It is estimated that 30% of the global food supply is not consumed. In the United States, that number climbs to 40%. These statistics are significant given that the global human population is expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050, placing increasing stress on agricultural lands, natural and human resources to increase global food production.
Food waste represents not only a loss of energy and nutrition for human use, but also has far reaching implications for the natural resources taken up on food’s journey from farm to plate. This paper will discuss the environmental impacts of agricultural activity in the areas of land use, water consumption, and fertilizer and pesticide use, and the ramifications when the caloric yield from these activities …show more content…
Expansion of available water supplies is limited due to logistic and financial factors, and “future water demands will increasingly be met through reallocation of existing supplies.” (Aillery et al. p. 24)
There is risk of environmental harm whenever water is extracted for use. Surface-water withdrawals from streams, rivers, and lakes can reduce or totally eliminate stream flow and impair species habitat. Ground water withdrawals that exceed the natural rate of aquifer recharge can result in land subsidence, a reduction in total reserves, and trigger surface water shortages by lowering the base stream flow.
While sustainable management practices help to mitigate unnecessary water loss, even the most efficiently run irrigated operations waste this resource if the food produced is not consumed. For example, “Monterey County, California produces about 40 percent of U.S. broccoli. If 5 percent of broccoli fields in Monterey County were not harvested, that would represent the unnecessary use of approximately 1.6 billion gallons of water.” (“Left Out”, 2012, …show more content…
Sediment can clog water pathways, reducing the useful life of reservoirs and increasing dredging costs. “By raising streambeds and burying streamside wetlands, sediment increases the probability and severity of floods.” (Aillery et al.)
Vital crop nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus that are applied to fields each year in large volumes can runoff or leach into water sources. A major environmental concern is eutrophication of surface water, resulting in decreased oxygen levels and death of aquatic life. “As much as 15 percent of the nitrogen fertilizer applied to cropland in the Mississippi River Basin makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico.” (Aillery et al.) Over 500 million pounds of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) are spread on fields each year since the 1980’s, and some chemicals can be dispersed well beyond their original application sites and remain harmful to other life for relatively long periods. “Pesticide residues reaching surface-water systems may harm freshwater and marine organisms, damaging recreational and commercial fisheries. Pesticides in drinking water supplies may also pose risks to human health.” (Aillery et
Food waste represents not only a loss of energy and nutrition for human use, but also has far reaching implications for the natural resources taken up on food’s journey from farm to plate. This paper will discuss the environmental impacts of agricultural activity in the areas of land use, water consumption, and fertilizer and pesticide use, and the ramifications when the caloric yield from these activities …show more content…
Expansion of available water supplies is limited due to logistic and financial factors, and “future water demands will increasingly be met through reallocation of existing supplies.” (Aillery et al. p. 24)
There is risk of environmental harm whenever water is extracted for use. Surface-water withdrawals from streams, rivers, and lakes can reduce or totally eliminate stream flow and impair species habitat. Ground water withdrawals that exceed the natural rate of aquifer recharge can result in land subsidence, a reduction in total reserves, and trigger surface water shortages by lowering the base stream flow.
While sustainable management practices help to mitigate unnecessary water loss, even the most efficiently run irrigated operations waste this resource if the food produced is not consumed. For example, “Monterey County, California produces about 40 percent of U.S. broccoli. If 5 percent of broccoli fields in Monterey County were not harvested, that would represent the unnecessary use of approximately 1.6 billion gallons of water.” (“Left Out”, 2012, …show more content…
Sediment can clog water pathways, reducing the useful life of reservoirs and increasing dredging costs. “By raising streambeds and burying streamside wetlands, sediment increases the probability and severity of floods.” (Aillery et al.)
Vital crop nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus that are applied to fields each year in large volumes can runoff or leach into water sources. A major environmental concern is eutrophication of surface water, resulting in decreased oxygen levels and death of aquatic life. “As much as 15 percent of the nitrogen fertilizer applied to cropland in the Mississippi River Basin makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico.” (Aillery et al.) Over 500 million pounds of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) are spread on fields each year since the 1980’s, and some chemicals can be dispersed well beyond their original application sites and remain harmful to other life for relatively long periods. “Pesticide residues reaching surface-water systems may harm freshwater and marine organisms, damaging recreational and commercial fisheries. Pesticides in drinking water supplies may also pose risks to human health.” (Aillery et