Why Food Sustainability?
Food sustainability is important for numerous reasons, which are all related and is an important matter for past, and present generations. Continue reading to learn more about the importance of food sustainability!
1. Hunger and malnutrition is a widespread problem, and tackling it requires food sustainability
The main reason!
Food sustainability determines humankind's ability to produce sufficient food for everyone on earth presently, as well as for future generations.
The World Food Programme reports that more than 1 in 9 people worldwide go hungry every day, and even more people are malnourished. Hunger and malnutrition are such a widespread problem that the UN has emphasized that “a profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed” to tackle it, this includes striving for the sustainable production of food.
2. The human population is increasing
Since the human population is expected to increase to 10 billion in the next 30 years, food production would need to increase 60 to 70 percent by then to meet this additional demand.
To accommodate this growth, millions of hectares of forest would need to be converted to farmland, which would have a huge negative effect on the environment. Also, the agriculture industry currently produces lots of greenhouse gasses, increasing the size of this industry by 60 to 70 percent would be terrible, and maybe not even be possible. Food production currently accounts for 70 percent of the planet's freshwater usage. Increasing that usage to keep up with the growing demand for food will put even greater pressure on already scarce resources.
3. The environment and it’s already scarce resources
Sustainable food aims to avoid natural resources. It also minimizes its contribution to climate change throughout the whole production process.
The use of the earth’s finite resources is also considered. This includes the use of energy in transportation and storage. Food sustainability minimizes any negative impact while aiming to produce food in the most efficient and cost effective way possible.
4. It upholds animal welfare!
Sustainable farmers use livestock techniques that protect the animals’ health and wellbeing.They do not confine animals in cages, treating them with care and respect. Such farmers also reduce, if not remove, the pain and suffering that animals are subjected to as part of the food production process.
