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Team Report 5/18/2018 SUSTAINABLE GROW PTY LTD Assignment 2A team report Teacher: John Rozmanec Luis Alava -Abstract -Food waste management and food transportation system Sabrina Abdullah -Scope/Aim -Objects, systems and tools that support local food production Karize de la Cruz -Design criteria -Su...

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Team Report 5/18/2018

SUSTAINABLE GROW PTY LTD

Assignment 2A team report Teacher: John Rozmanec Luis Alava -Abstract -Food waste management and food transportation system Sabrina Abdullah -Scope/Aim -Objects, systems and tools that support local food production Karize de la Cruz -Design criteria -Sustainable food security Brad Rodriguez -Conclusion -Building components that allow site-grow in high or medium density environments

Team Report

Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd

Abstract In order to assist Sydney City Council with its response to Sydney’s changing economic geography, Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd have divided its research into the following four topics: 1) Building components that allow site-grown food in high or medium-density environments. 2) Objects, systems and tools to support local food production. 3) Food waste management and food transportation system 4) Sustainable food security.

These topics where researched individually by different staff members of our company. Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd found four possible solutions to address Sydney council’s sustainability problem.

Firstly, investigating the use of new biodegradable materials which are easy and cheap to manufacture to enable greater accessibility to site grown food. The methods by which this will occur include

Secondly, the introduction and implementation of objects, systems and tools that help individuals and businesses practice and understand sustainable food production by creating their own garden or farm, enabling them to plant and grow their own produce. Tools that can be utilised to ensure cost effective sustainable individual and business food production include using grey water systems, solar power, green houses, biodegradable pots and devices such as parrot flower power to analyse temperature, light, fertiliser, and moisture of the produce.

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Thirdly, Sustainable Grow proposes running a campaign together with the Sydney City Council with an aim to educate people on the importance of reducing food waste while encouraging them to grow their own food. Sustainable Grow will work in collaboration with the Sydney City Council to implement this campaign. Such a campaign will assist in developing alternate food distribution systems.

Finally, programs accessible from the public domain will be developed and introduced to promote the benefits of urban agriculture. Educational videos and hands-on workshops will be utilised to impart knowledge of food growth and sustainable food security on the Sydney community.

This solutions and methods will not only help Sydney to become more efficient and sustainable it will also teach and prepare people to understand the importance of manage better food waste, grow their own food, reduce pollution and help the environment.

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Contents table Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………….1, 2 Scope/Aim……………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Design Criteria……………………………………………………………………………………………..5, 6 Individual Research Subtopics……………………………………………………………….….6 - 14 Luis Alava……………………………………………………………………………………………. Alternatives Investigated……………………………………………………………………… Sustainable Solutions…………………………………………………………………………….

Karize de la Cruz……………………………………………………………………………… Alternatives Investigated…………………………………………………………………………. Sustainable Solutions……………………………………………………………………………

Sabrina Abdullah………………………………………………………………………………… Alternatives Investigated…………………………………………………………………… Sustainable Solutions……………………………………………………………………….

Brad Rodriguez………………………………………………………………………………… Alternatives Investigated…………………………………………………………………… Sustainable Solutions……………………………………………………………………………

Reference List……………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Scope/Aim Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd is passionate about building a more sustainable Sydney, hence has undergone research about the challenges of food production and has proposed an array of solutions that will assist in accomplishing this goal. The company intends to suggest to the citizens of Sydney easy and environmentally friendly solutions in regards to growing their own produce and to minimise waste, which “...is estimated to cost the Australian economy around $20 billion each year.” (Australian Government: Department of the Environment and Energy, n.d.). Sustainable Grow has come up with solutions based on four key areas that being materials that do not harm the environment, such as being biodegradable. Objects, systems and tools that help individuals and businesses to understand the significance of sustainable food practice by implementing them into their garden or farm. Alternative food distribution systems are essential for the Sydney population to understand the importance of how transporting goods can negatively impact the environment. Additionally, individuals should also be educated on sustainable food security by learning the significance of urban agriculture in Sydney. Henceforth, it is vital that all of the population of Sydney understand the need of planning for urban agriculture in order to create a more sustainable city. The company will present ideas that can be achievable at a council level, that will help the region to be more environmental. If these recommendations were to be put in place at a local level it will slowly contribute to Sydney’s sustainable goal of 2020. Sustainable Grow will ensure that these plans are introduced correctly in order to maximise the sustainability of each concept. Each of the four key subtopics will go into detail the necessity of their solution and how it can be implemented in daily life.

The aim of Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd is to plan and create more sustainable food producing households within Sydney by recommending a plethora of solutions through research and identifying the best results that can achieve this goal. The company intends to focus its research on biodegradable materials, objects, systems and tools that aid individuals and businesses to practice

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sustainable food production, possible food distribution systems and sustainable food growth.

