The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) short documentary “Food for the Future” documents the world’s current food revolution. It was created for the “World Food Day” in 2017 and as is well worth the watch.
Key Points
- Agriculture produces more greenhouse gases than all the world’s transport combined.
- 25% of the Earth’s arable land is no longer productive.
- 33% of all food produced is wasted.
- By 2050 the Earth’s population is projected to reach 10 billion.
- It takes 500 years to produce just an inch (2.54 cm) of top soil. Top soil is currently being deteriorated at an alarming rate.
- The European Space Agency (ESA) manage satellites that can monitor moisture, crop growth as well as nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphor. They are working on making this data freely accessible.
- It takes 8 times as much food to grow a cow, than you get when slaughtering it.
- Cow flatulence is the cause of large methane emissions.
- Stem cells from cows can be used to create lab grown meat. As per 2017, a burger from lab grown meat can be produced for only 10 USD.
- Farming still remains labor-intensive and the lowest paid paid work in most of the developing world. This leads to fewer and fewer people wanting to become farmers.
- Growing food in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium soil, through e.g. aeroponics is showing much promise.
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