Has there ever been a time in your life when you really craved a food and were entirely unable to access it? The answer to that question is likely no. If you live in a relatively urban area you will be able to purchase nearly any produce or meat at any time in the year, regardless of the season or location. This convenience of purchase is one of the many wonders of the modern world. Our food comes from a long, international supply chain of farmers, corporate middle men, and retailers; this chain is called a ‘food-system’ and is integral for us to maintain our convenient consumption. Convenience, however, does not come without a price.
Since the food system we are dependent on is global, there are many communities and individuals that are directly or indirectly affected by it. Combined with the massive amount of food waste (30-40% of all food in the United States is thrown away*), we need a huge amount of agricultural production to sustain our consumption. To keep up with this demand while keeping prices low, agricultural corporations often cut corners even if it comes at a social or environmental cost. These costs are usually not visible in what we pay as the corporations don’t often compensate those affected by the problem they create or try to mitigate any of the damages they cause. This is why they are called “externalities”, as they are external to the direct cost of production.
One of the most visible issues with the current state of global food production are the chemicals utilized by agricultural corporations. Many pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and others have been discovered to have devastating effects on human health. In many cases, extremely toxic chemicals have been used for the sake of profit. In 2011 the popular pesticide Endosulfan was banned in India after it was found to have devastating effects on human health, especially in children. Chemically similar to the infamous DDT, Endosulfan was commonly sprayed onto vegetables, apples, melons, and cotton**. The chemical remains in the environment for extended periods of time, lengthening the time period that damage could be caused. Below is a photo of one of the many, young victims of Endosulfan, demonstrating the ruin that could be brought about by our consumption.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/sc-orders-kerala-to-compensate-endosulfan-victims-in-90-days-56780
Environmental damage is a less direct but equally severe issue caused by the unsustainable methods of food production we currently follow. One of the most common issues brought about by modern agriculture involves water supplies for many people around the world. The overuse of industrial fertilizers to maximize production results in excess nutrients being leached into surrounding bodies of water. These nutrients cause algae to bloom excessively in a process called eutrophication, congesting waterways and killing all other nearby species. Many types of algae caused by eutrophication are actually toxic to humans. This becomes an issue when the water is used for drinking by local communities. Below is a photo illustrating the effect of over fertilization can have on water quality.
http://www.eniscuola.net/en/2016/11/03/what-is-eutrophication-causes-effects-and-control/
Another prevalent issue deals with the exploitation of land. Without proper rotation of crops and resting, soils become exhausted of their nutrients and are unable to effectively grow crops any more. Nutrient rich topsoil is depleted and blown away without large plants to keep it down, leaving bare, nutrient-poor soils. These deficient soils are unable to produce high plant yields and therefore are often abandoned only for farmers to move onto new plots and start the process all over again. On top of this, the poor soils without strong root systems are unable to stay compact during heavy rains making devastating mudslides more common. In the end, our desire for excess leads to a trail of destruction being left behind.
These issues will not only affect those closest to production, however. Agricultural production is actually a major contributor to climate change. The combination of deforestation to make room for agricultural plots, animal farming, use of farming equipment, and international transportation all contribute to emissions of greenhouse gases. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 10.5% of emissions in the US come from agricultural production alone***. In 2019 it was estimated that agriculture, deforestation, and other types of changing land use contributed to a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions∞.
International failures of production could lead to partial or total collapse of the global food system, leaving many without access to food. No matter where you live, you will likely feel the effects of a food system collapse. According to a recent article in the journal Natureª, key crops such as wheat, maize, and soybeans are all at growing risk of global failure due to climate related issues. No matter our trade relations with the world’s breadbaskets (countries that produce major fractions of the world’s food), without change global food production failures will be unavoidable and inevitably lead to world wide famine and devastation. In addition to this, the general effects of climate change accelerated by poor management of food production will continue the chain of events leading to international disaster from sea levels rising to massive droughts.
To approach and solve these issues, a full reform of the global food system will be required. A major part of this reform will be large scale dietary changes. Contrary to popular belief, there is actually enough food being grown on the planet to support the world’s population. However, a lot of the wheat and corn grown is being fed to livestock in order to supply meat to the developed world’s increasing demand. While livestock raising already is bad for the environment due to the methane (a potent greenhouse gas) release from the animals, the reliance on them for a large part of a population’s diet is hugely unsustainable. By converting to a vegetarian or flexitarian diet we can greatly reduce the amount of feed needed for livestock and better provide for the rest of the world’s population. By reducing our food waste and eating in season we can also greatly lessen the amount of food we need to produce in the first place. Lastly, by decreasing our standards for perfect produce we will no longer need so many harmful pesticides and herbicides, decreasing the chemical impact of agricultural production. This process will not be easy, but it will be essential to ensure our food security for now and generations to come.
Sources:
* https://www.rubicon.com/blog/food-waste-facts
** https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/endosulfan-banned-epa/
*** https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/climate-change/
∞ https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/08/08/748416223/to-slow-global-warming-u-n-warns-agriculture-must-change
ª https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0600-z