Design criteria Data analysis Data analysis is essential to predict and asses the development of our grow your own garden project. It will show the rate of food consumption within Sydney households, amount of waste produced, the amount of recycled waste and overall health of an individual. Our data collection criteria help us view the difference of the household’s lifestyle before and after integrating independent food production and helps us develop easier to use systems. With data analysis we can create a multifaceted program that will work to sustain any household.

Promoting sustainability The idea of positive reinforcement is our goal to promote sustainable production of food. Using social media platforms, radio and television mediums can reinforce people’s attention towards the real problem our world is facing. Promoting our grow your own garden as a sustainable solution using multiple mediums will attract a range of people from the young to the old.

Distributing materials Since we promote sustainability the materials we provide to assist in the people venture on growing food are all recycled or reusable. Each material will come with an easy to use manual and harmless to plants, soil, animals and humans. These materials have been extensively researched and tested to provide the most dynamic and sustainable usability for and grow your own garden start-up.

Learning to grow 5

Team Report

Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd

We in Sustainable Grow understand the power of knowledge and just like the Helen Keller program we believe that the only way our project will create a long lasting impact to Sydney will be through educational and hands on workshop programs. Such programs will be run by us with lesson provided by environment and horticulture experts from around Australia.

Developing and evolution Our program is designed to be integrated into Sydney’s lifestyle and culture. This program creates food security and healthier lifestyles that we wish Sydney welcomes with open arms. We will show how easy it is to create a healthier environment and a healthier well-being. Developing and evolving is what we’re all about in Sustainable Grow and by imparting our research and solutions we can see how this can transform not just Sydney but the world.

Individual Research Subtopic Subtopic 1 - Luis Alava Bravo

Food waste management and food transportation system. In order to assist the Sydney City Council, solve a problem that is affecting the city, ‘Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd’ have created a report with possible solutions to the problem of ‘Food Waste and Food Transportation System’. The aim of this report is to first address the issue and possible factors that could lead to the problem, second to find possible solutions that can benefit not just the council but all citizens of the City of Sydney and the environment and finally to select the most beneficial solutions to solve this issue. The City of Sydney is one of the largest cities in Australia with a population of over 5 million people and is considered the face of Australia for its tourist attractions. In order to maintain a healthy, attractive and environmentally sustainable city it is necessary to plan ahead. Current problems facing the City of Sydney and impacting the city’s environmental sustainability include food waste and food transportation systems. According to Lucy Cormack, (2017) more than 500,000 tons of food is wasted in the City of Sydney each year. This amount of wasted food is just a portion of the total amount of food waste in Australia.

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Food waste

food rescued

food waste

Rubbish dispal

There are many factors contributing to food waste, one of which is food transportation. Villarreal, B, Garcia, D, & Rosas, R (2009) state that more than 20 percent of food waste in Sydney is related to the food transportation system. Once ready for consumption, food is packed at farms then transported to the supermarkets in one of many ways such as cargo planes, trucks, ships or trains. Such food transportation is largely responsible for the generation of air pollution. According to cleanairtrust.org (2017) trucks are one of the biggest sources of toxic chemical and air pollutions and it is believed that a single truck produces more damage to the environment that 125 cars.

Another factor contributing to food waste is the high demand for food due to the large population of Sydney. The City of Sydney demands an average of 29 billion tons of food each year according to industry.nsw.gov.au (2016). They also predict that this required amount of food could almost the double in the next 10 years. In other words, the high demand for food in Sydney will increase each year and this is due to the fast growing population.

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Another factor that contributes to food waste in Sydney is the poor management of food systems that people use when it comes to purchasing groceries. According to foodwise.com (20170, it is estimated that every household in Sydney wastes at least 20 percent of their groceries each week. In a place such as Sydney where purchasing groceries is something that the majority of the population does on a weekly basis, there is no campaign or any form of education teaching people about food waste. If a solution is not made in order to reduce the amount of food waste and improve the food transport system, the City of Sydney will suffer negative consequences such as a rise in prices for rubbish disposal, increased air pollution, increased traffic and an increase of disease.

Possible solutions To find possible solutions to this problem can be very challenging especially in the food transportation system, however there were two major solutions found in regards to solving the food waste and food transportation system problems.

One possible solution that will help reduce the amount of food waste and improve the food transportation system in Sydney is to run a council campaign with the intention of creating awareness for consumers when it comes to buying more food than what they actually need. This campaign does not require any type of state level government assistance, however it must be approved and promoted by the city council. This campaign will bring many benefits to the city council and the population of Sydney. One of these benefits is a price reduction for rubbish disposal by the council of Sydney. The council of Sydney currently charges accordingly to the amount of food waste by area. If there is a drop in the amount of food waste the council will need less money to move rubbish out the city to landfills. The other benefit is less trucks will be coming to the city, leading to a reduction in traffic and air pollution around the metro areas of Sydney.

