Local Groups Gather for Dreaming New Mexico Food System Summit
The centerpiece of Dreaming New Mexico’s “Age of Localized Foodsheds and a Fair Trade State” is a “future map” and companion booklet that depict both the state of the State’s food system and the “dreams” of what it could be – positive scenarios for change. DNM co-director Peter Warshall, a polymath biologist, anthropologist and former public official who created “The Age of Local Foodsheds” map, will present the project’s findings at 2pm March 10th to open the Summit.
What would a localized food system look like for New Mexico that’s ecologically sustainable, socially just, nutritionally healthy, and creates jobs and a reliable prosperity?
In the face of escalating climate change, the economic recession and a national food system that’s been called an accident waiting to happen, these questions are the serious inquiry of a visionary project called Dreaming New Mexico (DNM). Launched by Bioneers, a national non-profit based in Santa Fe, this collaborative effort, in which everyone from state government to local growers and suppliers participate, is holding a Food System Summit March 10-11th at the Hotel Santa Fe, in Santa Fe, NM. The goal is to envision and begin to realize the transformation of the state’s food system.
The centerpiece of Dreaming New Mexico’s “Age of Localized Foodsheds and a Fair Trade State” is a “future map” and companion booklet that depict both the state of the State’s food system and the “dreams” of what it could be – positive scenarios for change. DNM co-director Peter Warshall, a polymath biologist, anthropologist and former public official who created “The Age of Local Foodsheds” map, will present the project’s findings at 2pm March 10th to open the Summit.
The summit’s participants, who come from all sectors of New Mexico society including civil society, government, business and academia, will be coming to “roll up their sleeves” to examine the “dreams” and assess how to realize them.
The first phase of Dreaming New Mexico examined “The Age of Renewables” was cited extensively in the Governor’s Green Jobs Cabinet Report.
The project was selected as sole runner-up from more than 200 entries worldwide in the 2009 Buckminster Fuller Challenge, a prestigious design contest, recognizing work that addresses complex problems through comprehensive, anticipatory design thinking, drawing attention to projects around the world whose innovative strategies have the potential to help solve humanity’s most pressing problems. Dreaming New Mexico was honored in June 2009 along with the winner from MIT Media Lab.
“New Mexico can be a national leader in advancing a far more localized, prosperous, equitable and environmentally resilient food system,” said Bioneers Co-CEO and founder Kenny Ausubel, who is co-director of the project. “We have a wealth of great people and groups working hard on these issues, and many very smart public officials who understand the importance of these issues – both on the ground and to voters.”
The Dreaming New Mexico Food System Summit co-sponsors include: Center for Southwest Culture; La Montanita Cooperative; The Traditional Native American Farmer’s Association; New Mexico Organic Commodities Commission; New Energy Economy; New Mexico Economic Development Department; Santa Fe Alliance; UNM Sustainability Studies Program; and FoodPrintNM. Funding for the Summit was provided by the Blackstone Ranch Institute.
