Livestock production accounts for 70 per cent of all agricultural land use, occupies 30 per cent of the planet’s land surface and is responsible for 18 per cent of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide .Growing animals for food is also inefficient. It takes about five to seven kilograms of grain to produce one kilogram of beef. Each of those takes energy and water to produce, process, and transport. As global meat consumption increases, so does its climate impact.
Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are often made from fossil fuels. Manufacturing and transporting them uses energy and produces greenhouse gases.
Studies show that chemical farming uses more energy per unit of production than organic farms. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in soils produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas about 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere
Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are often made from fossil fuels. Manufacturing and transporting them uses energy and produces greenhouse gases.
Studies show that chemical farming uses more energy per unit of production than organic farms. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in soils produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas about 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere
The average meal travels 1,200 kilometers from the farm to plate. Food grown closer to home produces fewer transportation emissions, is fresher and supports local farmers. As the distance food travels decreases, so does the need for processing and refrigeration to reduce spoilage.
The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued a caution on the repercussions of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture. It is this climate change that is seen in the oceans and seas will have direct implications for food security. This is particularly relevant to developing countries, where about million people work directly in the sector and 2.8 billion depend on fish products for 20% of animal protein.
Although the impact of higher temperature is more pronounced in certain geographical location and more intense in surface waters. A study on the oceans has confirmed that warning in the ocean can go deeper than 700 meters. This would have adverse effect on the ocean ecosystem.
The warming of surface water has already led to changes in species composition the northern hemisphere as warm water species replacing cold water fishes, ice bound regions being invaded by aquatic species and fresh water species taking the place of marine species. The warming has also led to algae blooms in the hostile northern hemisphere oceans, raising alarm signals for the survival of fish.
The changes in the ocean salinity and acidity are also affecting fisheries and aquaculture. There is also emerging evidence that marine organisms are responding faster to global warming than previously.
According the FAO, climate change will increase uncertainties in the supply of fish. Owning to changes in fish species, the impact of climate change will mainly be felt in the availability and access to food. Already, the United States and Canada are negotiating access to certain fish species whose spatial distributions are determined by environmental variations. However, the major contributor of aquaculture Asia will be most vulnerable region. All these suggest the fact that cutting emission becomes more urgent than ever.
Agriculture has always been at the mercy of unpredictable weather, but a rapidly changing climate is making agriculture an even more vulnerable enterprise. In some regions, warmer temperatures may increase crop yields. The overall impact of climate change on agriculture, however, is expected to be negative—reducing food supplies and raising food prices. Many regions already suffering from high rates of hunger and food insecurity, including parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, are predicted to experience the greatest declines in food production. Elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are also expected to lower levels of zinc, iron, and other important nutrients in crops
With changes in rainfall patterns, farmers face dual threats from flooding and drought. Both extremes can destroy crops. Flooding washes away fertile top soil that farmers depend on for productivity, while droughts dry it out, making it more easily blown or washed away. Higher temperatures increase crops’ water needs, making them even more vulnerable during dry period
Certain species of weeds, insects, and other pests benefit from higher temperatures and elevated CO2, increasing their potential to damage crops and creating financial hardship for farmers. Shifting climates also mean that agricultural pests can expand to new areas where farmers hadn’t previously dealt with them.
With higher temperatures, most of the world’s glaciers have begun to recede—affecting farmers who depend on glacial melt water for irrigation. Rising sea levels, meanwhile, heighten flood dangers for coastal farms, and increase saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater aquifers—making those water sources too salty for irrigation.
Climate change is also expected to impact ecosystems and the services they provide to agriculture, such as pollination and pest control by natural predators. Many wild plant species used in domestic plant breeding, meanwhile, are threatened by extinction.
Food system activities, including producing food, transporting it, and storing wasted food in landfills, produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change. Of these sources, livestock production is the largest; accounting for an estimated 14.5 percent of global GHG emissions from human activities.6 Meat from ruminant animals, such as cattle and goats, are particularly emissions-intensive.
World leaders have agreed that in order to avoid the most catastrophic climate change scenarios, average global temperature rise must not exceed 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Even if this goal is met, many climate impacts, such as sea level rise, will likely still continue for centuries.
Imagine a scenario in 2050 where societies have transitioned away from coal and natural gas to wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. In this scenario, public policy and infrastructure investments have made walking, cycling, and public transit the most accessible and popular forms of transportation. Air travel is used only as a last resort. In what is otherwise a best-case scenario, if global trends in meat and dairy intake continue, our chances of staying below the 2° Celsius threshold will still be extremely slim. This is why urgent and dramatic reductions in meat and dairy consumption, alongside reductions in GHG emissions from energy use, transportation, and other sources, are crucial to avoiding catastrophic climate change. The responsibility for eating lower on the food chain falls most heavily on countries like the U.S. with the highest per capita consumption of meat and dairy. Changing diets on an international scale will require more than just educating consumers – national policies will need to shift in ways that support more plant-centric diets.
