According to both the FAO and the IPCC, global food production alone is responsible for a major proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. Not only are millions of hectares of forests being cut down annually in order to create space for more land to be cultivated, much of which is being wasted in many ways: crops are being grown to produce biofuels, or to feed cattle and other domesticated animals which ultimately end up on the human plate when those animals are being slaughtered.
Sustainable agriculture signifies that with a rapidly growing world population, we can no longer afford to waste essential natural resources. Moreover, poorly managed soils can take up to a century to recover and impoverished soils lead to impoverished nutritional values in any crop, or any food grown and produced.
What alternatives do we have?
- Using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to improve production methods in agriculture and farming.
- Radically reduce food waste, everywhere on this planet. Currently, much of crop/food is being thrown away.
- End (or at least reduce) animal farming drastically.
- Stop growing crops for the sake of, and stop wasting land, to produce biofuels.
- Transform the global agriculture and food sectors into increasingly many plant-based diets for human beings.
