Feeding the 7 Billion

As of yesterday (as you should know if you read my previous blog post) the world currently holds 7 billion people - a new record. Though a seemingly large and intimidating task, feeding the 7 billion people on our Earth can be done - but it must be done better than the methods we're using now. An article from the news website Grist illustrates just how simply this can be accomplished. First of all, we cannot continue the unsustainable methods of farming that we are using right now. Increasing use of fertilization and increasing pressure for larger and larger yields cannot continue - it is depleting our soil, misusing our resources, and increasing the carbon footprint of agriculture. Tom Laskawy, the author of the article outlines the changes we must make:

• "Close agricultural "yield gaps" -- the difference between the most and least productive regions -- while minimizing farming's environmental footprint"
• "Stop agricultural expansion into sensitive areas, such as rainforests"
• "Stop wasting so much food"
• "Eat less meat and put less food (i.e. ethanol) into our gas tanks"

Sounds easy, right? Just following these four sustainable suggestions will greatly reduce the carbon impact of agriculture and help our environment. But of course, as the article mentions the main obstacle is political. People don't want to change until they will be forced to. Let's hope they decide to not wait that long.