ROOM AT THE TABLE - Intersight - University at Buffalo

C. Reallocation
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imagine converting land use of cropland in Erie County by this great of a
degree. The percentages of total cropland area needed to provide the county’s
population with the RDA of each food group is shown in the far right column
of Table 7.6. These ratios can be applied to the present extent of Erie County
cropland, thereby reallocating land equally among food groups based on
the demands given by RDA guidelines. In doing so, the amount of cropland
devoted to raising feed for livestock decreases while the amount of land
used to grow fruits and vegetables increases (See Table 7.7). If cropland
were used in this manner, the total production on Erie County farms would
increase to 199,684 tons of food product per year. This represents nearly
a 76 percent increase in the amount of food products produced by county
farms by weight.
If the current extent of farmland were used in the manner described
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reliant. According to this analysis, county farms would be able to provide
18 percent of the food needed for the county’s population to meet the RDA
guidelines given for each food group. Therefore, by reallocating existing
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would be able to provide 8 percent more of the food products the population
of Erie County nutritionally requires than current conditions.
Conclusion
In order to meet nutritional requirements and support its population
healthfully, the county needs to import nearly 90 percent of its food. We
have demonstrated that the most effective way for Erie County to improve
its self­reliance in food, outside of expanding agricultural land, would be to
distribute the use of its agricultural land more equitably to grow healthier
crops.
85
Table 7.6 – Cropland Required for RDA Food
Consumption in Erie County (per national standards)
Required Cropland Area
Food Group Acreage % of Total
Grain 35,056 6.39
Beef (feed for) 246,342 44.90
Fruits 59,816 10.90
Vegetables 93,440 17.03
Dairy (feed for) 46,710 8.51
Poultry (feed for) 30,388 5.54
Egg (feed for) 10,795 1.97
Total Cropland 548,194 100
(Source: Author Analysis)
Table 7.7 – Cropland Area and Annual Production
After Reallocating Land for More Healthful Food
Production Based on RDA, Erie County
Food Group
Reallocated
Cropland
(Acreage)
End Product Primary
Weight (Tons)
Grain 6,354 12,764
Beef (feed) 44,646 13,871
Fruits 10,841 53,484
Vegetables 16,935 62,439
Dairy (feed) 8,466 37,486
Poultry (feed) 5,507 10,014
Egg (feed) 1,956 2,933
Total Cropland 99,445 199,684
(Source: Author Analysis)