TREES OF LIFE:FORESTS IN PERIL
  • home
  • Blog
  • About The Book
    • Bookstore
    • Press
  • The Author
  • Videos
  • Contact

June 07th, 2020

6/7/2020

0 Comments

 
THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON HUMANITY

 
Human impacts on the Natural World have been devastating; the good news is we can do something about it! The last article introduced a report on how to live better by the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition. This report highlights four fundamental changes humanity needs to implement. Last time, we discussed the need to transform economic models to prolong and provide a better life.
The second major transformation the world must make is our food system. The way we currently produce and consume food is a major cause of ecological destruction. We must find ways to feed a growing worldwide population a healthy diet without destroying Earth and provide an improved quality of life for the people. This can be done by implementing several sustainable agricultural processes like integrated pest and nutrient management, organic farming, soil and water conservation, and measures to improve animal welfare.
Over 820 million people are undernourished worldwide. Unfortunately, current food systems are failing us in terms of livelihoods, human health and the environment, according to the UN Environmental Program’s (UNEP). According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (IPBES), one third of all the food produced never makes it to the plate. Waste is a significant problem with current food systems. Recent statistics show that about 30% of the food in grocery stores is discarded as waste. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization statistics show, food waste costs a global annual average of 2.6 trillion dollars.    We have got to look beyond the idea that more food in the world and greater productivity will solve our problems. National and local food systems must be strengthened to adapt to the climate crisis and provide better diverse diets for people in food-insecure communities. Diversity in diets helps producers diversify their risk, provide markets for variety of crops, reduce their dependency on commodity crops, and increase biodiversity and resilience.
While hundreds of millions of people are undernourished, 672 million suffer from obesity and another 1.3 billion are overweight. There is clear evidence that current food systems, its price, and obesity along with other diseases like type 2 diabetes are linked. There is also evidence that people are eating a less diverse diet today, than in the past. This has resulted in excessive tillage of arable land which is degrading soils, releasing carbon dioxide and locking farmers into unprofitable production systems.  According to UNEP, agricultural subsidies are exacerbating the problem rather than improving it.
The world spending about one million dollars a minute on agricultural subsidies that are causing biodiversity loss and climate change. The UN reports that about two thirds of these subsidies are negatively influencing long-term livelihoods, the environment and our health. We need to reprogram these subsidies for regeneration and restoration of our agricultural systems, leading to long-term food security and nutrition. 
It is no longer acceptable to work on these worldwide issues in isolation. We must require governments to look at food and agriculture as an issue to be addressed by public health specialists, agricultural policymakers, water and environmental specialists, and planning and finance specialists. If we continue to reduce the nature-based foundation of our food systems through how and what we produce and consume, the human right to food will continue to erode. 
The good news is that feeding a growing global population a healthy diet without damaging Earth is not only possible, but will improve people’s quality of life. Leadership will respond when required to do so by the voting public! We will defeat our current worldwide pandemic and if we join together, we can initiate the changes required to provide a more desirable future!
Next time, we will examine the need to change the way we treat the world’s oceans.       
 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.