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Food: Difference between revisions
→Efficiency
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Current food-related problems include: | Current food-related problems include: | ||
* [[Hunger]] & malnutrition | * [[Hunger]] & malnutrition<small> | ||
::* About 829 million people lack calories or protein (1 in 10 people worldwide). | ::* 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. | ::* Even more people lack vitamins & minerals, even if they get enough calories & protein.</small> | ||
* Environmental impact | * Environmental impact<small> | ||
::* [[Habitat loss]], due to agriculture using so much [[land]]. | ::* [[Habitat loss]], due to agriculture using so much [[land]]. | ||
::* [[climate change|Methane emissions]], such as from cows. | ::* [[climate change|Methane emissions]], such as from cows. | ||
::* [[climate change|CO2 emissions]] from fertilizer production. | ::* [[climate change|CO2 emissions]] from fertilizer production. | ||
::* [[Pollution]] from [[pesticide]]s and [[fertilizer]]s. | ::* [[Pollution]] from [[pesticide]]s and [[fertilizer]]s.</small> | ||
* Animal cruelty | * Animal cruelty<small> | ||
::* Particularly bad in [[factory farms]], which are the source of most animal products. | ::* 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 --> | |||
[[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.]] | [[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.]] | ||
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===Efficiency=== | ===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.<br />What this means in practice: | 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 [[ | * '''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 waste]]''' - especially in ''richer'' countries | ||
* '''Reducing [[food loss]]''' - especially in ''poorer'' countries | * '''Reducing [[food loss]]''' - especially in ''poorer'' countries | ||
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===Farming practices=== | ===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. | 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''. | |||
<!-- 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.}} --> | |||
<tab name="Research needed"> | <tab name="Research needed"> | ||