European Union

In September 2019, the European Union's Chief Scientific Advisors stated that the transition to a sustainable food system should be a high priority for the EU:[20]​.

In January 2020, the EU put the transition to a sustainable food system at the center of the European Green Deal. The European Commission's 'Farm to Fork Strategy for a Sustainable Food System', to be published in spring 2020, is expected to set out how European countries will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, reduce food waste and the use of chemical pesticides, and contribute to a circular economy. transition to a sustainable food system, through an evidence review report carried out by European academies").[22]

Industrial agriculture causes environmental impacts as well as health problems associated with obesity in the rich world and hunger in the poor world.[23]​ This has generated a strong movement towards healthy and sustainable eating as an important component of overall ethical consumerism.[24][25]​.

Conventional food systems rely heavily on the availability of cheap fossil fuels, necessary for mechanized agriculture), the manufacturing or harvesting of chemical fertilizers, the processing of food products, and food packaging. Food processing began when the number of consumers began to grow rapidly. The demand for cheap and efficient calories increased, leading to a decline in nutrition.[26] Industrialized agriculture, due to its reliance on economies of scale to reduce production costs, often leads to compromise of local, regional, or even global ecosystems through fertilizer runoff, nonpoint source pollution,[27]​ deforestation, suboptimal mechanisms affecting consumer product choice, and greenhouse gas emissions.[28]​[29]​.

Depending on where a person can live will determine the amount and type of food resources they can access. Therefore, not everyone receives the same quality of food. Furthermore, conventional channels do not distribute food for emergency assistance or charity. Residents of urban communities do not have to worry about their food system as it always works for them. Urban residents receive more sustainable food production from healthier and safer sources than low-income communities. However, conventional channels are more sustainable than charitable or beneficial food resources. Although the conventional food system provides easier access and lower prices, their food may not be the best for our environment or health.[30]​.

Likewise, the need to reduce production costs in an increasingly globalized market can cause food production to move to areas where economic costs (labor, taxes, etc.) are lower or environmental regulations are more lax, which are usually further away from consumer markets. For example, the majority of salmon sold in the United States is farmed off the coast of Chile, due in large part to less stringent Chilean standards regarding fish feeding and regardless of the fact that salmon is not indigenous to Chilean coastal waters.[31] Globalization of food production can result in the loss of traditional food systems in less developed countries and have negative impacts on population health, ecosystems, and cultures. of those countries.[32]​.

Furthermore, the conventional food system does not structurally facilitate sustainable patterns of food production and consumption. In decision-making associated with the conventional food system, in practice the onus is largely thought to lie with consumers and private businesses, as they are often expected to spend time, voluntarily and/or without external benefit, seeking to educate themselves about which behaviors and specific product choices are sustainable, where such product information and education is publicly available, and subsequently change their respective decision-making related to production and consumption due to assumed ethical values prioritized and, sometimes, to the health benefits, despite the substantial drawbacks to which such is common. For the consumer, such drawback may include higher prices for organic foods, inappropriate relative monetary price gaps between animal-intensive and plant-based diets, and inappropriate consumer orientation based on contemporary assessments. In 2020, an analysis of the external climate costs of food indicates that external greenhouse gas costs are typically highest for animal products (conventional and organic to approximately the same extent within that ecosystem subdomain), followed by conventional dairy products and lowest for "organic, plant-based" diets and concludes that contemporary monetary assessments are "inadequate" and that policymaking leading to reductions in these costs is possible, appropriate and urgent.[33][34][35]​.

Contenido

A nivel mundial, el impacto ambiental de la agroindustria se está abordando a través de la agricultura sostenible y la agricultura orgánica. A nivel local, hay varios movimientos que trabajan hacia la producción local de alimentos, el uso más productivo de los terrenos baldíos urbanos y los huertos domésticos, incluida la permacultura, la horticultura urbana, la comida local, la comida lenta, la jardinería sostenible y la jardinería orgánica.

