As the global population continues to rise it is expected we could reach 10 billion people by 2050. To feed this many people we would need to produce record quantities of food – how can we do this with just the land we already have?
The pressure to produce more food, or revenue from agriculture, is leading to worldwide deforestation and clearing wetlands for farms. However, can we produce more food from our land whilst also protecting our wildlife? The answer is yes.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) the world produces 4 billion metric tons of food per year but around 1.3 billion tons goes to waste. Consumers normally want the freshest and finest quality foods, when they aren’t perceived as fresh, they tend to be wasted and thrown out when reaching their sell by date. Another cause of uneaten food is due to preparing and over-serving large portions, whether that be in restaurants or at home – leading to wastage.
We have enough food to feed the nation, it is just being wasted, so how can we prevent this from happening?
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What can we do?
Better eating habits could help.
Research from Italy suggests that as much as 140 million metric tons of excess food – enough to feed 270,000 more people gets consumed each year, which is also leading to health problems.
Move to electric vehicles
Not all edible crops are destined for the food shelf. Almost 600 million hectares of land is used to grow crops for ethanol. That means large quantities of corn, wheat, rice and sugar beets are going into cars’ fuel tanks instead of being used to feed people. The move toward electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles could significantly reduce this. If all that land were converted back to food production, it is predicted that we could potentially feed 280 million more people.
Reduce meat consumption
A lot of the food we grow goes to feed the animals we all eat. According to the UN, almost half the grain in the world goes to feed livestock. Reducing our meat consumption by half could free up a quarter of the world’s grain supply for humans
Soil health improvements
The land we have also isn’t producing the yield it has the potential to, improving soil health of our farmlands could dramatically increase this. Well-drained land can improve crop yields by as much as 150% and is vital to produce healthy crops.
How can we help you?
We supply both perforated and unperforated pipe to suit the diverse requirements of our customers. Our land drainage pipe is available in an assortment of sizes, including 60mm, 80mm, 100mm and 160mm – all supported by high-quality junctions, connectors and headwalls, and can be tailored to suit your farmland and needs. By using our land drainage you could increase your crops and do your part to make the most of the land we have.
Give us a call on 0121 351 3230 to talk to one of our experts today about a solution that could work for you.
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