Definitions
Biodiversity:
A term which refers to the different types of life on earth and the interactions they share. Biodiversity includes all life, such as plants and animals, and microscopic organisms like bacteria. Specifically on this website, this term is used to refer to the diversity of ecosystems - the geographic areas where this life interacts.
Circular Food Systems
Refers to a food system which focuses on keep the energy and nutrients produced from local food production within the community it serves. This meets a closed-lopp system which depends on natural processes found in nature to minize waste while recycling nutrients and reusing all components in a biodiverse and locally-focused way.
Climate Change
Refers to long-term changes in local, regional and global temperature and weather patterns. While climate does occur naturally, the term is most often used to describe the current rapid changes brought about by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.
Food Loss and Waste
While similar, these two terms represent the decrease in food at different stages along the food chain. Food loss is the decrease of food which occurs between the production, processing, manufacturing, transportation, and retailing stages of the food chain. Food waste occurs between the retailing and consumption stages.
Food Security:
Being food secure means having access (both physically and financially) to healthy and safe food at all times to meet our dietary needs for a healthy and active life. This term is often used when identifying the economic, social and physical well-being of a community and its individuals.
Global Food System:
A term used to describe everything to do with food, from its production (growing, processing, etc.) to its transportation, retailing (markets, grocery stores, etc.), and consumption (restaurants, at home, etc.). It also includes the environmental outcomes of these activities, such as food loss, waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
A term used to describe everything to do with food, from its production (growing, processing, etc.) to its transportation, retailing (markets, grocery stores, etc.), and consumption (restaurants, at home, etc.). It also includes the environmental outcomes of these activities, such as food loss, waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Inequities in diets:
This refers to the social imbalance which exists when not everyone has equal physical and economic access to healthy foods. This unfairness can lead to poorer health outcomes in households with lower incomes. Food insecurity is often a sign of inequities in diets.
Local Food Systems
A local food system is a food supply chain that includes the production, distribution, and consumption of food within a specific area or community. It is a system which meets the needs of local food security, and which keeps its nutrients and resources within the community it serves.
Macronutrients
These are the essential nutrients needed in abundance from all plants. It is the substances which feed the plants, allowing them to grow and maintain life. These macronutrients include hydrogran, carbon, and oxygen from water, as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
Micronutrients
While macronutrients are substances in which plants need in large quanities, micronutrients are needed in smaller amounts. However, they still contribute heaviliy to the overall health and growth of plants. These micronutrients include iron, copper, boron, manganese, chlorine, molybdenum, nickle, and zinc.
Regenerative Systems
This term refers to a system based on the natural cycle which exists in nature. A regenerative system helps restore and renew resources in a closed loop where nothing is lost.
Upcycling
This is the act of taking something old, used, or discarded, and turning it into something new and useful. In the case of food production, it refers to combining salvaged and used materials into a means to grow food.