9.2: Feeding the World Video
Transcript:
Feeding the World
Have you ever wondered why we can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables year ‘round, even when they’re out of season? Global food systems help to move food from where it is produced to where it is consumed. By definition, a global food system is the systematic production of food for distribution to consumers around the globe.
Feeding a hungry and growing world is a huge challenge. As the world population continues to increase, so does the demand for food.
Adding to this challenge is the fact that the amount of land used to produce food steadily decreases, so agricultural food producers must develop new technologies and practices which will allow them to produce food more efficiently.
According to the American Farm Bureau, compared to 1950, today’s farmers produce 262% more food while using 2% less input. That’s an incredible increase in efficiency. It has been estimated that because of population growth trends, farmers will need to increase production by another 50% by the year 2050.
In order to provide fresh food to the world, it must be distributed from where it is produced to where it is needed.
There are several obstacles that must be overcome for successful food distribution. First, the food must be transported in a timely manner. During transport, it must be kept clean and dry, and in many cases, refrigerated. Such measures help to decrease spoilage. Other factors to consider include political issues, conflicts, and economical factors including depressed or collapsing economies.
Many factors affect global food systems, including affordability, availability, and food safety. In the United States, on average, we spend about 15% of our income on food, mainly because American farmers produce so much food. In Europe, the percentage of income spent on food ranges from about 15% to over 20%. That number jumps significantly in South America where as much as 35% of income is spent on food. The increase is even more drastic in Asia and Africa where families spend as much as half their income for food.
The affordability of food is tied to the availability of food. In many cases like arid regions or desert it is difficult and costly to grow food. Densely populated countries like Japan may have suitable climate to produce food, but don’t have land available for food production. In these locations, global food systems are mandatory to feed the people who live there.
Food safety is of the highest importance. If food doesn’t meet minimum requirements, it cannot be safely consumed.
Another factor to consider with regard to safety is the quality of food. Quality is often determined by freshness and nutritional value. In general, the fresher the food, the higher the quality.
Perishable foods can be preserved for longer periods by methods such as refrigeration, freezing, or dehydration. Although these methods extend the shelf-life of food products, they also add to the cost.
Foodborne illness is one of the primary causes of unsafe food. Foodborne illness is caused by improper handling, storage and sanitation when handling food and can be prevented.
Global food systems have become an extremely important part of agriculture. In the future, it will be necessary for farmers to produce more food. Global food systems will need to become more efficient to ensure that food reaches the people who need it.