Sustainable Consumption

CURRENTLY, the world has a population of over seven billion persons,which is increasing daily. One of the effects of the steadily increasing population is an increasing demand for food. However, providing enough food for such a large population is difficult, considering the growing competition for land, water, and energy. Moreover, one in seven persons does not have access to sufficient protein and energy from their diet, and even more suffer from some form of micronutrient malnourishment. However, while producing more food would reduce the number of hungry people in the world, producing food also affects our environment. Therefore, when considering boosting our agricultural output, we also need to think about the environmental implications.

In order to maximise food production and minimise impact on the environment, the challenge is to produce more food with fewer resources. Sustainable agriculture seeks to preserve as much soil, water and biodiversity as possible with as minimal harmful side-effects and is crucial to long-term food security.

The United NationsSustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the blueprint for the nation to adapt to ensure a sustainable future for the world, the United Nations in 2015 made a universal call to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Of those 17 goals, goal number 2 “End Hunger”, seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger in all its forms and to achieve food security at the end of the call. The aim is to ensure that everyone everywhere has enough good-quality food to lead a healthy life.

Some sustainable agricultural practices are:

• The use of renewable energy on farms

Energy from natural sources such as the sun and wind can be used to power equipment on farms, while machinery could use biofuels where available. Feedstock such as rice husks can be used to generate electric-

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