GEOGRAPHIES OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD - Essay Example

Sustainable food system refers to a mutual set of sustainable food production processing, distribution, consumption and waste management with an aim of enhancing environmental economics and global social health. It is for this reason that farmers and consumers often partner in developing food sustainability projects in order to achieve a stable family farm base for a nutritious, adequate and affordable diet, create food and agricultural policies to promote food sustainability base (Robinson 113).

Challenges confronting global food system The world’s rapid population increase calls for more demand of food amid changing consumption patterns and food scarcity. This is one of the biggest challenges facing the world’s global food system. The current century has experienced stunning statistics on population increase expectations with the population expected to rise by 1.4 billion people. This rise in population calls for close to 50 % increase in demand of food. It is shocking to note that with this rise in population consumption patterns continue to get complicated.

The cost of production has gone up as well leading to production of fewer quantities than before. In this regard, the global food system must be managed sustainably in the next decade in order to increase food production level to cater for the increase. To meet this demand the use of technology has become inevitable. However, the use of technology has received a worldwide uproar on safety matters owing to the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in production. But, can universal food security be assured without the use of fertilizers and pesticides?

Sustainable production of secure food can be achieved by reducing distortions in configuration of the global food market and the environment. Although many countries in developed and developing countries have large junks of unused land resources, they do not grow enough food to feed their populations. Such land resource does not only remain untapped but also ecologically vulnerable. This is a big challenge to food sustainability. In addition to this, insolvency of the earth’s natural resources through consumption of resources beyond the earth’s production capability has led to complete depletion of the earth’s scarce resources.

The other challenge affecting global food system is inequitable distribution of production resources, lack of employment or underemployment. This has rendered a greater percentage of population unable to feed their families and dependants. It has also challenged food production due to the inability to till land for production of food leading to over-reliance of foreign funding and relief food (Wilson 2). If more people were to be funded in the agricultural sector, it would mean more food availability and money to buy food.

This is because agriculture is a solution to food and employment challenges. Therefore, countries with a culture of importing food from other countries tend to encourage high rate of unemployment since a culture of importing discourages agricultural activities. This is because importation marginalizes people forcing them to destroy resource base to sustain their livelihood. It is vital for agricultural resource base to be maintained because it contributes to good husbandry and sustainable management while easing rural-urban migration and in combating poverty.

Measures of a