Introduction
As the number of individuals on Earth continues to increase, the issue of food and sustaining the resources that people need to survive becomes more evident. Although in recent decades, the agricultural and food production industries have developed methods to manufacture food, the use of pesticides and other chemicals threatens the sustainability of these processes. This may lead to the industry’s inability to reproduce certain foods, which may cause starvation for future generations. The approach to examining the topic is as follows: the first section will explain the problem, while the next one will detail potential solutions and actions that people and organizations followed by a summary of the main points. The purpose of this research is to address the problems of modern food production and its effect on the environment. Humanity must focus on protecting the biodiversity of the planet because the Earth is losing its capacity to sustain industrial agriculture.
Problem Statement: Capacity to Produce Food
Humanity has mastered the ways to grow crops and produce foods. However, despite the achievements in food production that have not addressed the issues of hunger fully, the natural resources that are exploited and the harm caused by pesticides and agricultural practices can already be seen. According to the Bread of the World organization, approximately 882 million people still experience hunger, both in developing countries and well-developed nations such as the United States (“About Hunger”). According to Montagini and Berg, “the planet is losing about 0.3 percent a year of its capacity to produce food due to soil degradation” (98). Therefore, the issue explored in this paper is the decrease of Earth’s natural resources and capacity to produce food re decreasing, while the problem of hunger remains and the population continues to increase.
The current agricultural practices do not support the sustainability of the Earth and do not address the nutritional needs of people. Dwivedi et al. Note that industrial agriculture fails to contribute to a healthy diet, while the Bread of the World uses the term “hidden hunger” to describe the issue of people not receiving the nutrients they need from their foods (“About Hunger”; 842). Still, these industrial practices contribute to deforestation and increased emissions, and the use of pesticides destroys the useful insects needed to sustain biodiversity.
Sherman and Montgomery state that multiple factors in a person’s environment affect their health (462). Diet and food consumption, as well as safe water supplies, are some of the major contributors to one’s health and wellbeing since people’s bodies use the nutrients to repair and sustain themselves. Hence, the problem of industrial agriculture and biodiversity is multifaceted and relates not only to the potential decrease of the Earth’s capacity to produce food but also has a direct impact on people’s health. If people do not consume nutritious foods, they are in a state of hidden hunger, which is why paying attention to agricultural practices is important.
Solutions
The degradation of Earth’s resources is gradual and slow, which is why not much attention is dedicated to this issue. However, if no action is taken now, future generations will face the problem of hunger, both hidden and actual. Preservation of biodiversity by actively engaging in the protection of certain lads and by forbidding the use of chemicals that destroy not only harmful but also useful insects is one way of addressing the problem. Montagne and Berg state that the Aichi Biodiversity Target 7 outlines the need to find a balance between the protection of biodiversity and the production of goods (99). The authors outline solutions, such as preserving biodiversity islands, which are protected lands in areas with high population density.
Another step is reviewing the existing food production methods and transitioning towards sustainable food production. Actions, such as the use of efficient cookstoves and alternative fuels used in food manufacturing, can address the greenhouse emission and resource depletion problem (Montagini and Berg 98; Kendall et al. 10 ). The use of alternative fuels is especially important since round unprocessed timber is still used to produce meals. Naturally, the widespread use of agricultural practices that do not contribute to the extinction of useful insects and do not pollute the soil are also necessary. Dwivedi et al. also argue that a transition towards consuming less livestock and more plant-based products can contribute to these improvements (842). However, this requires a change of paradigm in the way people and companies approach food production and consumption and awareness of how these practices affect the biosphere.
Conclusion
In summary, humanity has to dedicate attention to the sustainability of food production immediately. Despite the development in industrial agriculture, many people still live in hunger; some of them experience hidden hunger because they consume non-nutritious foods. The agricultural practices contribute to the destruction of forests and useful insect species, as well as pollution of the soil and emissions. These points support the argument because currently, the Earth is losing 0.3% of its food production capacity each year, and the population continues to increase.
Works Cited
“About Hunger.” Bread of the World, Web.
Dwivedi, Sangam L. et al. “Diversifying Food Systems in The Pursuit of Sustainable Food Production And Healthy Diets.” Trends in Plant Science, vol. 22, no. 10, 2017, pp. 842-856.
Kendall, Corinne J. et al. “Teacher Training as A Means To Sustained And Multiplicative Behavior Change: An Example Using Fuel‐Efficient Stoves.” American Journal of Primatology, vol. 83, no. 4, 10-20.
Sherman, D. S. and Montgomery, D. R. Environmental Science and Sustainability. Norton & Company.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Transforming our world – Feeding the world – Florence Montagnini, Kjell E. Berg, 2019.