Los productos del mar sostenibles son productos del mar de fuentes de pesca o de cultivo que pueden mantener o aumentar la producción en el futuro sin poner en peligro los ecosistemas de los que se adquirieron. El movimiento de productos pesqueros sostenibles ha ganado impulso a medida que más personas se dan cuenta de la sobrepesca y los métodos de pesca destructivos para el medio ambiente.

Local food systems

Local and regional food systems, commonly confused with direct marketing, but both are distinct terms, come in multiple types and definitions. Consumer demands for local food within these systems include organic practices, higher nutritional value, better quality, and fresher produce. Sometimes sold at lower prices, farmers' local food supply can also have higher costs due to environmentally sustainable production practices, and through direct marketing, farmers can even receive benefits for businesses, such as customer desires. consumers, through rapid feedback on products.[36] Local and regional food systems also face challenges such as inadequate institutions or programs, geographic limitations, and seasonal fluctuations that can affect demand for products within regions. In addition, direct marketing also faces challenges of accessibility, coordination, and awareness.[36] Farmers' markets, which have increased over the past two decades, are designed to help local farmers sell their fresh produce to consumers who want to purchase. (Food centers) are also similar places. where farmers deliver products and consumers come to pick them up. Consumers who want to receive weekly produce can purchase shares through a system called Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA).[36]​ However, these farmers markets also face challenges with marketing needs, such as startup, advertising, payments, processing, and regulations.[36]​.

Debates about the efficiency and sustainability of the local food system have increased as these systems reduce transportation, which is a strategy to combat environmental footprints and climate change. A popular argument is the less impactful footprint of food products from local markets on communities and the environment.[37]​ The main factors behind climate change include land use practices and greenhouse gas emissions, with global food systems producing approximately 33% of these emissions.[37]​ Compared to transportation in a local food system, a conventional system consumes more fuel to produce energy and emits more pollution, such as carbon dioxide. This transportation also includes produce miles to help with farming and depends on factors such as transportation size, modes, and fuel types. Some aircraft imports have been shown to be more efficient than local food systems in some cases.[37]​ In general, local food systems support better environmental practices.

In food distribution"), increasing the supply of food is a production problem, as it takes time for products to be marketed and, while waiting to be distributed, food is wasted. Although in all food production it is estimated that between 20 and 30% of food is wasted, efforts have been made to combat this problem, such as campaigns to promote the limitation of food waste.[38] However, due to insufficient facilities and practices, as well as large quantities of food not marketed or harvested due to prices or quality, food is wasted at every phase of its distribution.[38] Another factor of unsustainability in food distribution includes transportation in combination with inadequate methods for food handling "Food Safety (Safety)") throughout the packaging process. Additionally, poor or prolonged conditions for stored food and consumer waste add to this list of inefficiency factors found in food distribution. food.[38]​.

Some modern trends in food distribution also create boundaries where problems are created and solutions must be found. One factor includes the growth of large-scale bulk production and sales units to chain stores, showing the marketing power of large-scale market organizations as well as their merger with manufactures.[39]​ In response to production, another factor includes large-scale purchasing and distribution units among manufacturers in the development of food distribution which also affects producers, distributors and consumers.[39]​ Another major factor is the protection of public interest, which means better adaptation of the product and the service, resulting in rapid development of food distribution.[39] Another factor revolves around price maintenance"), which creates pressure for lower prices, resulting in a greater drive to reduce costs throughout the food distribution process.[39] An additional factor comprises new changes and forms of newly invented technical processes, such as food freezing developments discovered through experiments to help with distribution efficiency. Added to this is new technical development in food distribution. machinery to address the influence of consumer demands "Demand (economy)") and economic factors.[39]​ Finally, another factor includes the relationship of the government with companies, who file a lawsuit against it in correlation with antitrust laws due to large-scale business organizations and the fear that monopoly contributes to changing public attitudes.[39]​.

