The food-biodiversity challenge: food security

Question 1

What is food security?

Answer 1

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.

Question 2

What is the main food security challenge?

Answer 2

The growing population must be fed healthily, equitably and sustainably.

Scientific, economic, social and environmental issues of food production, distribution and consumption = a multidisciplinary challenge.

Question 3

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)?

Answer 3

A 2030 agenda for sustainable development, outlining 17 different goals to achieve this.

Question 4

What are some examples of SDGs that target food security?

Answer 4

• Zero hunger (Goal 2)
• Good health and wellbeing (Goal 3)
• Industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9)
• Reduced inequalities (Goal 10)
• Responsible consumption and production (Goal 12)
• Climate action (Goal 13)
• Life below water (Goal 14)
• Life on land (Goal 15)

Question 5

How large is the global population projected to reach by 2100 by the UN?

Answer 5

11.2 billion

Question 6

Where is this population growth expected to occur around the world? What proportion of the population will live in these regions by 2100?

Answer 6

Large increases in population in Asia and Africa.
8/10 people in the world will live in either Asia or Africa by 2100.

Question 7

By what percentage must food availability increase by 2050 to meet projected demand?

Answer 7

Food availability must increase by 56% compared to today’s levels to meet 2050 demand.

Question 8

How are diets expected to change? What causes this?

Answer 8

Demand for meat, dairy and eggs is expected to grow more than 60% by 2050 globally. Fruits and vegetables will grow even more.

This typically occurs as people move out of extreme poverty, gaining access to more diverse, healthier diets.

Question 9

Where is this dietary change expected to occur globally?

Answer 9

Lower income areas:
- South Asia = 3 x demand for fruit and veg by 2050
- Sub-Saharan Africa = 70% growth in demand for meat, dairy and eggs

Question 10

Define undernourishment.

Answer 10

Food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life.

Question 11

Where is the majority of undernourishment globally (2019)?

Answer 11

Asia = 55.4%
Africa = 36.4%

Question 12

How is the distribution of undernourishment likely to change by 2030?

Answer 12

Africa is likely to make up a greater proportion than Asia.
Asia = estimate of 39.1%
Africa = estimate of 51.5%

Question 13

How many deaths result from unhealthy diets per year?

Answer 13

11 million deaths per year

Question 14

How may increasing food availability actually result in worsened diets/malnutrition?

Answer 14

Increasing availability of cheap, highly processes, nutrient-poor foods can cause malnutrition.

Question 15

How many people globally are overweight?

Answer 15

1.9 billion

Question 16

List three main environmental threats to food security.

Answer 16

1. Global water crisis
2. Increased competition for land (land degradation)
3. Climate change (global warming, increases in extreme events)

Question 17

What might increase global water stress?

Answer 17

• Higher temperatures
• Greater agricultural pressures

Question 18

Where is water stress likely to increase?

Answer 18

Equatorial Africa and southern Asia

Question 19

How will the arable land per person change over time? Why?

Answer 19

Decrease as population grows and land degrades.

Question 20

Where are the main regions globally where land degradation is occurring?

Answer 20

• South America
• Africa
• North America
• Europe
• Asia

Basically everywhere except northern Eurasia and Canada.

Question 21

Where is agricultural productivity likely to decline with climate change?

Answer 21

Africa, Southern and central America and southern Asia.

Question 22

Is the current population healthy?

Answer 22

No - undernourishment and malnutrition are significant still

Question 23

Why is the food system unsustainable?

Answer 23

• Significant water consumption (uses ~70% of global water, much non-renewable)
• comprises ~24% of vegetated land (suffers soil degradation)
• produces ~30% greenhouse gas emissions (directly or indirectly)
• Main source of nitrate and other pollution
• Most fisheries over-exploited

Question 24

What are the three pillars of food security?

Answer 24

• Availability
• Accessible
• Utilisation

These must be stable (this is equally important as the pillars themselves).

Question 25

List some factors that might affect food security (both good and bad).

Answer 25

- Demographics - Changes in diet - Removal of trade barriers - Increased focus on conservation - Technological innovations - Impact of climate change - Pests - Conflicts - Poverty

Question 26

What are the four main levels of food security (in terms of "scale")?

Answer 26

1. Individual 2. Household 3. National/regional 4. Context/underlying conditions (political/environmental etc.)

Question 27

What is the definition of a food system?

Answer 27

All the people, institutions, environments, infrastructure and activities that relate to the production, processing, distribution, marketing, sale, preparation and consumption of food.

Question 28

What are three key areas for action to improve future food systems?

Answer 28

- Increase supply (e.g. better tech and management, reduce food loss and waste) - Moderate demand (e.g. dietary changes) - Improve governance

Question 29

How can supply be increased?

Answer 29

- By increasing yields - Reducing waste

Question 30

What is the "yield gap" in agriculture?

Answer 30

The difference between actual crop yields in a region and the potential yields under optimal conditions — e.g., France has much higher wheat yields than many other countries.

Question 31

How can yield gaps be reduced?

Answer 31

By applying knowledge and practices from high-yield regions to lower-yielding areas.

Question 32

What types of innovations can help maintain or increase crop yields?

Answer 32

- Biotechnology (e.g. GM crops) - Neglected research areas like agronomy and soil science

Question 33

What are key barriers to innovation in agriculture (in terms of yields)?

Answer 33

- Need to understand the social and economic context of innovation - Poor coordination between public, private, and third sectors

Question 34

What percentage of food produced is never consumed globally (i.e., becomes waste)?

Answer 34

~30%

Question 35

How does food waste differ between low- and high-income countries?

Answer 35

Low-income countries: Most waste occurs post-harvest High-income countries: Most waste occurs at the consumer and food service level

Question 36

What factors influence food waste behavior?

Answer 36

Economic signals (e.g. higher prices may lead to less waste) Human behavior and habits (throw away cheap food) The idea of optimum waste (some level of waste may be unavoidable)

Question 37

What is the "optimum waste" point in food systems?

Answer 37

It’s the level of food waste where the cost of further reduction outweighs the benefits, making zero waste economically impractical.

Question 38

Why is it not possible for everyone globally to adopt a Western diet?

Answer 38

Because of its high environmental impact, especially its carbon footprint, which would be unsustainable at a global scale.

Question 39

What dietary change is often encouraged to reduce environmental impacts of food systems?

Answer 39

Reduced meat consumption, especially red meat, due to its high greenhouse gas emissions.

Question 40

How can consumer demand be modified to support sustainable food systems?

Answer 40

- Empowering consumers with information - Better food labelling - Education and awareness

Question 41

What are examples of policy tools that can help moderate food demand?

Answer 41

- Legislation and taxes (e.g., sugar taxes, meat taxes) - Choice editing (e.g., retailers limit available options to steer choices)

Question 42

What is "choice editing" in the context of sustainable diets?

Answer 42

When retailers or institutions remove unsustainable options from availability to guide consumers toward better choices.

Question 43

What are the top three food products producing the greatest GHG emissions?

Answer 43

1. Beef (beef herd) 2. Lamb and mutton 3. Beef (dairy herd)

Question 44

How many more people could be supported by 1 Ha of wheat than 1 Ha of beef cattle in terms of energy content?

Answer 44

Only one can be supported by 1 Ha of beef cattle, but 21 people can be supported by 1 Ha of UK wheat.

Question 45

What is food governance?

Answer 45

The activity or process of decision-making and implementation relating to food security legislation, policies and programmes.

Question 46

What are the three levels of governance?

Answer 46

- Regional - National - Global