Environmental sustainability test 2

globally, how much freshwater withdrawals are for agriculture?

70%, greater in lower income countries

4 parts of a food system

production, processing, distribution, consumption

is food security considered a wicked problem?

yes 

3 parts of a SUSTAINABLE food system

Manages natural resources, generates inclusive employment, and enhances the resilience of food production and distribution

some issues with food systems

urbanization, climate change, food loss/waste, biofuel production, habitat loss, land degradation

what is the second sustainable development goal?

To end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

what is hunger?

share of people who are undernourished 

what is hunger determined by?

the sufficiency of energy (calorie) intake

between 2000 and 2023, what area had the highest percentage of undernourishment in their population?

Sub-Saharan Africa

between 2000 and 2023, what area had the lowest percentage of undernourishment in their population?

Central Asia 

what is severe food scarcity?

lacking access to sufficient safe food 

how is food insecurity percentage measured?

household survey responses, qualitative

how is undernourishment percentage measured?

actual food availability across the population, quantitive

what is food insecurity?

when food is physically unavailable, unaffordable, unequally distributed or has inadequate quality and diversity 

in 2024, what area had the highest percentage of children that were stunted by food insecurity? 

Bangladesh 

what are some environmental impacts of sustainable food challenges?

ghg emissions, land use, freshwater withdrawals, eutrophication, biodiversity 

what are the primary contributors to climate change?

food systems, 37% ghg emissions

what is the biggest driver for deforestation?

agriculture and cattle

what is soy used for? list from greatest to lowest percentage

animal feed (76%), direct human food (20%), industry (4%)

describe food-miles

distance travelled by food products from points of production to consumption, and associated environmental impact (ei. energy use, emission) 

what are some sustainability food systems sudden impacts 

natural disasters (flood, drought, etc.) and transboundary pests and disease

food away from home = ready-to-eat = 

meals or food purchased from places other than grocery stores 

traditional: small and mid-level farmers

family farms or individual farms

modern: industrialized agriculture

large scale, globalized, profit-driven, monocultures, synthetic chemicals, large water quantities

alternative: sustainable 

reform industrial farming, compost, crop rotation, avoids synthetic chemicals, globalized/ community based

smallholder:

>2 hectares, farms or herds operated by family members, use their own labor, food is for local consumption 

pastoralism:

adaptation to fragile, dry environments, herders move to access resources 

traditional systems: pros

food accessibility, inclusion of smallholders, environmental footprints, biodiversity 

traditional systems: cons

food availability, nutrition, food losses and waste

industrialized systems: pros

food accessibility

industrialized systems: cons

exclusion of smallholders, lack of nutrition, environmental footprint, food losses and waste, biodiversity reduction

alternative systems: pros

food availability, nutrition, equality, environmental footprints, biodiversity, resilience, food losses and waste 

alternative systems: cons

food accessibility, inclusion of smallholders

how much food do smallholders produce?

a third of the worlds food

where do biofuels (ethanol, biodiesel) come from?

produced from fermentation of biological feedstocks containing sugars, lipids, or carbohydrates 

list the 4 generations of biomass

First generation includes food crops; second generation uses non-edible plant materials; third generation features algae; fourth generation refers to genetically engineered biomass (algae)

what crops are used most for feed?

maize (corn) and oilseed products

what is a food system?

an interconnected web of elements that’s involved in providing nourishment and sustaining health including aspects like food production, processing, distribution, consumption

what are the three dimensions of sustainability ?

environmental, social, and economic

types of land degradation

soil erosion, nutrient depletion, salinization

monocultures:

depletes soil nutrients, reduces biodiversity

conventional tillage and deforestation:

increases erosion

explain a good soil structure

good soil drainage. porous crumbs and blocks

overgrazing:

increases compaction 

explain compacted soil

poor soil drainage, Loss of carbon storage. tightly packed crumbs

to escape poverty, farmers need to:

increase labor productivity (increase crop yet)

how do crop yields affect land use for food production?

South Asia achieved all of its increased food production through higher yields, S.S Africa increased food production mostly through the expansion of land 

irrigation + fertilizer =

increased yield

alternatives to monoculture/ preventing soil degradation

increasing yield, crop rotation and double cropping

intercropping:

growing two or more crops in close proximity

cover crops:

planted after a crop that is harvested and is terminated before maturation

where does 6% of global ghgs emissions come from ?

food losses and waste

what are value/ supply chains?

a set of processes and flows that bring a product from production to the final consumer

4 step steps of LCA process

1. Goal and Scope Definition 2. Inventory Analysis 3. Impact Assessment 4. Interpretation

do all biodegradable containers degrade with natural conditions?

no

describe the main challenges associated with food security as described in the sustainable food security and political imperative and challenge sections?

poverty, climate change, and loss of biodiversity, leading to inadequate access to nutritious food for populations, especially in vulnerable regions.

what is a circular economy?

keeps materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible . includes utilizing recycling and regeneration to minimize waste and resource use.

describe life cycle assessment (LCA)- tool

used to assess the potential environmental impacts of products, systems, or services at all stages in their life cycle 

the three principles of circular economy

eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products ad materials, generate nature 

what diagram would you use to visualize a circular economy?

a butterfly diagram

aspects of a technical circular economy?

focuses on regeneration, feedback, biogas collection, and sustainable fishing and farming practices 

aspects of a biological circular economy?

focuses on sharing, maintaining, reusing, recycling, and product design/durability  

“end use” is considered:

cradle to grave 

“reuse” is considered: 

cradle to cradle 

what is the purpose of the LCA?

to identify environmental hot spots in the life cycle of a product 

what materials can be reversible in terms of global warming potential and are more readily reusable

aluminum and glass

why does refill containers have a slightly higher impact on recycling

because of the inefficiency of domestic dishwashers compared to industrial 

For all plastic reuse options considered, how many uses are required for the carbon footprint of reuse to be lower than single-use?

less than 5 uses

briefly describe the goals and scopes of container usage, include limitations

1. defined size of containers and averaged over several uses.

2. impact of food in containers not considered

3. impact of transport to where food is consumed assumed to be zero (walking) 

4. additional packaging like nags, napkins, and utensils are not considered 

do returned/refill containers expend energy and resources? 

yes, due to washing 

describe inventory analysis and some assumptions that were made

1. manufacturing data collected from various resources, assuming common methods 

2. water and energy required for washing refill and return containers

3. end-of-life treatment defined (recycled or landfill)

what metric is used to assess impact?

1. aluminum, if used and recycled lowers its impact 

2. reuse lowers impact regardless of container type

3. refill has slightly higher impacts due to inefficiency of domestic dishwashers compared to industrial

Describe the main challenges associated with food security as
described in the Sustainable Food Security a Political Imperative
and Challenge sections

1. Climate change affecting crop yields and production.

2. Political instability and conflict disrupting food access.

3. Economic disparities leading to unequal food distribution.

What is the difference between food waste and food loss

food waste- discarding safe and nutritious food 

food loss- lost supplies in transit

What are some challenges associated with animal proteins?

feed conversion from plant to animal. most of the edible proteins are gone through conversion 

Describe some factors that contribute to food waste and loss.

What are the reasons for food recalls?

Describe how technological methods can improve food waste and loss. (Novel IT, AI Solutions, Intelligent Labelling)

How can agricultural intensification improve food waste and loss? Include
definition of intensification, examples, and any cons of these methods. (Source
Reduction—Reduce Food Losses by Intensification of Food Production)

Describe how reprocessing/redistributing foods contributes to food security.
Include any cons of these methods.

Describe methods of recycling/recovery/circular food systems and how they
contribute to food security. Include any cons of these methods.