future conditions / cowspiracy

Food and Sustainability Frida Endinjok*

Angela Mendoza

Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………...3

Existing Conditions: Lack of Resources…..……………..4

Existing Conditions: Hunger ……………………………...5

Existing Conditions: Food Waste………………………....6

Future Conditions: Running Out…………………………..7

Future Conditions: Starvation……………………………..8

Mitigations……………………………………………..…….9-10

Future Conditions With Mitigation………………………...11-12

References…………………………………………………..13

Abstract With a rising human population, providing food for all humans is an overwhelming challenge. From

utilizing our resources to the maximum to poor waste management, humanity face many challenges.

Some of the existing conditions are the lack of resources. We have utilized the land to the point that it is

not longer fertile. We have wasted millions of gallons of water to irrigate fields and raise animals. Most of

our land is used to grow commodity crops: corn, soy, and cotton. With the land being used for these

crops rather than other types of food, we are facing hunger in some parts of the world. On the other

hand, some countries produce so much that food waste is a problem. According to the United Nations

Environmental Programme, one-third of all food produced is wasted. If these conditions continue, we will

eventually run out of resources and starvation is imminent. Some sustainable routes suggest that home

gardening and urban/local farming can provide a environmental friendly source of food. We can also

adopt other diets such as vegetarian or vegan. However, the change does not have to be extreme,

simply switching one day to a meat-free diet can save a lot of resources. As well, we can recover food

that is about to be thrown away and provide a meal for those in need. By adopting more sustainable

ways, we can obtain healthier diets and food security. Even small changes to our lifestyles we can save

the resources and food that we need to survive.

Existing Conditions: Lack of Resources

At the rate we are utilizing our resources, we will are facing a shortage in:

Land: As we are using the land, we deplete the land of its nutrients. Once

fertile lands become arid. For this reason, fields need to expand to

other areas like forests and jungles. This greatly impacts the biosphere.

Water: A lot of the water is used to grow food or animal raising. According

to a UC Davis study, it takes just 441 gallons of water to produce one

pound of boneless beef—or about 110 gallons for a quarter-pound

hamburger (Beckett & Oltjen, 1993).

Biofuels: Agricultural machinery utilizes biofuels. We are already facing an

imminent shortage of this non-renewable resource.

Existing Conditions: Hunger

Even though agricultural technology has advanced to the point of mega production, we still see hunger

among disadvantaged populations. A lot of the crops grown in the world are commodity crops: corn, soy,

and cotton. These crops are mostly grown for animal feed. Countries in Africa and Asia have rich lands,

but all the crops are used for exportation of these commodity crops. Since the lands are used for this

purpose, the farmers and producers face the extreme need for food. What they earn from growing these

crops is not enough to buy food. Their land is occupied and resources like water and seeds are often

expensive.

According to World Hunger, 925 million people face hunger. Many of them are children, who suffer long

term consequences like stunting and micronutrient deficiency.

Existing Conditions: Food Waste One of the big problems the world faces is the waste of food.

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, one-

third of food produced is wasted. Industrialized countries such as

the United States are contributors to the food waste problem.

America wastes roughly 50 percent of all natural produce in the

United States. This is about 60 million tons, or $160 billions worth

of produce annually. An amount that could be used to feed those

in need.

Wasted food is also the biggest occupant in American landfills

(Mwangi, n.d.). The major reason why food is wasted is because

food is cheaper in the United States than nearly anywhere else in

the world, aided by subsidies to corn, wheat, milk, and soybeans

(Chandler, 2016).

Future Conditions: Deforestation

Forests currently cover about 30 percent of the world’s land mass

What are the causes of deforestation?

Making more land available for housing and urbanization

Harvesting timber to create commercial items such as paper, furniture and homes

Creating ingredients that are highly prized consumer items, such as the oil from palm trees

Creating room for cattle ranching (Bradford, 2015)

Common methods of deforestation are burning trees and clear cutting

Future Conditions: Running out

Population growth affects food demand

● May increase land degradation overtime

● The variation of land quality also interacts with development. Population growth

increases food demand and therefore the demand for agricultural land

● Since rationally acting agents use the economically most suitable resource first,

additional agricultural land is likely to be less profitable (Schneider, 2011)

Future Conditions: Toxic Water Run Off

"The widespread use of

glyphosate … can significantly

increase the severity of various

plant diseases, impair plant

defense to pathogens and

disease, and immobilize soil and

plant nutrients, rendering them

unavailable for plant use..."

"...ignoring potential non-target

side effects … may have dire

consequences for agriculture

such as rendering soils infertile,

crops nonproductive and plants

less nutritious."

