Robert Gottlieb’s New Book Highlights Food System Issues in the United States & China

By: Kathleen Villarino, Dietetic Intern, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

In a forum held at the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute on October 17, 2017, Mr. Robert Gottlieb, Professor Emeritus of Urban and Environmental Policy and founder and former Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College, discussed his new book The Global Cities: Urban Environments in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and China.  The book emphasized the changes both positive and negative in urban food environments in the United States and China.  During the forum, Mr. Gottlieb highlighted some of the most intriguing and relevant parts of his research and the effects it had not only in both of these countries but possibly other cities in the world.           

FOOD SYSTEM CHALLENGES

As the food systems of the United States and China continue to evolve, so do the food system issues that plague these countries.  The food system in the United States has been around for a long time and has long since had a global focus.  The reliance of the US on immigrants to perform agricultural work for meager wages and seasonal work has also been a long withstanding issue.  Environmental and health problems in the US also continue to worsen which contributes to other public health concerns in the country.

On the other hand, the big challenge in the Chinese food system is the issue of food safety which has since been a long withstanding concern but is now something that is starting to be remedied.  It was also mentioned in the forum that China is the largest user and producer of pesticides which renders the water unfit for agricultural use.  This environmental problem affects farm lands and makes rural farming difficult for its farmers which results in farmers leaving their rural villages to work at factories in cities instead.  Growing city populations change the food system of Chinese cities making it more difficult to provide healthy foods for its growing number of inhabitants.

ROLE OF CSA’S

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has grown in popularity here in the US.  In his book, Mr. Gottlieb compared 2 CSA’s, Full Belly Farm located in Northern California and Shared Harvest Farm located in the Liuzhuanghu Village outside of Beijing.  Unlike Full Belly Farm which is more established and has over 1200 subscribers, Shared Harvest is relatively new.  To spread the word about CSA’s and attract more subscribers, Shared Harvest is harnessing the power of social media.  Before founding Shared Harvest Farm, Ms. Shi Yan first spent some time working at a CSA farm in the US to learn as much as she could in order to implement a similar CSA program in China.  Ms. Yan also established the CSA Alliance of China to promote community supported agriculture to other communities.

STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

In his book, Mr. Gottlieb discussed the idea of reconnecting the people to the land by creating a new batch of farmers to advocate and change the way that people think about farming. Mr. Gottlieb also emphasized the importance of educating the public regarding urban agriculture.  By educating different groups regarding different ways to get involved in improving their agricultural landscape, the higher the likelihood that individuals will become advocates for urban/peri-urban agriculture such as CSA’s, rooftop gardens, and community gardens.  During the forum, Mr. Gottlieb also mentioned the importance of developing ethical eaters and how this idea needs to be expanded beyond the two countries.   However, creating these grassroots movements can only accomplish so much.  Policy changes are also imperative to change the food system landscapes of both countries. Mr. Gottlieb emphasized that pushing for change may pose some challenges such as creating an urban-rural divide, health, labor, and environment concerns, and challenges in organizing either small or large-scale efforts.

The forum provided the audience with great insights from Mr. Gottlieb regarding the differing food system landscapes in these countries as well as the challenges faced by individuals who continue to conduct projects involving food systems.  Mr. Gottlieb is optimistic that individuals or groups will continue to make strides in improving food systems in different parts of the world and that these efforts will positively influence other communities, cities, and countries all over the world to take the necessary steps in ensuring that future populations have the necessary tools to develop their own thriving food system.

References:

Gottlieb, Robert; Ng, Simon. Global Cities:  Urban Environments in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and China Cambridge, MA:  The MIT Press, 2017

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