The local food landscape has been on the minds of some, depending on where you are in the country. In the desert Southwest home in Nevada, local food is typically mentioned, but the region has only seen a few sparks of local food availability.
To start a conversation about local food and sustainability, it’s worth noting that not all cities are the same when it comes to obtaining local produce or local grass-fed and grass-finished beef and other types of meat. Millions of pounds of food flow to Southern Nevada annually, but much of it comes from hundreds of miles away.
That does leave the complex question of just how sustainable growing food in the desert might be. Well, considering some of the food that comes into the center of the Mojave Desert is from drought-stricken areas, one thought is that emissions can still be saved by growing locally. Additionally, using low-water growing methods, locally, may also save a highly valuable resource and feed the tens of millions of tourists that head to the Las Vegas Strip and the valley’s over 2.2 million residents.
There is room for innovation, even in a place like a barren desert with water scarcity issues. Historically, a few vertical farming and other similar operations have appeared over the years in Las Vegas and have since disappeared. For a strategist, this is just a complex problem that they might want to conquer.
On that note, it’s good to bring the concept of sustainability into the light. Sustainability has three parameters: environmental, economic and social. For this example, the reduction of carbon emissions covers the environmental impact, as well as the potential reduction of water use by using low-water farming techniques. The social aspect here can be considered in everything from boutique offerings at upscale restaurants to feeding local populations on a mass scale and the possibility of creating new employment opportunities.
On the economic side of things, innovation is also important in the world of business, as many readers may be aware. It’s something that keeps firms ahead of the curve, as long as it’s something that no one else has. Innovation is also important to conceptualize in specific markets such as Las Vegas. Here, it’s something just waiting to be plucked, so to speak.
Las Vegas was used here as an example, but there’s one thing that’s true about thinking in a sustainable way: Regional attributes and realities are key to figuring out a good path forward. In Las Vegas, the market opportunities are much different than in the Midwest or in other parts of the country or world where regulations, laws and other ordinances can be a deciding factor.
The Thinking About Sustainability Series explores sustainability strategies, bringing coverage to the forefront of the transitioning world of business and society.