Food and Water

Even if these measures are not entirely accurate the numbers are staggering. This is how much our food production influences the climate and we have not even talked about all the other things we do. The food humans produce also has an enormous effect on land and water systems. The agricultural sector occupies approximately 40% of the Earth's land surface. Moreover, this industry absorbs about 70% of global freshwater resources, leading to obvious concerns about its sustainability. The impacts of overfishing are also increasingly evident, further contributing to environmental degradation. Agriculture has a significant role in deforestation and is a major driver of species extinction. Additionally, the use of fertilisers is a primary cause of the growth of algae in freshwater supplies. Food and water consumption should not be discussed independently since water is not only used in our households, but is a fundamental part of our food production. Agriculture affects both quantity and the quality of water. Excessive water extraction in coastal areas can cause saltwater intrusion in the ground, while pesticides and fertilisers pollute water supplies. Based on our choices during shopping we might inadvertently support excessive water consumption by buying products like cheese, beef, nuts or even fish if they have been farmed in freshwater.

Source: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/water-withdrawals-per-kg-poore

Household water consumption also accumulates large amounts, accounting for 12% of total water consumption in the EU. Water usage is necessary for maintaining the economy and quality of life, however the increased demand (partly due to population growth and climate changes) results in over-exploitation of water resources. The increased demand has led to a 24% decrease in renewable water resources per capita. This fragile ecosystem requires policy makers to act. Unfortunately, despite all the progress made in the past decade, the overall status of Europe’s many water bodies remains fragile. The only solution is to use water much more efficiently on all levels, even small changes in  household consumption will contribute to conserving our freshwater supply.

Based on the numbers above, is it possible to feed 8 billion people without compromising our  natural resources? The answer is probably not. Feeding billions of people is impossible without causing emissions, depleting and using up our natural resources. Even if we reach the level of technological advancement where we have zero-carbon tractors, machines running on renewable energy and electric trucks transporting our food there would still be unavoidable emissions from transport. So maybe the most obvious answer to reducing our food’s emission can be to consume local products, so its route from the producer to the table is shorter, therefore the harmful effects are reduced. While shipping is not a negligible factor in the formula (transport and packaging represents approx. 11% of all food emissions), it is important to view food production through all its phases. Each phase of food production has a carbon footprint. The impact is calculated based on its life cycle assessment. Production, transportation, packaging, use and waste management is all added up to reflect on the effects of different types of food.

However, only considering the environmental impact of food can be misleading. Interest groups centered around specific food types and companies are using biassed studies to sway consumer decisions. We should consider both the emissions and nutrient density of food to make informed choices. It is important to acknowledge that the production circumstances and extent greatly affect the impact of certain food types (e.g. meat vs plant-based foods).