Energy, Water, Food Nexus Decision-Making for Sustainable …
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associated with conventional fossil fuel-based power generation, bioenergy is used
as an alternative energy source owing to its relatively low emissions and implication
for carbon neutral power generation. Bioenergy requires crops as the main source of
energy, which threatens the productivity of the food sector by delimiting its usage of
land for food production [18].
The multi-dimensional aspect of the food system and the multi-stakeholder nature
governing its operations create competitions and conflicts due to overlapping interests
and targets. This competition, if not turned into cooperative alliances, can reduce the
efficiency of the food sector along with its associated subsystems. Furthermore,
the food sector with its major dependence on the energy and water resources is a
pocket of instability and subject to a range of risks and uncertainties that exacerbate
the level of food insecurity. Risks associated with the interconnections imposed
by the contribution of different parties are considered internal risks inflicted by
system-level disturbances. On the other hand, there exist other external factors that
influence the performance of the food sector and its desire to develop holistic food
security. The rapid population growth rate, which is expected to raise the global world
population to 9.8 billion by 2050, is causing a significant surge in the demand for
food products [2]. This increase implies the need to expand and intensify agricultural
activities, thus inflicting pressures on the food sector and supporting energy and
food technology driven sub-systems. To equally and fairly support and feed the
growing population and to strive towards global food security, food production must
increase by approximately 70% [19]. Such expansion can significantly pressure the
natural resource base, including those related to land, water and energy resources,
which in many areas of the world are stressed beyond sustainable capacities [20].
Together with this agricultural shift, environmental emissions are expected to rise
due to energy intensive technologies required to maintain continuous food supply
[21]. The culmination of these effects gives rise to several sustainability concerns
that can jeopardise the efficiency of the food sector. It is also worth noting that impact
of population growth on food security differs from one country to another. Due to
global disparities related to the distribution of cultivated lands used for cropping
purposes, which are generally centered in high-income countries with a capacity of
cultivation approximating 0.37 ha per capita, versus 0.23 ha per capita and 0.17 ha
per capita for middle and low-income countries [22], agriculture expansion in low
and mid-income countries is hardly to be executed aggravating the food insecurity
in those countries.
As part of the external challenges governing food security and resources systems,
climate change and its incumbent natural disasters is a cause for concern. Climatic
conditions such as the temperature, rainfall, and soil quality are critical factors
amongst many that govern the productivity of the agricultural sector. Crops and livestock require specific climatic conditions to survive and grow efficiently, for which
any adverse changes in the climate can lead to agricultural losses, and consequently
result in shortages in the food available for consumption [23]. Today, the issues
associated with climatic conditions can be resolved by implementing advanced technologies such as greenhouses, vertical farming, hydroponics that can mimic optimum
natural and cultivation conditions for crops and other products [24, 25]. As for the
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associated with conventional fossil fuel-based power generation, bioenergy is used
as an alternative energy source owing to its relatively low emissions and implication
for carbon neutral power generation. Bioenergy requires crops as the main source of
energy, which threatens the productivity of the food sector by delimiting its usage of
land for food production [18].
The multi-dimensional aspect of the food system and the multi-stakeholder nature
governing its operations create competitions and conflicts due to overlapping interests
and targets. This competition, if not turned into cooperative alliances, can reduce the
efficiency of the food sector along with its associated subsystems. Furthermore,
the food sector with its major dependence on the energy and water resources is a
pocket of instability and subject to a range of risks and uncertainties that exacerbate
the level of food insecurity. Risks associated with the interconnections imposed
by the contribution of different parties are considered internal risks inflicted by
system-level disturbances. On the other hand, there exist other external factors that
influence the performance of the food sector and its desire to develop holistic food
security. The rapid population growth rate, which is expected to raise the global world
population to 9.8 billion by 2050, is causing a significant surge in the demand for
food products [2]. This increase implies the need to expand and intensify agricultural
activities, thus inflicting pressures on the food sector and supporting energy and
food technology driven sub-systems. To equally and fairly support and feed the
growing population and to strive towards global food security, food production must
increase by approximately 70% [19]. Such expansion can significantly pressure the
natural resource base, including those related to land, water and energy resources,
which in many areas of the world are stressed beyond sustainable capacities [20].
Together with this agricultural shift, environmental emissions are expected to rise
due to energy intensive technologies required to maintain continuous food supply
[21]. The culmination of these effects gives rise to several sustainability concerns
that can jeopardise the efficiency of the food sector. It is also worth noting that impact
of population growth on food security differs from one country to another. Due to
global disparities related to the distribution of cultivated lands used for cropping
purposes, which are generally centered in high-income countries with a capacity of
cultivation approximating 0.37 ha per capita, versus 0.23 ha per capita and 0.17 ha
per capita for middle and low-income countries [22], agriculture expansion in low
and mid-income countries is hardly to be executed aggravating the food insecurity
in those countries.
As part of the external challenges governing food security and resources systems,
climate change and its incumbent natural disasters is a cause for concern. Climatic
conditions such as the temperature, rainfall, and soil quality are critical factors
amongst many that govern the productivity of the agricultural sector. Crops and livestock require specific climatic conditions to survive and grow efficiently, for which
any adverse changes in the climate can lead to agricultural losses, and consequently
result in shortages in the food available for consumption [23]. Today, the issues
associated with climatic conditions can be resolved by implementing advanced technologies such as greenhouses, vertical farming, hydroponics that can mimic optimum
natural and cultivation conditions for crops and other products [24, 25]. As for the