The estimated growth of the population for the next twenty years is so enormous that feeding all these people seems the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. It will be a test for people skills and the world’s productive recourses. Now over 75% of the population can hardly feed themselves. So the question under consideration is how it is possible to bring the goals of feeding everybody and protecting the environment into harmony.
In the next two to four generations, world agriculture will be called on to produce as much food as has been produced in the entire 12,000-year history of agriculture. (Freeman, 15). Despite steadily falling fertility rates and family sizes, the global population is expected to grow to 8.9bn by 2050, from 6bn today. By then, 84% of people will be in what we call the “developing” world. (Pretty)
Since the 1980s a gradual degradation of world food situation is observed. In India, for instance, the wheat harvest was more than tripled between 1965 and 1983. Since then India’s grain production has not increased at all, though its population is growing rapidly. In China, the boost of grain production was observed between 1976 and 1984. Still, it has never reached this record mark after that, and the number of people in China continues to grow. Africa and South America are the continents in which population grows the fastest. But the production of food falls progressively behind the growth of the population. (Freeman, 15)
Five major factors have to lead to the reduction of food production rates all over the world. They are:
- The hybridization of corn.
- The ninefold increase in fertilizer use between 1950 and 1984.
- The near tripling of irrigated areas in that same period.
- The rapid spread of new, high-yielding wheat and rice seeds in Third World countries.
- The use of chemical insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, and fungicides (Freeman, 16).
Three ways are possible for the agriculture of the future. The areas of farmland may be expanded by means of converting new lands. But this will lead to further losses of biodiversity of forests and grasslands. Production in food-exporting countries can be intensified in order to sell food to the countries which need it. Moreover, total farm productivity in poor countries can be increased.
“We must find ways to increase food production to sustain growing populations in developing countries. But this challenge must be accomplished without major increases in the amount of new land under cultivation, which would further threaten forests and biodiversity, and without resorting to unsustainable farming practices.” (Pretty)
Unfortunately, current agricultural practices prove to contribute to global warming. According to recent research, global warming is increasing much faster than it was originally estimated. The frequency of droughts in countries of Asia and America has increased. The success of agriculture over the recent years has affected both natural and human health.
Food production all over the world is at risk because of the application of farming methods that have polluted waters, degraded soils, and caused irreparable loss of plant and animal species. The consequence of soil degradation is dramatically reduced crop productivity. It is especially topical for poor countries with a big population. Nutrient depletion, salinization, and erosion of soil are widespread now. Many national parks and protected areas have become converted to agricultural (Feffer, 35)
What is more, 70% of all the freshwater consumed annually by humans is withdrawn by agriculture. Many lakes and rivers are being polluted by fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, more water is withdrawn by irrigation than is replenished by rainfall. That is why water tables gradually fall. (South Wales Echo)
Nutrients are being taken out of the soil faster than they are replaced. The same situation can be observed with water.
Not only does the production of food damages the environment, but also packing does.
According to a Guardian research, “the worldwide effort by supermarkets and industry to replace conventional oil-based plastic with eco-friendly “bioplastics” made from plants is causing environmental problems and consumer confusion”. (Vidal)
This replacement can lead to increased emissions of dangerous greenhouse gases in landfills. Bioplastics are made of crops such as sugarcane, maize, and wheat. The production of bioplastics also contributes to the world’s food crisis, because large areas which were previously used for agricultural needs are now taken over. Nevertheless, bioplastics are very popular, and their market is rapidly growing.
Still, “the industry, which uses words such as “sustainable”, “biodegradable”, “compostable” and “recyclable” to describe its products, says bioplastics make carbon savings of 30-80% compared with conventional oil-based plastics and can extend the shelf-life of food.” (Vidal).
Europe uses approximately 50,000 tons of bioplastic every year, and the demand for it is constantly growing. As for the new biodegradable plastics, they end up on landfill sites. When degrading without oxygen they release methane, which is 23 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide. Last year a sharp increase in world methane emissions was reported.
Lots of energy is spent to ensure the availability of fruit and vegetables all year round; the food is flown long distances around the world or grown in heated glasshouses. The environmental damage which is caused by transporting food products for long distances adds to emissions of carbon dioxide. According to the latest research, the distance food products travel from field to table rose 15% from 1992 to 2002. (Dowden, 34)So it is reasonable to buy food which is grown nearby.
All over the world about a fifth of all the greenhouse gas emissions are down to the production of livestock. High meet production, especially the production of beef, leads to a very high carbon footprint. So it is recommended to eat chicken and turkey, which have a smaller one.
The amount of fish in seas and oceans is rapidly declining. North Sea cod, Atlantic salmon and shark are endangered species. But it is stated that to provide all the vital omega-3 which the heart and brain of each person need it is enough to consume 150 grams of oily fish once a week. (Dowden, 34).
So in these days, humans have to think over their priorities. Nowadays the industrial world is starting to demonstrate understanding of the fact that the price of unintentional environmental abuse is extremely high and the damage to the Earth can be irreversible. To minimize the negative effect of food production on the environment the technological means must be applied to meet the objectives of the world’s popularity and the environment. People must stop ignoring the goods and services that the Earth provides. People have to measure carefully the application of technologies today. New technologies must meet the needs of the world’s environment and humanity.
Works Cited
Dowden, Angela. “Your Life: Your Planet Friendly Diet; Food Do Your Bit To Save The Environment – By Not Only Eating Your Greens But Eating Green, Too.” The Mirror (London, England) 2007: 34.
Feffer, John. “Trans-Atlantic Food Fight: The Stakes in the U.S.-Europe Battle over Genetically Engineered Crops.” The American Prospect 2003: 35+.
Freeman, Orville L. “Meeting the Food Needs of the Coming Decade: Agriculture vs. the Environment.” The Futurist 1990: 15+.
Pretty, Jules. Could we feed the world without causing further environmental damage? The Guardian. (2001). Web.
Vidal, John. Sustainable’ bio-plastic can damage the environment. The Guardian. (2008). Web.
“Water Shortage Is Next World Threat.” South Wales Echo (Cardiff, Wales) 2005: 16.