The environmental effects of different dietary patterns depend on many factors, including the proportion of animal and plant foods consumed and the method of food production.[40][41][42][43] At the same time, current and future food systems must receive sufficient nutrition not only for the current population, but also for future population growth in light of a world affected by climate change in the face of global warming.[44]​.

In the food industry, especially in agriculture, there has been an increase in problems towards the production of some food products. For example, growing fruits and vegetables has become more expensive. It is difficult to grow some agricultural crops because some have a preferable climatic condition to grow. There has also been a trend towards food shortages as production has decreased.[45]​ However, the world still produces enough food for the population, but not everyone receives good quality food because it is not accessible to them, as it depends on their location and/or income. Furthermore, the number of overweight people has increased and there are around 2 billion undernourished people worldwide. This shows how the global food system lacks quantity and quality according to food consumption patterns").[46]

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), food waste is responsible for 8 percent of global human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.[47]​ The FAO concludes that almost 30 percent of all available agricultural land in the world (1.4 billion hectares) is used for food produced but not consumed. The global blue water footprint of food waste is 250 km, which is the amount of water that flows annually through the Volga or 3 times Lake Geneva.[48]​.

There are several factors that explain how food waste has increased globally in food systems. The main factor is population because as population increases, more food production occurs, but most of the food is wasted. Furthermore, not all countries have the same resources to provide the best quality food. Therefore, all over the world there are different ways of processing food. With different priorities, different decisions are being made to meet your most important needs. Money is another important factor that determines how long the process will take, who is working, and is treated differently than food systems in low-income countries. However, food systems in high-income countries can still address other issues; such as food security. This shows how all food systems have their weaknesses and strengths. Climate change is causing food waste to increase because warm temperatures cause crops to dry out faster and are at greater risk of fires. Food waste can occur at any time during production.[49]​ According to the World Wildlife Organization,[50]​ since most food produced goes to landfills when it rots, it causes the production of methane. Food disposal has a great impact on our environment and health.[51][52]​.

European Union

In September 2019, the European Union's Chief Scientific Advisors stated that the transition to a sustainable food system should be a high priority for the EU:[20]​.

In January 2020, the EU put the transition to a sustainable food system at the center of the European Green Deal. The European Commission's 'Farm to Fork Strategy for a Sustainable Food System', to be published in spring 2020, is expected to set out how European countries will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, reduce food waste and the use of chemical pesticides, and contribute to a circular economy. transition to a sustainable food system, through an evidence review report carried out by European academies").[22]

Industrial agriculture causes environmental impacts as well as health problems associated with obesity in the rich world and hunger in the poor world.[23]​ This has generated a strong movement towards healthy and sustainable eating as an important component of overall ethical consumerism.[24][25]​.

Conventional food systems rely heavily on the availability of cheap fossil fuels, necessary for mechanized agriculture), the manufacturing or harvesting of chemical fertilizers, the processing of food products, and food packaging. Food processing began when the number of consumers began to grow rapidly. The demand for cheap and efficient calories increased, leading to a decline in nutrition.[26] Industrialized agriculture, due to its reliance on economies of scale to reduce production costs, often leads to compromise of local, regional, or even global ecosystems through fertilizer runoff, nonpoint source pollution,[27]​ deforestation, suboptimal mechanisms affecting consumer product choice, and greenhouse gas emissions.[28]​[29]​.

Depending on where a person can live will determine the amount and type of food resources they can access. Therefore, not everyone receives the same quality of food. Furthermore, conventional channels do not distribute food for emergency assistance or charity. Residents of urban communities do not have to worry about their food system as it always works for them. Urban residents receive more sustainable food production from healthier and safer sources than low-income communities. However, conventional channels are more sustainable than charitable or beneficial food resources. Although the conventional food system provides easier access and lower prices, their food may not be the best for our environment or health.[30]​.

