Making clean, sustainable agriculture is the key to feeding billions of people but without harming the planet

It is clear that population growth is putting enormous pressure on food production and environmental protection. Because agriculture is one of the sectors with much less greenhouse gas emissions than industry.

That’s why researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) are starting to think about plans to feed 10 billion people around the world without harming the planet.

Overhaul of agriculture

When we look at the planet’s condition and the impact of farming on the climate, we obviously have reason to worry. But besides that, we also have reason to hope if people are more drastic.

Diet Dieter Gerten, lead author of the study and professor at Humboldt University Berlin, said: “We are taking too much land to grow, we fertilize and water too much. To solve this problem. and in the face of the ever-increasing world population, we need to think more about how to produce food. “

The team aims to solve the problem of feeding the growing population but must strictly follow environmental sustainability. Through the models, the researchers looked at the impact of food on the integrity of the biosphere, changing the soil system, using fresh water and nitrogen flow. The corps can then determine the location and environmental boundaries of how much of a compromise is being made to produce food, revert the environment and help develop more sustainable agriculture.

Johan Rockström, director of PIK, said: “We see that the current agriculture in many lands is using too much soil, water and fertilizer. Therefore, the agricultural production in these areas needs to be change to increase environmental sustainability “ . Agricultural change will certainly bring positive results, for example in most sub-Saharan countries. If we know how to manage water and land resources effectively, we will still have a bumper crop.

Consumers also can not stand out

According to researchers, not only producers must change, but consumers also need to change their perceptions.

A sustainable agriculture will increase the resilience of the climate system and reduce global warming. However, even in some parts of the world, building a sustainable agriculture is not enough to feed the people. For example, the Middle East, Indonesia and Central Europe. However, according to the research team, international trade will partly feed the people there and increase the sustainability of agriculture in these areas.

On the consumer side, the team recommends that people should change their minds towards a more sustainable food system. For example, when meat consumption is increasing in China, people need to be more proactive in replacing animal protein sources with plants.

Besides, we also need to pay more attention to waste from food waste. Food waste is estimated to account for 30% of the total food loss in the world. Therefore, saving food and not wasting is part of everyone’s responsibility.

Vera Heck, another PIK researcher, said the initial changes may be difficult, but in the long run, changes in diet will not only benefit the planet but also the whole planet. your own health.

Refer to InterestingEngineering