Food Systems and the Environment Essay

The status of nutrition security in slightly(prenominal) community across the globe underside be considered as the study principal outcome of solid f ar systems when these systems are defined generically and broadly. amplify in the produceiveness and efficiency of sustenance systems turn in shown much achiever across the globe in improving nutrition and reducing the prevalence of hunger. However the efficiency and productivity of sustenance systems turn in raised concerns as they pose hard thr beats to frugal, surroundal and social goals and hence they have undermined sustenance security.On the other hand environmental changes around the world in the context of political, economic and social changes may consequence to unprecedented stresses to comport on food security and food systems. nutrient systems are conceived as set of activities that range from mathematical product by dint of to consumption. In turnout cognitive operation of raw materials for food th e major trends have been intensification of agriculture which is accompanied by concentration in the agriethnical inputs and the trend to larger agricultural lands sizes with engage labor. This trend is accompanied by increased fragmentation of land among the marginalized micro holders.As a consequence there is increased demand of urine for irrigation, increased pollution, soil loss and increased energy demands in the production sectors. (i. ) Environmental pollution resulting from food impact industries In the current economic systems farming is no longer the dominant economic activity in the boilers suit food systems. This is because population are more(prenominal) concerned in adding value in the overall food product in the orbit of edgeing and packing of raw materials into food products. Due to increase of these activities umteen factories and industries have concentrated up and toss off the food production and deliver chain.The expansion of industries has resulted t o more toxic effluents beingness emitted from factories into water and air. The add together of processing industries in both urban and rural areas has grown tremendously which have resulted to pollution of water bodies, air and soil (Richardson, pp 7). In some cases acres water tone of voice has too been affected due to increasing production and use of pesticides and fertilizers aimed at promoting more intensive cropping and self sufficiency in food. Expansion of factories and food processing plants has also created major problems of waste disposal. minuscule lying fields are generally used for waste disposals without the benefits of utilize sanitary methods have resulted to major pollution problems. (ii) Over killing of animals species stellar(a) endangered species. Endangered animal species face the dander of becoming out(p) since they are low in number and therefore need bulwark in order to survive. Human activities such as killing animals for food and commercial trade a re rendering many animals to continue harm high gear rates of exploitation. A species that is being overexploited become endangered or may become extinct due to the rate at which is being consumed.An prototype of over exploitation that has been experienced was the unrestricted whaling. The whaling industry during this season over exploited whales and resulted to low population sizes of whales. Due to the decreased number of whales and nearly some of them were nearly extinct several governments agreed to subscribe by international moratorium on whaling. Over exploitation of animals species harms livelihood since high proportion of worlds population depends on wildlife for their meat protein and their components provided traditionalistic medicines.Over exploitation of plant and animal species does not only affects the hobby community and threatens the particular species but also it causes imbalance in the altogether ecosystem (Guynup, para 4). (iii) Genetically change foods ecological balance Genetically modified foods are produced from animals and plants which their genes are changed by scientists in the laboratory. Genes are written on the DNA and are the chemical instruction for building and maintaining life. Scientists modify these genes and fake the characteristics of an organism.In so doing yields and resistance to diseases can be improved in both plants and animals. However there are fears some of the genes which have been introduced into some crops can escape and be transferred to other plant species where they can have adverse effects. Some critiques believes that leakage of these genes leave behind result to emergence of superior weeds and extinctions of ordinary species of birds and insects and the food chain will became damaged (Eiswasser, Gan & Alia, pp 9). (b) bias of environment to food systems (i) Effects of global warming and environmental pollution.The overall temper changes including global warming and the increased climate vari ability will result to variety of impacts on agriculture. Some of he effects of climate change are ecological, biophysical and some are economic. These factors include the following graduation exercise there will be shift in agricultural regulate and climate towards the poles. Second, the production patterns would be changed due to high temperatures. Third, agricultural productivity in some regions would be increased due to increased levels of light speed dioxide, fourth the precipitation patterns will be changed and finally most masses will be vulnerable of becoming landless.In addition changes of run patterns may lead to increased crop infestation by pests and chocking weed. In most of the low lying climate change will result to decreased crop yields and therefore in most regions net effect of crops will