134
oped countries. It is especially important in variable climatic conditions. Even the structure of
products traditional and profitable in a given geographical environment may have to be changed if
climate changes or maybe the method of farming
has to be changed only. An example for the latter
is the transition from natural precipitation based
farming to irrigation-based cultivation due to
growing drought. Although irrigation brings
increased costs plant growing experiments prove
that the drought resistance of lands increases if the
soils are maintained in good biological and physical conditions because they provide more moisture and nutrients for the plants in the dry period.
All agricultural experience prove that preserving
or restoring the natural properties of the soil (fertility, water retaining capacity) if necessary are
essential tasks in stabilising food productions and
the environment. (With increasing humus content
the CO 2 release of agriculture decreases.)
In the opinion of the authors, humanity needs
to organise agricultural production in the long
term so that it is adjusted to ecological rules in
the case of both modern technologies and traditional cultivation. Greatest crop yields could be
achieved by combining precision and ecological
farming while the environment would be saved as
well. The realisation and spreading of this
combined cultivation, however, will probably
require—primarily due to economic reasons—a
long time.
Finally, let us discuss the most important
statements of the report of the High Level Panel
of Experts (HLPE) on the relationship of nutrition and food systems published in 2017. The
report approaches the problem of starvation not
from production. It emphasises the role of diet in
human health together with the relationship
between food provision systems and healthy diet.
Food has a central role in contributing to sustainable and healthy consumption in the long term.
The report also analyses the current state of
humanity regarding diet. It declares that malnutrition could be undernutrition, overweight and
obesity, non-communicable diseases or even
micronutrient deficiencies. It also states that
today 1 out of 3 people is malnourished and if
tendencies remain the same by 2030 two out of
three people will be malnourished. This is
regarded to be really severe while eliminating
starvation is also necessary. The economic and
social consequences of malnutrition are analysed. Its economic costs are high: increasing
health costs, high loss due to absence from work,
etc. This latter is a transition to social problems:
due to the reduced capabilities of the parents children live in poverty, they are frequently absent
from school and the ratio of diseases related to
their diet is high.
According to the report, economic growth will
not solve the problems of starving and overweight. Comprehensive global strategies crossing sectors and borders are required. First of all,
food provision chains can contribute a lot with
producing and trading healthy food. (Food provision chain: all activities from producing to consuming food, including production, storage,
distribution, processing, packaging, retailing,
marketing.) Harmonised activity of governments
and intergovernmental organisations is also necessary. Possibilities are vast regarding politics,
law, investment control, food norms and the
development of food technologies. Taking
national specifics into account may make different actions and measures necessary. Last but not
least, consumer behaviour and consciousness in
food consumption are also necessary for changes
to be achieved. Such changes are urged by HLPE
report 12.
4.3
Changes in the Hydrosphere
4.3.1 Global Hydrological Cycle
and Water Reservoirs
Water composed of two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms is one of the most frequent compounds
on Earth. It is essential for life, as of today’s scientific knowledge, i.e. life in a form similar to
that on Earth was probably not developed on a
planet where water is missing. Water is present in
the body of organisms in a varying but significant
ratio: for example, the human body is composed
of 67% of water (with greater values for babies
and smaller values for elderly people).
4 Changes on Earth as a Result of Interaction Between the Society and Nature
oped countries. It is especially important in variable climatic conditions. Even the structure of
products traditional and profitable in a given geographical environment may have to be changed if
climate changes or maybe the method of farming
has to be changed only. An example for the latter
is the transition from natural precipitation based
farming to irrigation-based cultivation due to
growing drought. Although irrigation brings
increased costs plant growing experiments prove
that the drought resistance of lands increases if the
soils are maintained in good biological and physical conditions because they provide more moisture and nutrients for the plants in the dry period.
All agricultural experience prove that preserving
or restoring the natural properties of the soil (fertility, water retaining capacity) if necessary are
essential tasks in stabilising food productions and
the environment. (With increasing humus content
the CO 2 release of agriculture decreases.)
In the opinion of the authors, humanity needs
to organise agricultural production in the long
term so that it is adjusted to ecological rules in
the case of both modern technologies and traditional cultivation. Greatest crop yields could be
achieved by combining precision and ecological
farming while the environment would be saved as
well. The realisation and spreading of this
combined cultivation, however, will probably
require—primarily due to economic reasons—a
long time.
Finally, let us discuss the most important
statements of the report of the High Level Panel
of Experts (HLPE) on the relationship of nutrition and food systems published in 2017. The
report approaches the problem of starvation not
from production. It emphasises the role of diet in
human health together with the relationship
between food provision systems and healthy diet.
Food has a central role in contributing to sustainable and healthy consumption in the long term.
The report also analyses the current state of
humanity regarding diet. It declares that malnutrition could be undernutrition, overweight and
obesity, non-communicable diseases or even
micronutrient deficiencies. It also states that
today 1 out of 3 people is malnourished and if
tendencies remain the same by 2030 two out of
three people will be malnourished. This is
regarded to be really severe while eliminating
starvation is also necessary. The economic and
social consequences of malnutrition are analysed. Its economic costs are high: increasing
health costs, high loss due to absence from work,
etc. This latter is a transition to social problems:
due to the reduced capabilities of the parents children live in poverty, they are frequently absent
from school and the ratio of diseases related to
their diet is high.
According to the report, economic growth will
not solve the problems of starving and overweight. Comprehensive global strategies crossing sectors and borders are required. First of all,
food provision chains can contribute a lot with
producing and trading healthy food. (Food provision chain: all activities from producing to consuming food, including production, storage,
distribution, processing, packaging, retailing,
marketing.) Harmonised activity of governments
and intergovernmental organisations is also necessary. Possibilities are vast regarding politics,
law, investment control, food norms and the
development of food technologies. Taking
national specifics into account may make different actions and measures necessary. Last but not
least, consumer behaviour and consciousness in
food consumption are also necessary for changes
to be achieved. Such changes are urged by HLPE
report 12.
4.3
Changes in the Hydrosphere
4.3.1 Global Hydrological Cycle
and Water Reservoirs
Water composed of two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms is one of the most frequent compounds
on Earth. It is essential for life, as of today’s scientific knowledge, i.e. life in a form similar to
that on Earth was probably not developed on a
planet where water is missing. Water is present in
the body of organisms in a varying but significant
ratio: for example, the human body is composed
of 67% of water (with greater values for babies
and smaller values for elderly people).
4 Changes on Earth as a Result of Interaction Between the Society and Nature