Food-Biodiversity Challenge Flashcards
what is the challenge with food and biodiversity security?
to feed the growing global population sustainably, healthily and equitably, there are scientific, economic, social and en environmental issues of food production and consumption to solve. this is a multidisciplinary challenge.
what will the population be in 2100 if the growth rate maintains the same
11.2 billion
which continent has the highest population
asia
which continent has the lowest population
oceania
what percentage is required to increase in food calories to feed 9.6 billion people by 2050?
69%
why is the growing demand for non-stable foods an issue?
the demand for stable crops is rising slightly faster than global population, increasing 50% globally by 2050. as more people move out of extreme poverty and gain access to more diverse diets, the demand for meat, dairy, and eggs is expected to grow more than 60%, and the demand for fruits and vegetables will grow even more.
why is the development spurs changing diets an issue?
the main driver in glboal shifts in food demand is economic development and the changing dietary preferences that come with it.
why is undernourishment an issue?
the physical, economic and social aspect of food.
where is there the most undernourishment in the world?
Asia and Africa
how many adults are overweight globally?
1.9 billion
what are additional threats to food supply?
global water crisis increased competition for land (land degradation) climate change (general warming and increase in extreme events)
what percentage of the earth is arable land?
3% , or 1.5 billion hectares
what are the key messages from the global food issue?
the current food system cannot support the growing population
there is environmental damage in terms of water, soil and land
climate change will exacerbate the situation
what percentage of water is used?
70%, much non-renewable
what percentage of vegetated land suffers from soil degradation?
24%
what percentage of GHG emissions comes directly or indirectly from the food system?
30%
what is food security?
food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
what are some factors that might affect food security?
demographics changes in diet removal of trade barriers increased focus on conservation technological innovations impact of climate change
what are the levels of food security?
top: individual
(food consumption status, health status)
household
(care and feeding practices, household characteristics, health and sanitation)
national/regional
(food availability stability, food and supplies and access, food access)
context/underlying conditions
(demographic conditions, economic, environmental, natural resources, political, social, cultural, risks and hazards and shocks)
what are 3 actions that are needed throughout the food system?
increase supply (improve in technology and management, and reductions in food loss and waste) moderate demand (dietary change) improve governance
what are 3 innovations to increase food production?
new knowledge to maintain and increase yields
investing (in biotech, neglected subjects such as agronomy and soils)
barriers (understanding social and economic context of innovation, and public/private/third sector coordination)
what percentage of food produced is never consumed?
30%
what are the 3 economics of waste to be considered in terms of food concern?
response to prices
human behaviour
optimum waste
why is it not possible for everyone to have a western diet?
the carbon footprint of different foods
reduced meat consumption
demand modification
why does there need to be an improved governance in terms of food security?
the activity or process of decision-making and implementation
relating to food security legislation, policies and programmes
poor governance can be major driver of foot security
governance at all levels : national, regional and global
co-ordination of actions
the day-to-day situation as well as crises
what causes the complexity of global food policy?
production policy and demand policy both contribute to the global food system issue, in terms of governance, trade policy, waste and rural support
it is critical to consider the effect of any policy action on the environment and the world’s poorest people
what is biodiversity?
the variability among living organisms from all sources including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic systems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part. this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
what are the three levels of biodiversity?
genetic
organismal
ecological
what are the six ecosystem services?
plants microbes animals mineral soil water air
how much is pollination worth in the UK annually?
430 million pounds
what are some essential ecosystem services for agroecosystems?
pollination, biological pest control, maintenance of soil structure and fertility, nutrient cycling and hydrological services
what ecosystem services does agroecosystems provide
regulation of soil and water qulaity, carbon sequestration, support for biodiversity
can produce disservices if managed incorrectly
aim is to maximise ecosystem services and minimise disservices
what are 7 ecosystem services in terms of biodiversity?
pest control pollination nutrient/recycling soil conservation, structure and fertility water provision, quality and quantity carbon sequestration biodiversity
what are the 6 ecosystem disservices
loss of biodiversity loss of wildlife habitat nutrient runoff sedimentation of waterways pesticide poisoning greenhouse gas emissions
what is generally bad for biodiversity
modern intensive farming has had a negative impact on farmland biodiversity
what has negative impact on the environment
accelerated soil erosion
habitat change and management
farm waste
what areas of food production can conflict with biodiversity?
increase land for food production
intensification of agriculture
increase inputs
increased pressure from other land uses
what is responsible for the majority of global land use
agricultural production
how much of the earth does cropland and pastures biomes cover? (ice free)
38%
what concept coincides with habitat loss?
fragmentation
what is the fragmentation process with habitat loss?
continuous forest > partially fragmented > fragmented and edge effects > fragmented at equilibrium
what is continuous forest?
complete forest community containing rare and patchily distributed species and forest specialists. few open-habitat species
what is a partially fragmented forest?
community missing rare forest species and specialists. increase in rapidly-colonising open-habitat species
what is a fragmented and edge effects in a forest?
community missing isolation, disturbance, and edge-tolerant species. increase in open-habitat species
what is a forest and fragmented at equilibrium?
community structure fundamentally altered due to changes in species interactions and processes across landscapes
what is land sparing?
separate land for nature from land for farming
this makes farmland higher yielding, and therefore less biodiverse
it creates homogeneous landscapes
what is an example of land sparing?
