FBC - A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM

Question 1

what are the three needs of the “great balancing act” required to sustainably feed 9 billion people by 2050?

Answer 1

1. closing the food gap
2. supporting economic development
3. reducing environmental impact

Question 2

how many sustainable development goals are there in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development/SDGs?

Answer 2

17

Question 3

What is the summary of SDG 2 (Zero hunger)?

Answer 3

to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

Question 4

what are some factors affecting changes in the food and agriculture sector?

Answer 4

• income growth
• population growth & urbanisation
• malnutrition
• changing rural communities
• trade
• healthcare challenges
• food insecurity
• soil health & arable land
• climate
• water
• energy

Question 5

Intensive arable agriculture (“c… farming”): maximise … relative to land use and c…
h… landscapes with … crop-diversity, and … use of fertilisers, agro… and irrigation
concentration of environmental … at … scale
current food system responsible for ~…% of GHG emissions (incl CH4 from r… and N2O from f…)

Answer 5

conventional
yields
costs
homogenous
low
high
chemicals
impacts
local
30
ruminants
fertilisers

Question 6

what are some current farming systems? (it’s not all intensive large-scale farming)

Answer 6

• mixed farming
• nomadic pastorlism
• shifting cultivation
• organic farming
• agroforestry

Question 7

Subsidence farming: a plot of land produces only enough food to feed those who … it - little or nothing produced for … or t…
500mil subsidence farms mostly in … countries
responsible for producing the majority of food in … countries (e.g. 70% in sub-saharan africa) ad contribute to … ag… output

Answer 7

work
sale
trade
developing
developing
global
agricultural

Question 8

what SDG goal is subsidence farming a critical component of? what links does it have for development issues?

Answer 8

Goal 2 (zero hunger)
- local rights, infrastructure, rural incomes, empowering women

Question 9

what are some future social and environmental changes that might affect subsidence farmers and their food security?

Answer 9

• sea level rise and flooding
• climate change and desertification (kenyan droughts)
• water availability
• lack of viable land due to overpopulation
• governance issues

Question 10

how might existing knowledge and future technological advances sustainably increase production? what are some examples?

Answer 10

• using new pesticides in intensive agriculture
• intensifying use of indigenous knowledge in local farming practices
• accurate management of land using GPS
• genetically modified crops
• climate-smart agriculture
• precision farming

Question 11

what is climate-smart agriculture? it can be used as a technological advance to sustainably increase production. what is it criticised for?

Answer 11

3 elements:
1. increasing agricultural productivity and incomes
2. adapting and building resilience to climate change
3. mitigation of GHG emissions

• increase input efficiency
• change management practices
• carbon sequestration
• waste reduction
• on-farm energy production

criticised for justifying nearly any form of agriculture and for not addressing inequalities in production and distribution.

Question 12

what is precision farming, which can be used as a technological advance to sustainably increase production?

Answer 12

• technologies that allow application of water, nutrients, and pesticides to the places and at the times they are required
• reduces inputs and environmental impacts
• includes measuring, modelling, and responding to site-specific data, including weather forecasts, soil properties, soil water content, pests, and weeds
• from GPS, robotics, and drones, to low-tech measures like using bottle caps for applying fertiliser to individual plants

Question 13

what are some other examples of farming methods that could increase production sustainably?

Answer 13

• agrotechnology
• vertical farming
• bivalve agriculture
• lab-grown meats
• using cover crops to improve soils when not in season
• natural mulches

Question 14

we need a sustainable food system- including increased supply, improved efficiency, and reduced environmental impacts. a single solution won’t be enough, need a combo of solutions. it’s not just about food production; must consider what three issues?
must also consider constraints and trade-offs, like what?

Answer 14

• economic
• social
• environmental

e.g. between biodiversity and food production

Question 15

Sustainable intensification is an aspirational approach to agricultural production wherein yields are … without adverse … impact and without the … of more land.
It is a practical pathway towards the goal of producing … food whilst ensuring the … resource base on which a… depends is sustained, and …, for … generations.
also includes …, …, and … criteria

Answer 15

increased
environmental
more
natural
agriculture
improved
future
social
economic
ethical
cultivation

Question 16

what are the 3 principles for the sustainable development of agriculture and for SI?

Answer 16

• a frozen agricultural land footprint
• reduced environmental impacts
• increased yields (where possible)

Question 17

what agricultural techniques does SI involve?
could incorporate innovations from b…, p… farming, agro…, o… farming and socio-…
aim is environmentally …, equit…, p… and re… ecosystems that improve the wellbeing of farms, farmers and families

Answer 17

biotechnology
precision
agroecology
organic
economics
sustainable
equitable
productive
resilient

Question 18

SI is a policy goal, not a set tr…
it must operate within broader g… frameworks (like climate and biodiversity legislation) that set limits and shape … making on what forms of agricultural in… are deemed sustainable.

Answer 18

trajectory
governance
decision
intensification

Question 19

intensification of farming should not be confused with … farming

Answer 19

“intensive”

Question 20

remember, it’s not all about increasing food production.
action needed on all fronts:
- changing …
- reducing …
- moderate …
- improve …
crucially, need to integrate socio-economic factors: p…, e…, and d…

Answer 20

diet
waste
demand
governance

policy, equity, and diversity

Question 21

REGENERATIVE FARMING refers to farming that uses s… conservation to regenerate and deliver e… s…, and to enhance the e…, s… and e… aspects of food production.
use of practices such as c… crops, crop r…, minimal t…, organic c…, agrof…, and crop-livestock int… (also associated with organic farming and agroecology)

Answer 21

ecosystem services
economic, social and environmental
cover
rotations
tillage
compost
agroforestry
integration

Question 22

what are the 5 principles of regenerative agriculture?
1. minimise s… d…
2. keep s… covered with …
3. plant d… c…
4. no s… c…
5. p… g…

Answer 22

1. minimise soil disruption
2. keep soil covered with plants
3. plant diverse crops
4. no synthetic chemicals
5. planned grazing

Question 23

for regenerative farming to be sustainable, need to reduce …/limit consumption
and therefore reduce … on land

Answer 23

demand
pressure