Food and Agriculture:

It is estimated that, worldwide, 5-7 million hectares of land valuable to agriculture are lost every year through erosion and degradation. Overgrazing, deforestation, strip mining, urban expansion, industrialized farming, land and water pollution, and climate change all contribute to the land problem. As rural peoples leave or are driven from the land, new problems are created in urban areas which then expand further into agricultural areas, creating a viscious cycle.

At the same time, there are calls for even more industrialization of agriculture and more push for monoculture crops. Monoculture crops are, in turn, more susceptible to insects, disease, and extreme weather events. The technical response of industry is to push genetically modified foods as the "salvation" of a hungry world, even as huge amounts of foodstuffs are wasted, from harvesting though to retail food handling practices. The problem is exacerbated by the conversion of food cropland to "biofuel" use in many countries.

Here are some BIG ISSUES regarding Food and Agriculture. Click on highlighted issues for more information on why this is important, what are the causes, and what needs to be done.

1. Extreme weather events are increasing in severity and frequency, resulting in increasing drought, erosion, and desertification.

2. Engineered crops and herbicides present a whole plethora of problems, including probable long term health effects.

3. Urban expansion often has devastating effects on rural land surrounding urban areas.

4. Rural and subsistence farmers are the most likely losers in mining and plantation projects.

5. Many nations are at risk of increased desertification and/or fresh water loss by depletion of glaciers.

6. Water pollution, water shortages, and industial control of water pose serious threats.

7. Deforestation can create serious erosion, loss of soil productivity, and deteriorating microclimate.