In a world where natural resources are under pressure and demand for food continues to grow, ensuring a sustainable food system has become a priority. So, the question arises: how can we feed the world’s population without depleting the planet? In this article, we will explore the challenges facing food sustainability and key strategies to achieve it.
A challenge for everyone
Food sustainability is a fundamental concept in the current context of environmental and social crisis (Alfaro, 2023). It refers to the ability to produce food with the purpose of:
- Protect natural resources.
- Ensure the well-being of present and future generations.
- Promote a balanced and resilient food system.
The food system includes interconnected processes, such as:
- Cultivation.
- Raw material processing.
- Distribution and reverse logistics.
- Consumption and disposal of food products from various sources.
It consists of subsystems such as agriculture and waste management, but also interacts with other key systems such as energy and trade. Consequently, food sustainability seeks to ensure adequate nutrition while positively impacting social, economic and environmental aspects. Such actions ensure long-term food security (Thakur et al., 2024).
Sustainability is crucial because it ensures that all people have access to nutritious food in adequate quantity. At the same time, it reduces the negative impact on the environment. Now, what are the main challenges facing food sustainability and the most effective strategies to address them?
Challenges of food sustainability
Achieving food sustainability involves rethinking current methods of food production and consumption. It is not just about producing; it is about doing so responsibly and fairly. Let’s look at the challenges we face in this regard.
Climate change
Within climate change, there are events that affect production. These are:
- Firstly, rising temperatures.
- Also, extreme weather events.
- Moreover, the variation in rainfall patterns has a direct impact on agricultural production.
These changes not only decrease crop yields, but also influence water availability and the stability of ecosystems that sustain food production (FAO, 2023).
Loss of biodiversity
Intensive agriculture and the expansion of arable areas have led to a decrease in biodiversity globally. The reduction in genetic diversity of crops and animal species compromises the resilience of food systems to pests, diseases, and changes in climate.
Losses and damage to agri-food systems represent a major economic burden. Between 2007 and 2022, agricultural losses accounted for 23% of the total impact of disasters in all sectors. Droughts, responsible for 65% of these losses, caused an estimated $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock production over the past 30 years (FAO, 2023).
Population growth
Due to the continued growth of the world’s population, the demand for food increases. This increase puts additional pressure on natural resources, such as land and water, making it necessary to optimize production without compromising the environment.
With this in mind, FAO estimates that by 2050, agricultural production will increase by 70% to meet the food demands of a projected global population of 10 billion people. However, factors such as the next are limiting the capacity of agricultural systems to maintain their productivity and sustainability in the long term:
- Soil degradation.
- Overexploitation of water resources.
- Effects of climate change.
Other modern challenges to food sustainability
According to The Food Tech (2023), the food industry faces other key challenges such as:
- The quest to reduce food waste.
- Offering healthy food at affordable prices.
- Adopting sustainable practices.
Therefore, priority is given to improving the following:
- Production processes to reduce costs.
- Increasing nutritional quality and product life cycle management.
- Taste with natural ingredients.
Strategies to achieve food sustainability
To meet these challenges, it is necessary to implement effective strategies that promote a more sustainable food system. Some key strategies include:
- Regenerative agriculture encourages agricultural practices that restore and improve soil health, enhance biodiversity, and sequester atmospheric carbon (The Nature Conservancy, 2024).
- Approximately one-third of the food produced globally is wasted (World Economic Forum, 2023). Implementing measures to reduce this waste throughout the supply chain is essential to improve the efficiency of the food system.
- The adoption of innovative technologies, such as organic farming and biotechnology, will significantly improve the efficiency of food production. They will offer new solutions for dealing with pests and diseases without relying on destructive agricultural practices.
Collaboration toward a sustainable food future
Finally, achieving food sustainability requires the collaboration of governments, businesses, and consumers. Governments must promote policies that support sustainable agriculture, as well as provide technological and financial resources for farmers. Consumers also play an important role in choosing local products and reducing food waste in their homes. Businesses can lead by adopting production standards with lower environmental impact. All these efforts are necessary to ensure a more sustainable food system. To learn more, log on to Dream Foods and learn how you can help make a positive change.
Bibliographic References
- Alfaro, D. (2023, May 1). Sostenibilidad alimentaria: Los factores, las opciones y el impacto. Escuela de cocina The Spruce Eats.
- FAO. (2024). The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW).
- FAO. (2023, December 1). Agrifood sector faces growing threat from climate change-induced loss and damage.
- The Nature Conservancy. (2024). A food system to restore the planet.
- Thakur, M., Modi, V. y Feng, S. (2024). Editorial: Food sustainability: Challenges and opportunities for the future. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10 (1341427)
- World Economic Forum. (2023, December 18). 7 innovative solutions for fighting food waste.
