool for UH to collectively catalog information about agricultural crops and growing methods.

Chapter 3- Caloric Requirements of Hawaii's Population
This chapter will explore Hawaii's Population, what it's caloric requirements would be and what the various ways nutritional requirements could be defined. Based on the final model for defining yield, the production possibilities frontier database will be aligned with nutritional requirements.

This is where I stand for the moment. My next step is to create my reading list, submit my letter of intent for the NIFA Fellowship, and sign on my committee members. My committee will consist of:

Adviser: Kim Burnett, UHERO
Ted Radovich, TPSS
Chris Lepcyzk, NREM
Jinan Banna, FHNS
Tomo Miura, NREM?

Food System Assessments/Action Plans

National
- National Integration Regional Food System (NIRF) | MIT Collaborative Initiatives
- Modeling Production, Processing and Distribution Infrastructure for a Resilient Regional Food System | 2011 | Urban Design Lab, Earth Institute, Columbia University
- Sonoma County Community Food Assessment | July 2011 | Food System Alliance, Sonoma County

- Multnomah Food Action Plan | Dec 2010 | Multnomah County Office of Sustainability

• Goals: local, healthy, equitable and regionally prosperous food system
• Measures: USDA hunger ranking, emergency food box access, consumption of locally grown food, obesity %, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, child receipt of SNAP assistance, avg. age of farmer
• Strengths: framed the issues, set actionable goals
• Criticisms: too many goals, no one is accountable, environment?

- Assessing the San Diego County Food System: Indicators for a More Food Secure Future | Dec 2010 | San Diego Food System Working Group

• Goals: 1) "Better Health and Well-bing of San Diego County Residents," 2) "Agricultural Stewardship of San Diego County's Environmental Resource Base," 3) "Thriving Communities and Sustainable Economic Growth."
• Stems from involved processes, rather present info then get feedback

- Exploring Food Security in the Islands Trust Area | Nov 2010 | Kaitlin Kazmierowski, Island Planner

• Thoroughly qualifies definitions and broadly gathers information about food system
• p. 7

• p.17

• p 29-31 attempts to list all food initiatives 
• Layout potential policies

- A *FEAST* Planning Manual: Community Foods Organizing | Oregon Food Bank

• Goal: To help plan community organizing events
• Activities are already being held in Hawaii through foods like SlowFood, Food Bank Hawaii, etc. (collect list)

Hawaii

- Diversified, Localized and Sustainable Agriculture on Kauaʻi | Sept 2010 | Malama Kauaʻi
(p. 17, pp 29-31, pp. 45-49 - as numbered on the bottom of the pages).  Check out the sample food charters in Appendix E

• Assessing opportunities and Addressing barriers
• explains benefits of diverse, sustainable and localized ... how to encourage it
• Goals: identify farmers' barriers, resilient island
• Long living document that could be translated into website

- North Shore Food Systems Study: Findings | 2008 - 2009 | Malama Kauaʻi

• Also highlights opportunities
• Strengths: Lots of natural resource justification ("agriculture can be ecologically destructive or regenerative, ...)
• Asks what we value...

- Island of Hawaii Whole System Project, Phase I Report | Mar 2007 | Rocky Mountain Institute

• Goals: reduce dependence on food imports, impact locally produced food's market share on the largest possible scale, be profitable, increase farmer profit, complement other ideas, have more than one positive impact, have meaningful impact of food behavior
• Benefit from tourism, but serve local community at reasonable prices ("Mitigating Unintended Consequences")
• Whole System Diagram (Section IV)
• Strengths: identified barriers, highlighted leverage points & opportunities, used many examples, quantified local market share of specific fruits & vegetables
• Criticism: wants to mesh with other ideas, but solely to improve local market share (what about health, jobs, improved infrastructure/environment); 

NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY FOOD COUNCIL CAN...

