1,938
edits
Food: Difference between revisions
→Solutions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
==Solutions== | ==Solutions== | ||
Even without any fundamental changes to food production, we can still end [[hunger]] and [[habitat loss]] by reducing any of the inefficiencies in the diagram above. What this means in practice: | ===Efficiency=== | ||
* Making food more [[plant-based]] | Even ''without'' any fundamental changes to food production, we can '''still end [[hunger]] and [[habitat loss]]''' by reducing any of the inefficiencies in the diagram above.<br />What this means in practice: | ||
* '''Making food more [[plant-based]]''' - reducing ''animal consumption'' to its [[maximum sustainable animal consumption|sustainable limit]] | |||
* [[food waste | * '''Reducing [[food waste]]''' - especially in ''richer'' countries | ||
* Not | * '''Reducing [[food loss]]''' - especially in ''poorer'' countries | ||
* '''Not using crops as [[biofuel]]''' - except for the [[biomass waste|parts that can't be eaten]]. | |||
These actions require '''both''' ''personal changes'' '''and''' ''systemic changes''. | |||
===Farming practices=== | |||
Anything that increases [[crop yields]] will ''also'' help end [[hunger]] and [[habitat loss]], in the same way as above. However, we ''don't'' want practices that increase yields in the ''short term'' if they ''decrease'' yields in the ''long term'' {{x|this is typically caused by soil depletion or pollution}}. {{x|Even in extreme circumstances where people are urgently starving, it ''still'' probably wouldn't make sense to opt for "short term gain, long term pain" farming. A better option would be to import (or receive [[food aid]]) {{null|x|because the world (in total) already produces more than enough food crops (see food funnel above)}} and in the long term, restore local farm land so it can get high yields again.}} | |||
Sub[[urban farming]] & gardening | <tab name="Research needed"> | ||
Things this page needs more information on: | |||
* Just how bad are current farming practices, in terms of long-term yields? | |||
* Would switching from [[monoculture]] to [[polyculture]] improve total yields {{x|could be measured by calories, protein, or dry mass}} while needing less [[pesticide]]? If so, is there a tradeoff? Perhaps an increase in [[labor]] - if so, by how much? | |||
* [[Regenerative agriculture]]: could its yields be as high as current farming practices? | |||
* Sub[[urban farming]] & gardening: Best case, how much of the world's food could it produce? | |||
* How much [[fertilizer]] is fundamentally needed, to achieve high [[crop yields]] on a global scale? | |||
Join the {{talk}} and help build this page! | |||
</tab> | |||
===Techy solutions=== | |||
Things that won't be [[Term:viable|viable]] for at least another decade: | |||
* [[Lab-grown meat]] | |||
Things that are semi-viable: | |||
* [[Algae farming]] | |||
<tab name="Less viable ideas" collapsed> | |||
Things that aren't much better than the status quo: | |||
* [[Insect farming]] - the food efficiency is still not any better than [[plant-based]]. If insects are fed [[food waste]], it still begs the question as to why that food was wasted in the first place. | |||
Things that probably won't ever be viable: | |||
* [[Vertical farming]] - needs too much [[energy]] - thus could never supply the world's calories or protein; best case, could provide a few fresh herbs in the city. | |||
* [[Solein]] - needs too many [[materials]] (per unit of food production) - and it's unlikely for this to be solved enough in the future. | |||
</tab> | |||
==Bottom line== | ==Bottom line== | ||