Destructive Impacts of Food Production

Erin Lankford
10/22/2010
2:35 PM

There will be a meeting in Japan next week of governments from worldwide to discuss the rapid loss of biodiversity. Goals that were set in 2002 to reduce the rate of species lost have not been met and one reason for that is the process of food production. Food production causes habitat change, pollution and exploitation, all of which harm species and leads to loss of diversity. Deforestation in the Amazon by farmers and ranchers disrupts the natural ecosystem and the services that are provided. If the trend continues then the Amazon faces becoming savanna-like and unable to support crops or livestock. Over the next 40 years it is predicted that food demand will double, this means that a strategy much be reached in order to protect biodiversity and secure food security. Restoration of land is one of three main components that can help obtain this goal. This will help alleviate pressure on natural ecosystems. The second is increased productivity on existing farmland. Adopting methods of integrated pest management (no pesticides) and conservation use land more efficiently. The third element is the management of food demand by promoting the use of sustainable farming and reducing food waste.

The loss of biodiversity has an impact on everyone. We depend on the services that the ecosystem provides in order to survive. I was glad to read that there are attempts being made to support more sustainable farming but if the goals are not met once again then we will just continue a downward spiral. Some of the land that is being over-exploited will not be able to recover and the local residents will suffer the greatest amount of damage. The issue of food security may not scare people in the U.S. but for developing countries this could be devastating. The farming methods that we adopt have an effect on people across the world. The pollution and land destruction hurts other communities that depend on that land for the livelihood. One easy step that we can take would to be support our local farmers. By doing that the food doesn’t travel half way around the world emitting pollution into the atmosphere.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/oct/21/nagoya-biodiversity-summit-food-security