- map and publicize: 

• local food and agricultural resources and 
• systems 

- persuade government agencies to:

• purchase from local farmers and to
• invest in protecting agricultural lands

- organizing networks of:

• community gardens, 
• agricultural parks, and 
• farmers' markets

Webinar Review: "Food Hubs: Viable Regional Distribution Solutions"

Coordinator: National Good Food Network
http://ngfn.org/resources/ngfn-cluster-calls/food-hubs-viable-regional-distribution-solutions/webinar

Food Hub Definition
- "A centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products."
- Core components: 1) Aggregation/Distribution- Wholesale, 2) Active Coordination, 3) Permanent Facilities
- Many different types of models: 1) Non-profit. 2) Producer/entrepreneur, 3) Retail driven, 4) Consumer driven (online buying clubs), 5) "Hybrid" market model (wholesale/retail), 6) "Virtual" Food Hubs (online matchmaking platforms)
- Hubs have goal of working with small size farmers/producers

Supply Chain vs. Value Chain
Transaction vs. Relationship
Short-term vs. Long-term
Commodity vs. Highly differentiated products
Communication only with next step vs Transparency & Communication throughout
"Everyone for themselves" vs. "We're in this together"

Pricing
- Prices set in wholesale market
- Provides opportunity for processing to reduce high-low price risk

Funders' Perspective
Existing Foundations
New Philanthropists
Opportunities
USDA: Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG), Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP)

How to start
- Definitely need a business plans
- Be weary of buyers (requires building relationships)
- Investors, start-up capital
- Requires more than $300,000 (compare to Local Food Hub)
- Best legal model: majority non-profit or partnered with non-profit, multi-stakeholder co-ops (producer, processors and buyers) dependent on mission and funding streams
- Logistics software (Local Orbit, etc.)
- Personal connections are important for upsale

Resources:
** http://www.ngfn.org/resources/food-hubs
https://sites.google.com/site/mgfwpublic/conference-resources
http://localfoodhub.org/our-food/how-we-work-with-buyers/
http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/

Hawaii Food Issues

I have become a member of the Hawaii Food Council list serve which seems to have amassed the truly passionate parties and citizens. In an effort to address real concerns I will list and summarize various concerns heard on this list serve and maintain a list of activist, not commercially-oriented, stakeholders ....

Issues
Access to (Local Food) Food
- Jim Hollyer posted article (http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Localized-food-production-should-be-a-strategy-not-a-goal-says-UCSB-professor/?c=71VcYO0ZfgUbRVmcA%2FsJaQ%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily) on May 20, 2011, at 7:51 AM pointing out that grown local does not always mean consumed locally. In the end making the point, localization is a strategy for a larger goal, not the actual end in of itself.

What is "Food"?
- Kim Coffee-Isaak widened the scope on Jim's article on May 20, 2011, at 12:30 PM by pointing out that when people talk about localization they are mostly talking about fruits and vegetables, but "Food" goes much more beyond this to include dairy and animal proteins.
- Hawaii needs to "grow all the food for a complete nutritional picture locally" including rice according Melanie Bondera to on May 20, 2011, at 4:01 PM. This would also need to include the dairy and animal proteins stated above.

Food Security
- George Kent states on May 20, 2011 6:58:41 PM that it is not feasible or wise to grow all necessary foods for complete nutrition locally, but to have a diverse array of food sources.\
- Stuart Scott rebutted on Fri, 20 May 2011 22:55:48 that "Food security must include a greater ability to produce more of our food locally."


Important Agricultural Lands (IALs)


GMOs

Activist Stakeholders
http://www.kohalacenter.org/

Staying on top of news...

In my ongoing effort to describe Hawaii's food distribution system, 1) The Weekly, 2) the Star Advertiser, 3) Hawaii Business News, 4) Pacific Business News. Another blog post will be started for national issues. Other sources may be referenced, but not monitored on a regular basis. Stories will be blogged about on an on-going basis, but to build a foundation all sources will be checked at least to the beginning of 2011.

Entry format: Headline - Author Source
Primary Publication Date (Publication)
Other publications: Author- (alternative take)
Objectives:
Results and conclusions:
Assumptions
References?
Meet stated objectives? Criticisms?

Impact on field of food distribution environmental or nutritional impacts?
Opinion

Source descriptions/Monitoring policy:
1) The Weekly
2) the Star Advertiser
3) Hawaii Business News
4) Pacific Business News