How Rachel connects fruit picking to climate action

Toronto’s second ever Climate Week is underway with 200+ events over 1 week that are estimated to bring together more than 10,000 people. With events covering topics that range from health to clean tech to financing, infrastructure, nature & water, food & agriculture and environmental justice, this feels like a great time to think about how our work at NFFTT contributes to climate action, too.

Hi! My name is Rachel! I’ve been a member of the NFFTT community for a few years – as a picker, a pick leader, and on the staff team.

One of the reasons I’ve always loved being involved with NFFTT is because food (and sharing food) has always brought me so much joy.

Climate action is also something near and dear to my heart, especially as we see the impacts of climate change at our doorstep here in Toronto – with increasing flooding, more seasons of wildfire smoke, hotter summers, and more unpredictable winters.

As with all of our systems, these impacts are affecting the most vulnerable in our communities more than others – often the same people NFFTT is supporting via the ⅓ model with the community agency partners. This is why connections between climate action and food systems feel so tangible and full of opportunity to me.

Did you know that food loss and waste accounts for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions?

As of 2022, that is more than aviation. In Toronto specifically, we know that over 1.5 million pounds of fresh fruit grows right here in our city, yet much of this fruit goes unpicked and falls to waste – contributing to those greenhouse gas emissions. When we are able to not only help harvest and redistribute this fruit, but also to support a healthier urban orchard, we are doing so much for climate action, including:

Reducing the carbon footprint of access to fresh, nutritious food, helping to create more efficient food systems with food that is already produced
Supporting healthy communities, especially in a city where food insecurity has been declared an emergency
Reducing food waste by building skills and sharing knowledge about how to preserve and prepare produce – especially when it’s less-than-perfect!
Contributing to shade cover with healthy trees, which is a vital climate adaptation measure during extreme heat
Supporting diverse ecosystems with healthy trees, which is a climate solution in and of itself!
Support pollinators, which can support our wider agricultural systems and natural ecosystems. Susan from Orchard People writes that “[…] meadows, pollinators, and birds are part of the orchard community, and planting fruit trees is an investment in the community between people and for the future”

I often have conversations with my friends and they tell me they feel overwhelmed, not sure how to act, that it’s difficult to make time to do anything about climate change. My response is always the same – it’s super likely that something you are already doing is contributing to climate action.

If you are a part of the NFFTT community, it’s likely that something you are already doing is contributing to climate action.

If you’re a Tree Registrant – having a fruit tree is already a great step! Taking care of your fruit tree so that it is healthy and produces edible fruit means that your tree is more likely to contribute to a sustainable food system (instead of food waste) and also a diverse ecosystem that supports important neighbours like pollinators.

If you’re a Fruit Picker – you’re already helping to reduce and redirect potential food waste, awesome! You’re directly reducing the carbon footprint of access to fresh and nutritious food and helping to mitigate food waste from unpicked or fallen fruit. Connecting with neighbours is also part of climate action, helping to create community and networks of support that can be important in emergencies.

If you’re a supporter – grassroots organizing is not possible without support. Whether it’s offering your shed for storage, donating once or monthly, booking a corporate pick with your office, or joining the newsletter, your actions help to sustain the people who sustain the activities that keep the mission of NFFTT alive and thriving.

The most impactful climate actions are simple acts of care.

Actions that are rooted in community and that are joyful and enjoyable. The good news here is that change is happening all round us, often with the strongest push happening at grassroots levels.

With climate week underway, it is a reminder that Not Far From The Tree is part of the climate solutions in our city – one of the hundreds of local organizations that are working for a more a resilient city and community – that we, whether we know it or not as tree owners, or pickers, or supporters – are part of a community of over 10,000 people that are invested in a better future for people and for the planet.