Likewise, the need to reduce production costs in an increasingly globalized market can cause food production to move to areas where economic costs (labor, taxes, etc.) are lower or environmental regulations are more lax, which are usually further away from consumer markets. For example, the majority of salmon sold in the United States is farmed off the coast of Chile, due in large part to less stringent Chilean standards regarding fish feeding and regardless of the fact that salmon is not indigenous to Chilean coastal waters.[31] Globalization of food production can result in the loss of traditional food systems in less developed countries and have negative impacts on population health, ecosystems, and cultures. of those countries.[32]​.

Furthermore, the conventional food system does not structurally facilitate sustainable patterns of food production and consumption. In decision-making associated with the conventional food system, in practice the onus is largely thought to lie with consumers and private businesses, as they are often expected to spend time, voluntarily and/or without external benefit, seeking to educate themselves about which behaviors and specific product choices are sustainable, where such product information and education is publicly available, and subsequently change their respective decision-making related to production and consumption due to assumed ethical values prioritized and, sometimes, to the health benefits, despite the substantial drawbacks to which such is common. For the consumer, such drawback may include higher prices for organic foods, inappropriate relative monetary price gaps between animal-intensive and plant-based diets, and inappropriate consumer orientation based on contemporary assessments. In 2020, an analysis of the external climate costs of food indicates that external greenhouse gas costs are typically highest for animal products (conventional and organic to approximately the same extent within that ecosystem subdomain), followed by conventional dairy products and lowest for "organic, plant-based" diets and concludes that contemporary monetary assessments are "inadequate" and that policymaking leading to reductions in these costs is possible, appropriate and urgent.[33][34][35]​.

Contenido

A nivel mundial, el impacto ambiental de la agroindustria se está abordando a través de la agricultura sostenible y la agricultura orgánica. A nivel local, hay varios movimientos que trabajan hacia la producción local de alimentos, el uso más productivo de los terrenos baldíos urbanos y los huertos domésticos, incluida la permacultura, la horticultura urbana, la comida local, la comida lenta, la jardinería sostenible y la jardinería orgánica.

Los productos del mar sostenibles son productos del mar de fuentes de pesca o de cultivo que pueden mantener o aumentar la producción en el futuro sin poner en peligro los ecosistemas de los que se adquirieron. El movimiento de productos pesqueros sostenibles ha ganado impulso a medida que más personas se dan cuenta de la sobrepesca y los métodos de pesca destructivos para el medio ambiente.

Local food systems

Local and regional food systems, commonly confused with direct marketing, but both are distinct terms, come in multiple types and definitions. Consumer demands for local food within these systems include organic practices, higher nutritional value, better quality, and fresher produce. Sometimes sold at lower prices, farmers' local food supply can also have higher costs due to environmentally sustainable production practices, and through direct marketing, farmers can even receive benefits for businesses, such as customer desires. consumers, through rapid feedback on products.[36] Local and regional food systems also face challenges such as inadequate institutions or programs, geographic limitations, and seasonal fluctuations that can affect demand for products within regions. In addition, direct marketing also faces challenges of accessibility, coordination, and awareness.[36] Farmers' markets, which have increased over the past two decades, are designed to help local farmers sell their fresh produce to consumers who want to purchase. (Food centers) are also similar places. where farmers deliver products and consumers come to pick them up. Consumers who want to receive weekly produce can purchase shares through a system called Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA).[36]​ However, these farmers markets also face challenges with marketing needs, such as startup, advertising, payments, processing, and regulations.[36]​.

Debates about the efficiency and sustainability of the local food system have increased as these systems reduce transportation, which is a strategy to combat environmental footprints and climate change. A popular argument is the less impactful footprint of food products from local markets on communities and the environment.[37]​ The main factors behind climate change include land use practices and greenhouse gas emissions, with global food systems producing approximately 33% of these emissions.[37]​ Compared to transportation in a local food system, a conventional system consumes more fuel to produce energy and emits more pollution, such as carbon dioxide. This transportation also includes produce miles to help with farming and depends on factors such as transportation size, modes, and fuel types. Some aircraft imports have been shown to be more efficient than local food systems in some cases.[37]​ In general, local food systems support better environmental practices.

