Climate change is a steadily rising issue that has added a great amount of pressure to food systems across the globe. Increasing natural disasters including droughts, fires, storms, and floods have taken a toll on food systems that aren’t designed to withstand the changing environment. It is becoming evident that the current agricultural practices will not be able to support human civilization in the near future, which means that we must find innovative changes for growing and producing our food.
There is definite controversy over the future of food production, however, bringing past practices and theories together with inovative technology of the future poses the opportunity for a promising development of sustainable food sourcing. As Amanda Little put it in her TED talk, “our challenge is to borrow from the wisdom of the ages, and from our most advanced science. To forge a third way.”
Engineers are working to combine artificial intelligence into agriculture to redesign the way that food is grown. See-and-Spray, an adapted tractor, is an example of how robotic inventions can revolutionize agricultural practices. It uses computers that can see under the ground and distinguish the plants versus the weeds in order to deposit either fertilizer or herbicides into the soil. This technology has the potential to end broadcast fertilization and reduce herbicides by 90 percent.
Vertical farming is an another innovative practice that can contribute to the decentralization of agriculture as we know it. Growing food indoors in the middle of a big city may seem unusual and unnatural, but a 40 percent faster food production rate and elimination of a large amount of trucking and food waste. It is vital to recognize that “increasing crop diversity will be crucial to building resilient food systems,” (Amanda Little).
Transitioning to more of a plant-based lifestyle is yet another way that humans can adapt to the future of food production and consumption. In recent years, a variety of meat-alternatives and vegan options have become readily available and vastly more popular. During the pandemic, there was a 250 percent increase in the demand for plant-based alternatives. People have also realized the health benefits of a plant-based diet, seeing a reduction in cholesterol, weight, and the risk of heart disease.
The disruptions caused by climate change have made finding a sustainable food future a necessity. Amanda Little described it with the statement, “climate change is becoming something we can taste.” There must be radical changes made to the way that humans grow and consume food, using a mixture of traditional agriculture and new technologies. For another source of infomation regarding food systems and climate change click here.