increase. Higher values of food will render most people to become at risk of hunger ( raw(a) Resources Defense Council, para 8). (ii) nursery production Greenhouse method of food production makes use of controlled environment in modern terms it is also referred to as controlled environmental agricultures.Those methods enables farmers to cut back food or fruit producing plants in areas and at times when weather conditions would prevent them from growing or adversely affects them green house also prevents the crops from adverse weather conditions which due to the ever increasing population and more agricultural land being lost to urban development. Intensive food production in greenhouse will play a important role in food production (Peet, para 11). (iii) Location and food prices Provision of food system impacts on what people choose to eat and evidently people can only choose foods that are accessible, low-priced and addressable to them.Food availability is related to the prices and this is determined on the process that the food gets to the consumers and what is on offer. Development and changes of food distribution and supply may be parallel bu t there may remain truehearted cultural differences between regions in the way food is produced, distributed and made available to consumers. The cost of distribution of food also affects the food prices due to higher transport costs over long distances (Iton, pp 14). 2. Relationship between food and society. (a) Influence of food systems to the society.Alongside global environmental changes globalization of consumers preferences is another(prenominal) change that is taking place. In food systems the spread of fast food is considered synonymous with globalization. There has also been expansion of Asian Latin American and African and other international cuisines into national food cultures (Food and Fuel America. com, para 8). (ii) Food cultures bring people together. There are several areas which can help to bring cultures together. These include talent shows, way of life shows, and food court.These areas are more effective especially when they are organized for international cult ural festivals. When people are eating from the same table they can enunciate and ask from each one other questions about their culture directly. Food cultures and style show displays expressions from different countries and therefore people can learn the cultures through hearing, feeling and experiencing the show. In addition people learn about each other when they start taking about food (Weickgenant, para 5). (iii)Treads in food production in the global economyIn the form 1999 economic recovery had manifested itself globally after the global slow down which was cause by financial crisis in 1997 and 1998 in Asia. In the grade 2000 there was further strengthening and the world GDP was expected to swipe by not less than 3 percent which would reflect stronger economic activities. GDP in the developing countries is expected to rise by 4 to 5 percent. At this rate the growth of agricultural GDP in developing countries would not grow strongly than overall GDP in developed countries which is expected to grow at the rate of 5 to 6 percent (Rosegrant, Paisner & Witcover, pp 4).Emerging food safety technologies Due to the needs of the societies to keep food for longer, government agencies and departments of homeland security set targets on big food contamination as the focus of attention for food security. tamper of food or contamination of bulky food poses a serious threat to society. New technologies on the other hand provide mean value of monitoring food systems and modifies people behavior. The surveillance technology that has been developed influences someone behaviors and altitudes by introducing additional procedural arrangement (Hendrickx, para 10).Government enacts laws and policies in order to offer remedies of harms which might have been created in the past for example enacting new seed law. Government also aims at protecting safety, quality and health of its citizens (Niskanen, pp 13). Changing in demand and supply When the demand and of a particu lar product of food increases production and supply of that product increases. As a result there will be much of that product in the market leading to fall in demand and price of the product leading to reduced production and supply (Lee, pp 6).Work Cited Eiswasser E, Gan K & Alia K. Genetically modified foods raise new legal issues, 2001.Retrieved on initiatory October 2008 from http//www. cov. com/files/Publication/e435e641-b00a-4e20-92f3-0a8639b8f9bb/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/7cd905a2-fe8e-4a25-8709-1096d7ce6aef/oid6070. pdf. Food and Fuel America. com. Food and Fuel America, 2007. Retrieved on 1st October 2008 from http//www. foodandfuelamerica. com/2007/06/find-alternative-fuel-location. html.Guynup S. Killing the Endangered Species Act, 2008. Retrieved on 1st October 2008 from http//www. blueridgepress. com/Forms/brp_columns/*ws4d-db-query-Show. ws4d? *ws4d-db-query-Show***EBK-EB-089090098094094090-1377***-Database***-***brp_columns(directory)***. ws4d?brp_columns/deta il. html. Hendrickx D. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 2008. Retrieved on 1st October 2008 from http//www. elsevier. com/locate/ifset. Iton A. Tackling the Root Causes of wellness Disparities through Community Capacity Building. Retrieved on 1st October 2008 from http//www. chc. ucsf. edu/pdf/Iton-Tackling%20The%20Root%20Causes%20of%20Health%20Disparities. pdf. Lee D. crave and Supply the Freeman Ideas on Liberty, 1998. Retrieved on 1st October 2008 from http//www. commonsenseeconomics. com/Readings/Demand%20and%20Supply. CSE. pdf Natural Resources Defense Council. Issues Global Warming, 2008. R