10.4 Environmental Sustainability
263
to manure management, field burning of crop residue, fuel use for machinery, and
rice cultivation.
The biggest opportunities to reduce these agricultural emissions come from
changing our modern-day dietary preferences and habits as well as evaluating
our agricultural practices. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), a
global research organization, we waste 24% of all calories that are produced by
the agricultural industry for human consumption (Oliver et al. 2013). This is either
through loss in the food supply chain or simply wasted by excessive spending and
overindulgent habits. To address this, we can alter our food habits by reducing
our meat intake particularly beef. With a reduced demand for beef, a substantially
reduced amount of methane emissions will follow. Combined with a more efficient
and stricter spending as well as eating regime, this will result in a decreased amount
of energy wastage and as a result, significantly less GHG emissions.
What is your individual contribution to reducing agricultural emissions?
This can also be augmented through an improvement in our agricultural practices.
On the supply side, utilizing crop management practices to include improved
management of fertilizer application and a more conservative tillage approach
would offer the largest reduction in emissions at a relatively low cost. In California,
for example, an extensive water transfer and storage system has been established
that allows crops to be produced in arid regions. During drought periods, a limited
surface water supply has led to an overdraft of groundwater, which consequently
allows the intrusion of saltwater, or worse, permanent collapse of aquifers. To
improve on such practices, we could develop drought-resistant farming systems
even in “normal” years such as:
• An improvement to water conservation and storage methods.
• Transition into a reduced-volume irrigation system.
• Providing incentives for the planting of drought-tolerant species.
• Not planting in drought seasons.
• Managing crops for a reduction in water loss.
Of course, it is not just farming agriculture that needs to be evaluated and
addressed for us to achieve environmental sustainability. Other forms of food
production and harvesting are also leading to unsustainable environmental consequences. Fish account for 17% of the global population’s protein intake, however
as a result, the world’s fisheries are vastly overfished (Oliver et al. 2013). Over
70% of all fish species are currently either fully exploited, depleted or overexploited
(Oliver et al. 2013). It is predicted that all fisheries will collapse before 2048 (Oliver
et al. 2013). By modifying our fishing practices, such as tackling destructive fishing
practices (blast and cyanide fishing), illegal fishing, and implementing individual
263
to manure management, field burning of crop residue, fuel use for machinery, and
rice cultivation.
The biggest opportunities to reduce these agricultural emissions come from
changing our modern-day dietary preferences and habits as well as evaluating
our agricultural practices. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), a
global research organization, we waste 24% of all calories that are produced by
the agricultural industry for human consumption (Oliver et al. 2013). This is either
through loss in the food supply chain or simply wasted by excessive spending and
overindulgent habits. To address this, we can alter our food habits by reducing
our meat intake particularly beef. With a reduced demand for beef, a substantially
reduced amount of methane emissions will follow. Combined with a more efficient
and stricter spending as well as eating regime, this will result in a decreased amount
of energy wastage and as a result, significantly less GHG emissions.
What is your individual contribution to reducing agricultural emissions?
This can also be augmented through an improvement in our agricultural practices.
On the supply side, utilizing crop management practices to include improved
management of fertilizer application and a more conservative tillage approach
would offer the largest reduction in emissions at a relatively low cost. In California,
for example, an extensive water transfer and storage system has been established
that allows crops to be produced in arid regions. During drought periods, a limited
surface water supply has led to an overdraft of groundwater, which consequently
allows the intrusion of saltwater, or worse, permanent collapse of aquifers. To
improve on such practices, we could develop drought-resistant farming systems
even in “normal” years such as:
• An improvement to water conservation and storage methods.
• Transition into a reduced-volume irrigation system.
• Providing incentives for the planting of drought-tolerant species.
• Not planting in drought seasons.
• Managing crops for a reduction in water loss.
Of course, it is not just farming agriculture that needs to be evaluated and
addressed for us to achieve environmental sustainability. Other forms of food
production and harvesting are also leading to unsustainable environmental consequences. Fish account for 17% of the global population’s protein intake, however
as a result, the world’s fisheries are vastly overfished (Oliver et al. 2013). Over
70% of all fish species are currently either fully exploited, depleted or overexploited
(Oliver et al. 2013). It is predicted that all fisheries will collapse before 2048 (Oliver
et al. 2013). By modifying our fishing practices, such as tackling destructive fishing
practices (blast and cyanide fishing), illegal fishing, and implementing individual