Mark
The food security definition of everyone with sufficient, safe and nutritious food always is the most egalitarian in the diplomatic lexicon. We like it, and here is why.
Comment | A possum problem
None of the integration of food, ecology and diet advocated here on sustainably FED is easy. There are many challenges in a more ecological way of feeding everyone well.
What happens when you try to train 100 Finnish farmers carbon management?
Farmers know what to do; they are smart folk. They adapt even when asked to think outside the box.
Avoid confusion over important terms
Nature includes biodiversity and biodiversity helps deliver ecosystem services while conservation assigns value to some of the components. How sure are you of the meaning of these technical terms?
Resilience of people, communities, and ecosystems are not the same thing
Finding and keeping enough food is every organism’s bane. The endless foraging means risking being foraged or failing to find enough food. Success is longevity and the ultimate aim of making more.
Eating plants and animals—humans are omnivores
Some animals eat plants, some eat other animals, some eat both. Humans are one of these animals—humans are omnivores.
Ecological overshoot—what it means and why it matters
Ecological overshoot is when the consumption of resources exceeds the amount available. It should trigger density dependence to pull consumption back below the resource limit. We had better hope this happens.
Some really scary shit about the food system
I want to alarm you. I know it is not the way to gain likes or shares, but it has to be done, so here it is… One-third of the people on earth today suffer from malnutrition.
The right to life
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights set an agenda for the common achievement of all peoples, a worthy aspiration that should be at the front of everyone's mind. Here we ask what it means for food.
Political correctness means we miss the real driver of unsustainability
Humans use more energy today, roughly 173,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) than at any other time in history. This is an unfathomable number so let’s bring it back to a more human scale.
The intimate connection between soil and global challenges
Feeding everyone well requires soil. This universal truth has been with humans on every step out of Africa and across the planet.
Yield volatility can cripple a farm, just ask Joe
Farming is a tough gig. Uncertainty, volatility and so many factors that cannot be controlled makes you wonder why anyone would take it on. Thankfully many do, including our buddy Joe.
Comment | Intensifying agriculture has consequences for humanity
Agriculture is essential to humanity. We cannot live in cities or choose not to grow food for ourselves without it. But the current version of agriculture has serious consequences.
Will vegetarianism save the planet? Maybe, maybe not.
Would a radical diet shift to eat less meat, or even ditched animal-based food altogether, be enough to save the planet?
Sustainability and energy | Feeding everyone is basic thermodynamics
Humans are needy because we cannot risk the failure of our chemical engines. Now there are so many of us sustainability and energy are intricately linked.
Comment | A challenging ecological reality
The global soil carbon debt is real, potentially collapse-inducing and should scare the pants off everyone. As with any loan, eventually, repayments must be greater than withdrawals
Some very scary shit on soil
Soil is a precious resource that is easily damaged and depleted by agricultural practices. Once damaged, soils are less productive and not easily renewed. This should scare the pants off you.
