Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 4:25 PM
244-9

Mapping Potential Local Foodsheds in New York State.

Christian J. Peters, Arthur J. Lembo, and Gary W. Fick. Cornell Univ, Crop and Soil Sciences, 515 Bradfield Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853

A foodshed is the area from which a population derives its food supply. The potential local foodshed is an estimation of the minimum geographic area a population center would require to meet the nutritional needs of its residents. We performed a spatial analysis to map potential local foodsheds for urbanized areas in New York State. Existing data on soils, land cover, and population served as spatial input for the model. Human food requirements were estimated by constructing diets including food commodities from all major food groups then converting these commodities into a single unit: TDN equivalents. Theoretical minimum distances within which population centers could be supplied were determined using a linear optimization model. We hypothesized that the size of a foodshed should be a function of an urban center’s population size, its food consumption patterns, and the quality and extent of the surrounding land for agriculture. Results from the spatial analysis of New York State confirm that each of these factors influences the distance within which food needs of a population center can be met. Results also show that the available agricultural land could support a population equivalent to that of “upstate” New York. A larger area would be necessary to support the metropolitan area of New York City. Such a model could be useful for planning how land might be used to minimize the distance food travels, thus reducing the associated energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

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