Program on the Environment

Within our existing Food Systems (FS), positive feedback loops between agriculture and climate change accumulate strains on our environment and limitations to agricultural productivity. This compounds with social inequities that result in food insecurity and a lack of support for farmers and farmworkers. Food systems are integral to our daily lives, and with something as complex as food, with its many sectors, life cycles, and human roles, we should approach them with something equally complex. In this study with Whidbey Island Grown Cooperative, I aimed to assess how a local FS planning approach can foster climate resiliency and food security. Agriculture is rooted in place, and communities face unique challenges, thus a systems-thinking approach is most comprehensive at a local scale. I conducted a perception survey of Island County (IC) residents, interviewed IC farmers and FS actors, and created a Recommended Action Plan using IC as a case study. From this study, I found that increasing social capital, community engagement, organized action, and responding to localized challenges were among the strengths of climate-resilient and food-secure FS plans. In a changing climate, community ties, emergency preparation, and long-term planning are integral to mitigating and adapting to these changes and making the impacts as equitable as possible. Local FS Planning is a rising framework within Washington, as three counties have created frameworks within the last four years. By engaging our communities, planning in the long-term, and integrating Local FS planning state and nationwide, we can holistically address complex changes in complex systems.