Week 9 - Sustainability of the Food Environment

Question 1

Major revolutions

Answer 1

• Agricultural revolution - from small scale to large scale mono-cultures
• Industrial revolution - from manual labour to machines, freezers
• Scientific revolution
  Chemical revolution - from short shelf life to long shelf life, pesticides
  Transport revolution - from local to global

Question 2

Current issues with food sustainability

Answer 2

1. Widespread malnutrition/hunger
2. High global food prices
3. Falling biodiversity
4. Environmental challenges
   - Arable land
   - Soil
   - Water

Question 3

Sustainability in the next 20-40 years

Answer 3

Continuing issues with biodiversity loss, water and soil discuss
Exacerbated by:
1. Increasing world population
2. Increasing urbanisation and income
3. Increasing energy demand
4. Climate change

Question 4

World population

Answer 4

• The world’s population is excepted to increase by 2 billion persons in the next 30 years, from 7.7 billion currently to 9.7 billion in 2050
• More than half of growth will take place in 9 countries
• There will be a need for a 50% increase in food production to meet need by 2030
• More than 70% of the increase by 2050 is expected to be in urban areas

Question 5

Arable land

Answer 5

More people means less cultivated land per person for food, feed, fuel and fibre production

Question 6

Water availability

Answer 6

Total world water demands are predicted to increase by over 30% by 2030

Question 7

Increasing urbanisation and income

Answer 7

• In 2008, for the first time, more than half the world’s population became urban
• Increasing urbanisation leads to increased food demand due to land use and transport needs
• With income growth, will have a lower demand for grains and higher demands for meat, fish, dairy, vegetables and fruit

Question 8

Increasing energy demand

Answer 8

• Currently about 2-2.5% of energy is directly used in agriculture in developed countries, about 1/2 directly and 1/2 fertiliser and pesticides
• The food production system uses about 12-17% of energy in total due to transport, food processing and packing
• There will be an increased demand for energy (30% by 2050, especially oil)
• Oil production will be reduced as reserves are reduced
• Conventional farming is highly energy intensive - can’t replace oil currently for pesticides
• Increased cost and decreased availability of fossil fuels
• Increased production of biofuels will make the food situation worse

Question 9

Climate change

Answer 9

• More CO2
• Changing rainfall
• Increased weeds, pests, diseases
• More common extreme weather events
• Estimate reduced output in Africa and increased output in temperature zone

Question 10

Current solutions

Answer 10

1. More local production, less food transport, reduce food wastage
2. Use of GMO crops
3. Organic/sustainable agriculture
4. Shift in food choices - vegetarianism