- Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?
Summary-AVID Article Format
- Our environmental trends and current economic position hint at the collapse of society due to food shortage
- 6 of the past 9 years have had grain shortages, 2008 record low grain shortage at 62 days of consumption
- Demand rising and supplies are shortening; prices increasing and less are able to feed themselves, stress on govt.
- Failure to slow population growth lead to political instability, lack of security, crime and terrorism
- Environmental conditions caused most countries to have insufficient crop growth and high crop prices
- Biofuel industry needs grain, demands are skyrocketing according to population growth at 70 million/year
- Affluent countries demand 4 times as much grain as other 3rd-world countries, varies upon diet and fuel use
- Double demand in fuel and food industry will put stress on agriculture
- Shortage of freshwater, loss of topsoil, and rising temperatures are also influencing food supply
- Falling water table, depletion of aquifers, overpumping, and excess diversion is drying out water sources
- Loss of topsoil from wind and water erosion is troublesome; Higher temps cause lower crop yield
- GMCs are looking bleak as they do not have higher yields that compensate for loss
- Trade embargoes are threatening grain supply and leaving many countries hungry, resorting to stockpiling
- Environmental trends that affect grain supply must be reversed, such as astabilizing the human population
- Conserve soil, use more efficient farming techniques, recycle, conserve water
- Implement these methods quickly before time runs out, food shortages severe and issue needs urgent attention
Summary
In all my life I never had to go hungry for one night because I had no food. I've always thought that food was plentiful, since I could observe the aisles of the supermarket, which were always adorned with colorful packages full of consumables that I could take right off the shelf. But food isn't infinite, and we're making it that way. Erosion caused by human activity, water shortages, overuse of pesticides, rising temperature and population growth are all putting stress on the agricultural industry. There is a simple solution, however; reverse everything. Controlling the population, using sustainable practices and using technology to effectively grow food faster can stop shortages from continuing.
Reflection
As someone that is eating a burrito as I am typing this, I love food a lot more than other people, so I think that this issue should be a top priority in order to provide a better future for the next generation - one that involves prosperity and full stomachs. This problem, however, is caused by many other problems accumulating and affecting the food supply. This is why these other problems should be tackled in a perspective that looks at the damage that happens when these problems exist collectively, rather than looking at each individual crisis. I hope that my future will be a food-filled one, and I can continue to never have an empty stomach.