California almond orchards, which is farming on a vast scale.
what is land sharing?
same land for biodiversity conservation and food production.
agricultural land is less high yielding, but more biodiverse.
more farmland may be needed to produce a given amount of food
what is an example of land sharing?
agroforestry
what does the curve on the graph identify in land sharing and land sparing case study?
the curve identifies which conservation strategy woudl be most beneficial to the species.
The two “winners” population densities increase as forest is converted to agriculture. the densities of the two losers decreases
why is land sparing vs land sharing not as simple as it seems?
it does not take into account real world complexity.
which aspects of the real world does land sharing and land sparing have to take into consideration?
range and types of species present features of the landscape history of land use farming techniques types of crops or livestock
what percentage of reduced projected biodiversity loss can optimising land use cause?
88%
what are the 3 limitations of land-sparing philosophy?
emphasises food production, not food security
assumes that “spared” land will be used to establish protected areas, but this is rarely the case
oversimplifies the debate into production vs biodiversity
what are the 4 archetypes fo social-ecological system?
win-win
win-lose
lose-win
lose-lose
what is an example of the win-win conceptual framework?
agroecology
what is an example of the win-lose conceptual framework?
intensive agriculture
what is an example of the lose-win conceptual framework?
fortress conservation
what is an example of the lose-lose conceptual framework?
degraded landscapes
what does a new conceptual framework of land use allow ?
it shifts the emphasis from production ONLY to social-ecological dynamics
it enables a comparison among landscapes
it facilitates the analysis of possible transitions between system states
what is the great balancing act?
the world must achieve the great balancing act, in order to sustainably feed 9 billion people by 2050. there are 3 areas:
closing the food gap
supporting economic development
reducing environmental; impact
what percentage of GHG emissions are from agriculture?
24%
what percentage of the population are directly or indirectly employed by agriculture?
28%
what percentage of required increase in food calories is needed to feed 9 billion people by 2050?
60&
what are the socioeconomic drivers to aid sustainable food system?
demographics, economic, socio-political context, cultural context, science and technology
what are the GEC drivers to aid a sustainable food system?
land coverage and soils, atmospheric composition, climate variability and means, water availability, nutrient availability, cycling biodiversity, sea currents and salinity, sea level
what are the 3 areas of food security that need to be considered?
food utilisation
food availability
food access
what is the current modern farming practice?
intensive arable agriculture (conventional farming)
what are the issues with intensive arable agriculture
maximises yields relative to land use and cost
homogenous landscapes with low crop-diversity, and high use of fertilisers, agrochemicals and irrigation
concentration of environmental impacts at a local scale
waht percentage of GHG emissions is the food system responsible for?
30%
what are 5 examples of non intensive farming?
mixed farming nomadic pastoralism shifting cultivation organic farming agroforestry
what is subsidence farming?
a plot of pand produes only enough food to feed thouse who work it - little or nothing produced for sale or trade
how many subsidence farms are there globally?
500 million
primarily, where are subsidence farms located?
in developing countries, located around the 0 degrees belt of the earth.
which SDG goal is critical to subsidence farming
2 - zero hunger
how might existing knowledge and future technological advances sustainably increase production of food?
new pesticides in intensive agriculture, to intensify the use of indigenous knowledge in local farming practices
how is GPS used in accurate management of land?
using geospatial information to manage assets over a large area.
GPS receivers installed in farm equipment which provide accurate position information
this enables farmers to apply fertiliser and harvest crops with great precision
what are the 3 elements needed for climate-smart agriculture?
increasing agricultural productivity and incomes
adapting and building resilience to climate change
mitigation of GHG emissions
what are the benefits of climate smart agriculture?
increase input efficiency change management practices carbon sequestration waste reduction on-farm energy production
what is precision farming?
technologies that allow the application of water, nutreitns, pesticides, to the places and at the times they are required
what are the benefits of precision farming?
reduces inputs and environmental impacts
waht does precision farming include?
measuring, modelling, responding to site-specific data: weather forecasts, soil properties, soil water content, pests and weeds
why is a sustainable food system tricky to develop?
because a single solution will not be enough, you need a combination of solutions.
its not just about food production, you must also consider economic, social and environmental issues.
what is sustainable intensification?
an aspirational approach to agriculture production where in “yields are increased without adverse environmental impact and without the cultivation of more land”.
what are the 3 principles for the sustainable development of agriculture and for SI?
a frozen agricultural land footprint
reduced environmental impacts
increased yields where possible
what agricultural techniques does SI involve?
could incorporate innovations from biotechnology, precision farming, agreecology, organic farming and socio-economics
what is the aim of SI in agricultural techniques?
aim is environmentally sustainable, equitable, productive and resilient ecosystems that improve the well-being of farms, farmer and families
what is SI dependent on?
context dependent. it is a policy goal, not a se trajectory
what must SI not be mistake for?
don’t mistake it as a business as usually, with marginal improvements in environmental impact.
what is SI?
sustainable intensification
what two things need to be considered when trying to achieve SI?
food system sustainability and food security
what kind of practices does SI incorporate?
biotechnology, precision farming, agroecology, organic farming and socio-economics
how many farms worldwide are practicing some form of SI?
163 million, this is 29% of all worldwide
how will SI interact with other food policy agendas?
land use policy rural economies animal welfare human nutrition and diets sustainable development climate change mitigation and adaptation trade and finance
what 5 aims are needed for a sustainable food system?
governance : of land, markets, access, livelihoods and food utilisation demand management sustainable intensification reduction of food losses and waste family planning
what are the 4 actions that are needed on all fronts to achieve sustainable food production?
changing of diet
reducing waste
moderate demand
improve governance
