‘Agricultural investment is one of the most important and effective strategies for economic growth and poverty reduction.’
United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (2015).
In a world facing rapid population growth, a changing climate and the depletion of vital resources, economic growth and prosperity depends on finding a sustainable way to meet society’s need for sustenance. Therefore, producers around the world are finding new ways to sustainably, and affordably, meet humanity’s growing demand for food and energy.
50,000 years of human civilization was needed to reach the first billion people on earth, but the latest billion was added in just over a decade. With a global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, we will require a 70% increase in food productivity in just 35 years. The continued burning of fossil fuels for 85% of the energy that powers the Earth is also ejecting 90 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into our atmosphere every day, causing climatic repercussions that are yet to be fully understood. Revolutionizing our agricultural system by adopting organic practices will therefore be a necessary step in obtaining a sustainable food and energy supply.
The world is losing an acre of arable farmland every minute, and although we are unable to control which fields are affected by our changing climate we can decide which crops will be of most benefit to the environment while maximizing productivity.
With Arable Land in Decline, How Will We Sustain Our Rising Population?
Biofuel crops, such as wheat, corn and sugarcane, capture and store carbon dioxide in the air, which in turn lowers greenhouse gas emissions. As a clean-burning alternative to gasoline, biofuels even reduce the emissions from cars. 10% of automotive fuel comes from ethanol, made from fermenting corn and sugarcane. Corn ethanol produces 34-44% less Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions than the equivalent amount of gasoline. Sugar cane ethanol reduces GHG emissions by more than 50% (with some studies suggesting the reduction can reach an impressive 82%).
CO2 Emissions Have Almost Doubled Since Fossil Fuel Industrialization
Non-food based crops, such as neem, convert more sunlight energy into biomass energy than their food crop alternatives. Their deep, soil-binding root systems preserve precious topsoil and recycle nutrients. Because they don’t have to be replanted each year, perennial crops generate an even smaller carbon footprint than annual crops. Over the past 25 years, 14.8 million acres of land disappeared from crop production in the US alone due to farmers abandoning land that is not profitable for food crops. Non-food based crops thrive on this marginal land, as well as in the semi-desert and salty soils that remain unused across coastlines and arid regions worldwide.
Humanity cannot afford to ignore the effects of a rising population and increasing GHG emissions on our environment. Failing to allocate acreage to produce sustainable foods and fuels will cost us greatly. To fully realize the potential of organic food production and bioenergy we need invest our resources in sustainable agriculture around the world. Planned in the right way, we can sustainably produce enough foods and fuel from the plants we grow.