Another possible solution is to motivate local people to grow their own food in their backyard, building, terrace or even in small apartments. This motivation can come from local authorities along with councils eliminating the restrictions on home grown food policies. This means that anyone could grow as much food as they desire in their own property without any fees or confusing council permits. The benefits this solution will bring are huge. One example is that if people grew their own food they would require less food from supermarkets leading to less trucks being required to move food from store to store, leading to a reduction in traffic and pollution. Another benefit is that people who grow their own food do not need to buy plastic bags to carry food. As a result, there will be a significant decrease in plastic bag rubbish in both land and in waterways. In addition, less trucks will be

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in the city area, and by planting more plants the city will have better air quality, resulting in better health for their citizens and for future generations to come.

Sustainable solution Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd has found what is believed to be the best solution to address this issue. The best solution will be for the council and local authorities to run a campaign called “Sydney Green” to promote awareness about the importance of reducing food waste and encouraging people to grow their own food which will both ultimately impact the food transportation system. This campaign does not require any authorization from the State Government, however local authorities and local news channels should be notified of this campaign by the council in order to achieve the best result.

There are many reasons why this campaign will be successful. According to Sweden Institute (2017) after the Swedish government and local councils joined for a campaign in 1975 called ‘Towards Zero”, which aimed to reduce waste and introduce the idea of recycling to the community, Sweden saved millions of dollars each year on waste food, transportation, resulting in better air quality for the country. As a result, it has become the best sustainable country in the world and more people are growing their own food because of the constant campaign “Towards Zero”.

Running this campaign will bring many positive sustainable benefits to the City of Sydney. First of all, if people understand the importance of sustainability, it is more likely that this information will be ingrained in society and passed onto subsequent generations, resulting in a more sustainable Sydney. Secondly, this campaign will help to significantly reduce food waste which will lead to a reduction in the number of large trucks in the city. The amount of plastic produced by the City of Sydney will also decrease each year. When people grow their own food they no longer need to buy plastic bags to carry the products the purchase therefore the environment will also benefit.

It is believed that a small plant can clean as much as 0.2 kg of oxygen each day Mother Earth News, (2009). With more plants and less trucks, it is possible to see a reduction in air pollution. It is logical to think that if the City of Sydney has more plants and less contamination, the environment will be much better and therefore more animals such as birds and fish will also be beneficiaries.

Sustainable Grown Pty Ltd will ensure that this campaign against food waste and food transportation system will run according to the plan. The time for the message of this campaign to be implemented will depend on the rapid response of the people of Sydney. If 9

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this campaign is received positively in the community and we notice a significant change, Sydney will become the first city in Australia that will have solved food waste and food transportation systems and will be a model example for other cities to follow.

Individual Research Subtopic 3 Karize De la Cruz

Alternatives Investigated As part of Sydney’s sustainable project our team in Sustainable Grow have found economical ways to grow, provide and distribute food. Many of our solutions may seem unconventional but alternatively it might just be the city’s best bet in providing food to an ever-growing population securely and reducing our carbon footprint. Many studies confirm the negative impacts carbon emissions have on our planet consequently linked to the expansion of agricultural farming and food distribution through deforestation, logging and transportation. (Blanco, G., 2014, Climate Change 2014 Mitigation of Climate Change in: Chapter 5: Drivers, Trends and Mitigation (archived 30 December 2014), in http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/ pp. 383.) Our project encourages Sydney to lead the world in food innovation by developing peoples access to organic and nutritious food and diminish food waste. In recent years, agricultural land in Australia are experiencing soil degradation with the prominence of salinity affecting beyond the agricultural sector as roads, houses and water supply infrastructure can all be degraded by it. (NLWRA (national Land and Water Resource Audit) 2001, Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000, NLWRA, Canberra.) 16.7 FARMERS REPORTING SALINITY OR SALINITY MANAGEMENT - 2000-01

Figure 1

Source: ABS data available on request, preliminary data from the 2000-01 Agricultural Census. Biodiversity is also at risk with the loss and degradation of native vegetation. One factor contributing to the increase of salinity in soil is the rise in water tables due to an influx of 10

Team Report

Sustainable Grow Pty Ltd

water entering underground water bodies from irrigated land. This ultimately results in increased salt loads entering river systems. Furthermore, reduced river flows, brought about by the construction of dams, weirs and water diversions, compound the problem as the flow is insufficient to dilute the saline groundwater inflows. (ABS 1996, Australian Agriculture and the Environment, cat. no. 4606.0, ABS, Canberra.) Much of soil degradation and the influx of salinity Is the result of historical land management decisions and has taken decades to manifest. Many Australian farmers are now aware of the environmental impact of their disastrous farming systems as they quickly adopt the use of innovative technology, however, it may take decades to repair the damage that is already done. Conventional agriculture may be a necessity to the growing population but how long can the world handle the defo...