1.2 Food Production and the Environment
As a result of widely accepted research, “…strong evidence has shown that food production is among the largest drivers of global environmental change.”1 According to FoodPrint.org, industrial agriculture, or agriculture that prioritizes maximum production and cost reductions, “harms the environment through pollution of air, soil, and water:
- Air emissions from livestock operations make up 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Conventional crop production degrades soil health and causes soil erosion
- The high content of nitrogen and other nutrients in manure runoff leads to dead zones in downstream waterways.”2
Climate Change
Current research reveals a recent and significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) due to human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Consequently, this marked increase in GHGs is contributing to the rising rate of global warming. The GHGs – carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide – negatively impact our planet by creating a “greenhouse” effect over the earth by trapping heat and warmth in the earth’s atmosphere.
There are many negative consequences of climate change, including extreme weather events, like droughts and hurricanes. These weather events have a negative impact on agriculture that results in decreased food production, increased food insecurity, and hunger. In addition, climate change can affect the quality of the crops produced, as increased CO2 levels affect plant nutrient levels, such as iron.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)3, agriculture, forestry, and land use accounts for 24% of total global 2010 GHG emissions. This would include the cultivation of crops, livestock, and deforestation. In the US, GHGs from red meat and dairy production are responsible for almost 50% of the total GHGs from food production. (Lesson 5: Our Changing Climate)4 Other food-related contributors to emissions include transportation, refrigeration, retail, cooking, and food waste.
FOOTNOTES
1 Wright, K. (2019, June). The Planetary Health Diet. Today’s Dietitian, 21(6), 24. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0619p24.shtml
2 FoodPrint. (2018, October 10). Food and the Environment. FoodPrint. https://foodprint.org/the-total-footprint-of-our-food-system/issues/food-and-the-environment/
3 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2016, January 12). Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data