In food distribution"), increasing the supply of food is a production problem, as it takes time for products to be marketed and, while waiting to be distributed, food is wasted. Although in all food production it is estimated that between 20 and 30% of food is wasted, efforts have been made to combat this problem, such as campaigns to promote the limitation of food waste.[38] However, due to insufficient facilities and practices, as well as large quantities of food not marketed or harvested due to prices or quality, food is wasted at every phase of its distribution.[38] Another factor of unsustainability in food distribution includes transportation in combination with inadequate methods for food handling "Food Safety (Safety)") throughout the packaging process. Additionally, poor or prolonged conditions for stored food and consumer waste add to this list of inefficiency factors found in food distribution. food.[38]​.

Some modern trends in food distribution also create boundaries where problems are created and solutions must be found. One factor includes the growth of large-scale bulk production and sales units to chain stores, showing the marketing power of large-scale market organizations as well as their merger with manufactures.[39]​ In response to production, another factor includes large-scale purchasing and distribution units among manufacturers in the development of food distribution which also affects producers, distributors and consumers.[39]​ Another major factor is the protection of public interest, which means better adaptation of the product and the service, resulting in rapid development of food distribution.[39] Another factor revolves around price maintenance"), which creates pressure for lower prices, resulting in a greater drive to reduce costs throughout the food distribution process.[39] An additional factor comprises new changes and forms of newly invented technical processes, such as food freezing developments discovered through experiments to help with distribution efficiency. Added to this is new technical development in food distribution. machinery to address the influence of consumer demands "Demand (economy)") and economic factors.[39]​ Finally, another factor includes the relationship of the government with companies, who file a lawsuit against it in correlation with antitrust laws due to large-scale business organizations and the fear that monopoly contributes to changing public attitudes.[39]​.

The environmental effects of different dietary patterns depend on many factors, including the proportion of animal and plant foods consumed and the method of food production.[40][41][42][43] At the same time, current and future food systems must receive sufficient nutrition not only for the current population, but also for future population growth in light of a world affected by climate change in the face of global warming.[44]​.

In the food industry, especially in agriculture, there has been an increase in problems towards the production of some food products. For example, growing fruits and vegetables has become more expensive. It is difficult to grow some agricultural crops because some have a preferable climatic condition to grow. There has also been a trend towards food shortages as production has decreased.[45]​ However, the world still produces enough food for the population, but not everyone receives good quality food because it is not accessible to them, as it depends on their location and/or income. Furthermore, the number of overweight people has increased and there are around 2 billion undernourished people worldwide. This shows how the global food system lacks quantity and quality according to food consumption patterns").[46]

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), food waste is responsible for 8 percent of global human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.[47]​ The FAO concludes that almost 30 percent of all available agricultural land in the world (1.4 billion hectares) is used for food produced but not consumed. The global blue water footprint of food waste is 250 km, which is the amount of water that flows annually through the Volga or 3 times Lake Geneva.[48]​.

There are several factors that explain how food waste has increased globally in food systems. The main factor is population because as population increases, more food production occurs, but most of the food is wasted. Furthermore, not all countries have the same resources to provide the best quality food. Therefore, all over the world there are different ways of processing food. With different priorities, different decisions are being made to meet your most important needs. Money is another important factor that determines how long the process will take, who is working, and is treated differently than food systems in low-income countries. However, food systems in high-income countries can still address other issues; such as food security. This shows how all food systems have their weaknesses and strengths. Climate change is causing food waste to increase because warm temperatures cause crops to dry out faster and are at greater risk of fires. Food waste can occur at any time during production.[49]​ According to the World Wildlife Organization,[50]​ since most food produced goes to landfills when it rots, it causes the production of methane. Food disposal has a great impact on our environment and health.[51][52]​.