Professor Emeritus Don Huber

and G.S. Johal (Mather, 2012)

Future Conditions: Toxic Water Run Off

Roundup ends up in wetlands:

Damage to soil

Glyphosate is the single most important agronomic factor predisposing some plants to both disease and

toxins

These toxins can produce a serious impact on the health of animals and humans

The toxin levels in animal feed can be high enough to make cattle and pigs infertile (Mather, 2012)

Future Conditions: Antibiotic Resistance

The serious pollution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in livestock farms and corresponding surface water

around should be sufficiently and widely recognized by the public, and the health problems raised by

their abroad distribution deserve more attention

Surviving pest populations become increasingly resistant to the applied toxins with each generation, as

those most susceptible to the toxins die off

✹Natural selection at its best!!!✹

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/antibiotic-resistance-big-deal

Mitigations Gardening: Producing your own food. This can be done at home (raised beds, containers, pots) or at

community gardens (shared land). Gardens provide a space that has particular significance within

people’s everyday lives, being both part of and shaped by ordinary human experience and bound up with

a diverse range of cultural creativities, identity formations and sensory experiences (Bhatti et al., 2001).

They ultimately decrease the need for food suppliers and the energy to be transported from farm to

table. As well, guarantee organic and chemical free produce.

An extension is urban farming in which large amounts are produced and animals can be

incorporated.

Composting: Utilizing green waste (plant-based food scraps, garden waste, and paper) to produce fertile

soil to grow food.

CSUN’s Institute of Sustainability is well-know for collecting all the university’s dining locations’ green

waste (from cooking) and turning it into compost to be used at the Food Garden.

Alternative Diets: Shifting our eating habits to more environmental

friendly ones. Specially to alleviate the high energy, water, and waste

management requirements to raise, obtain (slaughter, milk), and

transport animal products.

Vegetarian diet - no dead animals. May eat dairy and eggs

Vegan diet - no animal products.

Entomophagy - eating insects. Insects are highly nutritious (full of

vitamins and minerals), low in fat and high in protein (Holland,

2013)

Meatless Monday - just one day of the week.

Food Recoveries: Recover still edible food and diverted to places where

people in need can eat it.

In the USA, 30-40% of the food supply is wasted, equaling more

than 20 pounds of food per person per month (Mwangi, n.d.)

CSUN has a Food Recovery Network chapter which has recovered

more than 10,000 pounds of food.

Mitigations

Future Conditions with Mitigation

Cleaner Air: The average American contributes about 8% of

personal carbon footprint from food

About 28.5% is from transporting the

food

Growing as much food as you can in

your backyard helps reduce pollution

Usually Gardeners use their own

garden to replace 20% of food bought.

Therefore, it helps reduce their carbon

footprint by about 68 lbs of CO2 per

year (Bruns, 2017)

Future Conditions with Mitigation

http://animalli.com/underwater-fish-fishes-sea-reef-ocean-tropical-pictures-download/

The World Bank The World Bank is tackling food insecurity with a holistic approach

Using its expertise to implement integrated solutions:

Agriculture

Sustainable Management

Logistics

Irrigation

Research and Analysis

Feeding the world is a big, complex task, and the Bank is more committed than ever to putting nutritious

food onto the plates of the world’s poorest people

(Word Bank, 2014)

References 1. Beckett, J. L., and J. W. Oltjen. 1993. Estimation of the water requirement for beef production in the United States. J. Anim. Sci. 71: 818-

826.

2. Bhatti, M. and Church, A., 2001. Cultivating natures: homes and gardens in late modernity. Sociology, 35 (2), 365–383.

3. Bradford, A. (2015, March 04). Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects. Retrieved May 12, 2017, from

http://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html

4. Bruns, Cameron. "5 Ways Gardening Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint." Climate Action Business Association (CABA). Cameron

Bruns, 18 Jan. 2017. Web. 11 May 2017.

5. Chandler, Adam. "Why Americans Lead the World in Food Waste." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 15 July 2016. Web. 12 May

2017

6. Chen, B., Hao, L., Guo, X., Wang, N., & Ye, B. (2015). Prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes of wastewater and surface water in

livestock farms of jiangsu province, china. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 22(18), 13950-13959.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.csun.edu/10.1007/s11356-015-4636-y.

7. Holland, J. 2013. U.N. Urges Eating Insects; 8 Popular Bugs to Try. National Geographic. Retrieved on July 16, 2014.

8. Mather, R. , & Mather, . (2012). The threats from genetically modified foods: Demand for regulation and labeling of gm products is

growing as evidence of dangerous side effects mounts. Mother Earth News, 42

9. Mwangi, P. (n.d.). Minimizing Food Waste | UNEP RONA. Retrieved May 10, 2017, from http://www.rona.unep.org/regional-

priorities/minimizing-food-waste

10. Sarich, Christina. 2016. Community Gardening: The Plot Against Hunger. Waking Times. Web. 11 May 2017.

11. Schneider, U. , Havlík, P. , Schmid, E. , Valin, H. , Mosnier, A. , et al. (2011). Impacts of population growth, economic development, and

technical change on global food production and consumption. Agricultural Systems, 104(2), 204-215.

12. World Bank. (2014, October 16). Working to End Hunger, Now and in the Future. Retrieved May 12, 2017, from

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/10/16/working-to-end-hunger-now-and-in-the-future

13. Bradford, A. (2015, March 04). Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects. Retrieved May 12, 2017, from

http://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html