Food: Difference between revisions

From the change wiki
(Created page with "==Problems== The biggest global food-related problems include: * Hunger ** Nearly 900 million people lack calories or protein (1 in 9 people worldwide). * Unhealthy food ** Some diets have enough calories/protein but lack vitamins and minerals. * Deforestation ** Agriculture is using too much land. Natural habitats are destroyed to make room. * Animal cruelty ** Particularly bad in factory farms, which are the source of most animal products. ==Solutions== Thi...")
 
 
(16 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The world currently struggles to feed everyone sustainably. But this '''doesn't''' have to be the case. There '''are''' enough resources to feed our growing population - '''if''' resources are used efficiently & ethically.
==Problems==
==Problems==


The biggest global food-related problems include:
Current food-related problems include:
* Hunger
* [[Hunger]] & malnutrition<small>
** Nearly 900 million people lack calories or protein (1 in 9 people worldwide).
::* About 829 million people lack calories or protein (1 in 10 people worldwide).
* Unhealthy food
::* Even more people lack vitamins & minerals, even if they get enough calories & protein.</small>
** Some diets have enough calories/protein but lack vitamins and minerals.
* Environmental impact<small>
* [[Deforestation]]
::* [[Habitat loss]], due to agriculture using so much [[land]].
** Agriculture is using too much land. Natural habitats are destroyed to make room.  
::* [[climate change|Methane emissions]], such as from cows.
* Animal cruelty
::* [[climate change|CO2 emissions]] from fertilizer production.
** Particularly bad in [[factory farms]], which are the source of most animal products.
::* [[Pollution]] from [[pesticide]]s and [[fertilizer]]s.</small>
* Animal cruelty<small>
::* Particularly bad in [[factory farms]], which are the source of most animal products.</small>
* '''These problems are amplified by ''inefficiency'':'''
 
<!-- TALK: We need a way to make the above bullet list subpoints collapsible - collapsed by default - because the average reader doesn't need to start with those details, but instead be directed to the fact that the problems could be drastically reduced by tackling food-inefficiency -->


==Solutions==
[[File:food-funnel.png|border|alt=The world produces more than '''double''' the amount of food crops needed to feed everyone. But after all the waste, losses, and animal agriculture, there isn't enough food left to go around; people still go hungry.]]


Things that can solve all 4 problems, with the biggest impact:
Read the exact numbers [[:File:food-funnel.png#Summary|here]].
* [[Some types of plant-based diets]] {{x|not necessarily 100% vegan, but reducing animal consumption by at least a factor of 5}}.
* Improving [[crop yields]], especially in poorer countries.
* Reducing [[food waste]].
* Not burning edible foodstuffs as [[biofuel]].


Things that also help:
==Solutions==
* [[Gardening]] and suburban farming.
* [[Regenerative farming]] of crops, as long as it doesn't reduce [[crop yields]].


Things that might help in the future:
===Efficiency===
* [[Lab-grown meat]]
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 [[limits to sustainable animal consumption|sustainable limit]]
* '''Reducing [[food waste]]''' - especially in ''richer'' countries
* '''Reducing [[food loss]]''' - especially in ''poorer'' countries
* '''Not using crops as [[biofuel]]''' - except for the [[biomass waste|parts that can't be eaten]].


Things that don't help:
These actions require '''both''' ''personal changes'' '''and''' ''systemic changes''.
* [[Vertical farming]]
* More [[grass-fed beef]]
* Organic [[monoculture]]


==Q&A==
===Farming practices===
Anything that increases [[crop yields]] will ''also'' help end [[hunger]] and [[habitat loss]], in the same way as above.


===Unanswered===
However, it's possible that some "conventional" farming practices might ''only'' improve yields in the ''short-term'', and actually destroy the soil & local ecosystems, ruining yields in the ''long term''.
How much animal protein could be produced from pasture only, if no crops were ever fed to animals?
<!-- OLD: 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. At that point, maybe importing food or even receiving [[food aid]] would actually a better option, {{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.}} -->


How much CO2 is released for every km^2 of [[deforestation]]?<br />
<tab name="Research needed">
How much CO2 is released for every km^2 of destroyed grasslands?
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>


How much carbon does every km^2 of [[rewilding|newly-grown forest]] sequester per year?<br />
===Techy solutions===
How much carbon does every km^2 of [[rewilding|newly-grown grasslands]] sequester per year?
Things that ''might'' be [[Term:viable|viable]] at some point in the future:
* [[Lab-grown meat]]
* [[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==


All 8 billion people could be well-fed & healthy, without destroying the planet, and without anywhere near as much harm to animals. But all of this requires '''both''' personal changes and systemic changes.
All 8 billion people could be well-fed & healthy, without destroying the planet, and without anywhere near as much harm to animals. But all of this requires '''both''' personal changes and systemic changes.
[[Category: Basic needs]]

Latest revision as of 18:37, 14 March 2023

The world currently struggles to feed everyone sustainably. But this doesn't have to be the case. There are enough resources to feed our growing population - if resources are used efficiently & ethically.

Problems

Current food-related problems include:

  • About 829 million people lack calories or protein (1 in 10 people worldwide).
  • Even more people lack vitamins & minerals, even if they get enough calories & protein.
  • Environmental impact
  • Animal cruelty
  • Particularly bad in factory farms, which are the source of most animal products.
  • These problems are amplified by inefficiency:


The world produces more than double the amount of food crops needed to feed everyone. But after all the waste, losses, and animal agriculture, there isn't enough food left to go around; people still go hungry.

Read the exact numbers here.

Solutions

Efficiency

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:

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, it's possible that some "conventional" farming practices might only improve yields in the short-term, and actually destroy the soil & local ecosystems, ruining yields in the long term.

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 (...)( 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?
  • Suburban 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 discussion and help build this page!

Techy solutions

Things that might be viable at some point in the future:

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.

Bottom line

All 8 billion people could be well-fed & healthy, without destroying the planet, and without anywhere near as much harm to animals. But all of this requires both personal changes and systemic changes.