Back to the Future

In 2005, a group of interested citizens and organizations began a dialogue to create a more sustainable food system for Metro Atlanta, resulting in the creation of the Atlanta Local Food Initiative.

Some of the group’s partners include the CDC, DeKalb County Board of Health, UGA’s Cooperative Extension and Center for Urban Agriculture.

The group “envisions a transformed food system” made safer, more affordable and one that will “rebuild Southern foodways in harmony with the land.”

One of the group’s goals is to launch a farm-to-school program, which are popular in other urban areas surrounded by thriving agricultural communities. Atlanta certainly fits the bill in that regard.

 Some other goals:

• Preserve greenspace
• Reduce petroleum
• Promote healthy eating
• Build local economies
• Create new jobs

Check out the initiative’s brand-spanking new report. It’s comprehensive but not in a dull way. And, maybe report isn’t the best way to describe. It’s more like a plan, a roadmap to actually accomplish the goals ALFI has set.

Could this document outline some of the key steps that could lead to a prosperous, sustainable and yummy future for the Atlanta region?

We’re always focusing on the future on this site, but this report suggests that looking at the past is just as worthy an exercise. Back in the day, local markets sold local produce that was chemical-free and grown in a way that didn’t ruin watersheds or require barrels of oil.

And since that food wasn’t trucked half-way across the country, it was less expensive, too. Today, prices – whether gasoline or groceries -  are a big concern for most of us.

We’ve got a lot to learn, a long way to go and every little bit helps. Thanks, ALFI.

Becoming Gwinnett

The headline of Mary Lou Pickel’s article in today’s AJC says it all: “Gwinnett’s minorities surge toward majority. A revolution in diversity …”

A revolution indeed.

Gwinnett’s African American and Hispanic populations more than doubled between 2000 and 2007. The Asian community is booming, too. Gwinnett’s explosive growth and the availability of jobs and affordable housing, the article asserts, is attracting the newcomers.

But the numbers are just numbers. The real story, the reason the headline uses such dramatic words as “revolution,” and “surge,” lies with the cultural impact of a majority white county turning into a minority white county.

Is it that big a deal though? It’s happened before, in DeKalb, Fulton, Clayton and Rockdale counties.

But yes, to many people it is a big deal. The ripple effect of such a shift changes many things, from the political structure of the county to its civic and business sectors.

For example, perhaps a minority-led Gwinnett will be more accepting of mass transit links to Atlanta.

Another example, courtesy of the AJC article, is that state Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Norcross) “has said he has to campaign in Spanish, Korean, Hindi, Vietnamese and Mandarin to keep his seat.”

Many more such shifts are taking place across Gwinnett County, the rest of metro Atlanta and the entire state.

The big question is, is there anything we should do to help make this demographic shift easier for those who are about to become the majority and for those who are about to become the minority?

 Shouldn’t we at least get together and talk about it?

 It’s time to start the conversation. The next Fifty Forward event, “The Changing Faces of the Future,” will be Sept. 10 at the Morehouse College Leadership Center. Former director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Martha Farnsworth Riche will be the keynote speaker and she’ll be joined by a panel of local experts, followed by an open-house discussion.

 Until then, anyone  want to start talking about this issue now?

The Next Fifty Years

Guest Blogger: Lani Wong – Chair, National Association of Chinese Americans and Fifty Forward Steering Committee Member

The Atlanta region has changed dramatically since I moved here 31 years ago. Our population has more than doubled; changing from just a black and white community to a truly diverse population that includes a significant mix of Latino, Hispanic, and multi Asian communities including Southeast Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islanders. We are also attracting various groups from Europe and Africa.

 

Our community has embraced more diversity in art, culture, religion, and education as we become more international. As our Atlanta businesses expand globally, we are also attracting overseas businesses to our region in unprecedented numbers. As this growth will continue well into the future, our infrastructure has become inadequate to handle the growth. We need to stop just talking about the problem and conducting study after study spending millions of dollars doing so, and starting taking immediate positive actions to address traffic congestion that includes the development of an extensive public transportation system.

Of course, we cannot ignore the environmental impact of the tremendous growth on air quality, water quality, and availability of water; all these resources impact the quality of life for our citizens and corporations. We need to see that community development plans address these and similar challenges when we design the communities of the future including more extensive development of mixed use communities that would include office space, recreation, eateries, and commercial shopping along with sidewalks and bike lanes.

 

Our region has long faced challenges in the area of educational quality or lack thereof. To continue to attract other businesses and investment here in the Atlanta Region, quality education will continue to grow as a factor in the minds of decision makers. We want to see our public education system improve, showing positive results as evidenced by improved student performance and significantly reduced dropout rates. We need to provide quality, affordable post secondary school educational alternatives to include investing in two year regional colleges and technical schools not just focusing on 4 year colleges and universities.

The Atlanta Region is also challenged in the area of quality, affordable healthcare with a shortage of doctors in primary care and health related professionals. With some of the highest obesity rates in the country centered on southern cities and states, we need campaigns and resources to promote healthier lifestyles. Reducing the obesity rate will contribute towards having a smarter, healthier, more qualified workforce work force to attract better paying jobs to our region while controlling payroll and benefit related costs such as health insurance, disability, and absenteeism due to sickness.

 

The Atlanta Region continues to be fertile ground for attracting continued foreign investment, but we cannot afford resting on our laurels as other cities and states continue to develop and implement additional programs of their own to compete in attracting some of the same foreign investment dollars we would like to see benefit our own citizens and communities. With Delta Air Lines growing internationally, we should take full advantage to make Atlanta the gateway for International business throughout the world.