Figuring out how the world can adequately and nutritiously feed nearly 10 billion people by the year 2050 in a manner that advances human wellbeing, while also reducing the food system’s impact on the environment, particularly on climate change, is one of the grand challenges of this half-century.
Previous studies have found that addressing this challenge will entail closing the gap between the food needed by 2050 and that available today, while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from business-as-usual agriculture and related land-use change by 2050 in order to meet the Paris Agreement on climate change.
One critical intervention for achieving both is to reduce the current rate of food loss and waste by 50%. Reducing food loss and waste, and thereby increasing the amount of food harvested that ultimately gets eaten by people, is an important strategy for ensuring food security and combating climate change. In addition, reducing the rate of food loss and waste by 50% would significantly reduce GHG emissions because more efficient use of food would diminish the need for land conversion for additional food production, slow the rate of increase in fertiliser applications, and reduce methane emissions from food in landfills.
Recent modelling found that doing so would close the gap between the amount of food needed to adequately feed the planet in 2050, and the amount of food available in 2010 by more than 20%. It was also found that a 50% reduction in the rate of food loss and waste would reduce the food system’s projected business-as-usual GHG emissions in 2050 by 10% to 14%.
WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
