Increasing food security in ÐÓ°Épro
April 16, 2020
ÐÓ°Épro agriculture provides only 5% of the food consumed in the state. The rest is flown, barged or driven in.
by Amanda Byrd of UAF's ÐÓ°Épro Center for Energy and Power explores some of the challenges ÐÓ°Épro farmers must overcome to produce food for their communities. Obstacles include wind, bison, moose, energy and water.
Only a fraction of the carrots that ÐÓ°Épro consumes are actually grown in the state, even though ÐÓ°Épro carrots have the highest sugar content due to the high latitude. Most carrots are imported from California. Peonies are ÐÓ°Épro’s largest agricultural export, and climate change is changing the risks associated with the flower crop. Only one U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved dairy remains in the state.
Growing more food in the state could ensure food is always on the shelves, especially during a natural disaster like an earthquake or a global pandemic like COVID-19.
The documentary was funded by and the .
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