Farmers in the developing world face challenges to produce enough food for growing populations. Climate change, which is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events and making growing seasons less predictable, makes the challenge of increasing food production more difficult. Moreover, agriculture contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. IFPRI researchers are dedicated to helping farmers achieve the triple win of adapting to climate change, increasing crop yields, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The Institute develops adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as computer models that show how alternative policies, institutions, and investments to address climate change can benefit agriculture, food and nutrition security, and poor economies to revive. You know that to make a pound of beef, 50,000 gallons of water is used. So food we eat not only has major implication on climate change but also has major implications on water also.
The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued a caution on the repercussions of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture. It is this climate change that is seen in the oceans and seas will have direct implications for food security. This is particularly relevant to developing countries, where about million people work directly in the sector and 2.8 billion depend on fish products for 20% of animal protein.
Although the impact of higher temperature is more pronounced in certain geographical location and more intense in surface waters. A study on the oceans has confirmed that warning in the ocean can go deeper than 700 meters. This would have adverse effect on the ocean ecosystem.
The warming of surface water has already led to changes in species composition the northern hemisphere as warm water species replacing cold water fishes, ice bound regions being invaded by aquatic species and fresh water species taking the place of marine species. The warming has also led to algae blooms in the hostile northern hemisphere oceans, raising alarm signals for the survival of fish.
The changes in the ocean salinity and acidity are also affecting fisheries and aquaculture. There is also emerging evidence that marine organisms are responding faster to global warming than previously.
According the FAO, climate change will increase uncertainties in the supply of fish. Owning to changes in fish species, the impact of climate change will mainly be felt in the availability and access to food. Already, the United States and Canada are negotiating access to certain fish species whose spatial distributions are determined by environmental variations. However, the major contributor of aquaculture Asia will be most vulnerable region. All these suggest the fact that cutting emission becomes more urgent than ever.
Agriculture has always been at the mercy of unpredictable weather, but a rapidly changing climate is making agriculture an even more vulnerable enterprise. In some regions, warmer temperatures may increase crop yields. The overall impact of climate change on agriculture, however, is expected to be negative—reducing food supplies and raising food prices. Many regions already suffering from high rates of hunger and food insecurity, including parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, are predicted to experience the greatest declines in food production. Elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are also expected to lower levels of zinc, iron, and other important nutrients in crops
With changes in rainfall patterns, farmers face dual threats from flooding and drought. Both extremes can destroy crops. Flooding washes away fertile top soil that farmers depend on for productivity, while droughts dry it out, making it more easily blown or washed away. Higher temperatures increase crops’ water needs, making them even more vulnerable during dry period
Certain species of weeds, insects, and other pests benefit from higher temperatures and elevated CO2, increasing their potential to damage crops and creating financial hardship for farmers. Shifting climates also mean that agricultural pests can expand to new areas where farmers hadn’t previously dealt with them.
With higher temperatures, most of the world’s glaciers have begun to recede—affecting farmers who depend on glacial melt water for irrigation. Rising sea levels, meanwhile, heighten flood dangers for coastal farms, and increase saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater aquifers—making those water sources too salty for irrigation.
Climate change is also expected to impact ecosystems and the services they provide to agriculture, such as pollination and pest control by natural predators. Many wild plant species used in domestic plant breeding, meanwhile, are threatened by extinction.
Food system activities, including producing food, transporting it, and storing wasted food in landfills, produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change. Of these sources, livestock production is the largest; accounting for an estimated 14.5 percent of global GHG emissions from human activities.6 Meat from ruminant animals, such as cattle and goats, are particularly emissions-intensive.
World leaders have agreed that in order to avoid the most catastrophic climate change scenarios, average global temperature rise must not exceed 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Even if this goal is met, many climate impacts, such as sea level rise, will likely still continue for centuries.
Imagine a scenario in 2050 where societies have transitioned away from coal and natural gas to wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. In this scenario, public policy and infrastructure investments have made walking, cycling, and public transit the most accessible and popular forms of transportation. Air travel is used only as a last resort. In what is otherwise a best-case scenario, if global trends in meat and dairy intake continue, our chances of staying below the 2° Celsius threshold will still be extremely slim. This is why urgent and dramatic reductions in meat and dairy consumption, alongside reductions in GHG emissions from energy use, transportation, and other sources, are crucial to avoiding catastrophic climate change. The responsibility for eating lower on the food chain falls most heavily on countries like the U.S. with the highest per capita consumption of meat and dairy. Changing diets on an international scale will require more than just educating consumers – national policies will need to shift in ways that support more plant-centric diets.
Farmers in the developing world face challenges to produce enough food for growing populations. Climate change, which is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events and making growing seasons less predictable, makes the challenge of increasing food production more difficult. Moreover, agriculture contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. IFPRI researchers are dedicated to helping farmers achieve the triple win of adapting to climate change, increasing crop yields, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The Institute develops adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as computer models that show how alternative policies, institutions, and investments to address climate change can benefit agriculture, food and nutrition security, and poor economies to revive. You know that to make a pound of beef, 50,000 gallons of water is used. So food we eat not only has major implication on climate change but also has major implications on water also.
By,
Shashwath. N. Shastry
M.E.S. Kishora Kendra, Bengaluru
Shashwath. N. Shastry
M.E.S. Kishora Kendra, Bengaluru
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