Environment And Food

This timely book provides a thorough introduction to the inter-relationship of food and the environment. Its primary purpose is to bring to our attention the multiplicity of linkages and interconnections between what we eat and how this impacts on the earth’s resources. Having a better idea of the consequences of our food choices might encourage us to develop more sustainable practices of production and consumption in the decades ahead. Although human societies have, over time, brought under control a large proportion of the earth’s resources for the purpose of food production, we remain subject to the effective functioning of global ecosystem services. The author highlights the vital importance of these services and explains why we should be concerned about the depletion of freshwater resources, soil fertility decline and loss of biological diversity. The book also tackles some of the enormous challenges of our era: climate change – to which the agri-food system is both a major contributor and a vulnerable sector – and the prospect of significantly higher energy prices, arising from the peaking of oil and gas supplies which will reveal how dependent the food system has become upon cheap fossil fuels. Such challenges are likely to have significant implications for the long-term functioning of global supply chains and raise profound questions regarding the nutritional security of the world’s population. Taken together the book argues that a re-examination of the assumptions and practices underpinning the contemporary food system is urgently required. Environment and Food is a highly original, inter-disciplinary and accessible text that will be of interest to students and the wider public genuinely interested in and concerned by the state of the world’s food provisioning system. It is richly illustrated with figures and makes extensive use of boxes to highlight relevant examples.

Over the last century, the industrialization of agriculture and processing technologies have made food abundant and relatively inexpensive for much of the world’s population. Simultaneously, pesticides, nitrates, and other technological innovations intended to improve the food supply’s productivity and safety have generated new, often poorly understood risks for consumers and the environment. From the proliferation of synthetic additives to the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the chapters in Risk on the Table zero in on key historical cases in North America and Europe that illuminate the history of food safety, highlighting the powerful tensions that exists among scientific understandings of risk, policymakers’ decisions, and cultural notions of “pure” food.

The Interaction of Food Industry and Environment addresses all levels of interaction, paying particular attention to avenues for responsible operational excellence in food production and processing. Written at a scientific level, this book explores many topics relating to the food industry and environment, including environmental management systems, environmental performance evaluation, the correlation between food industry, sustainable diets and environment, environmental regulation on the profitability of sustainable water use in the food industry, lifecycle assessment, green supply chain network design and sustainability, the valorization of food processing waste via biorefineries, food-energy-environment trilemma, wastewater treatment, and much more. Readers will also find valuable information on energy production from food processing waste, packaging and food sustainability, the concept of virtual water in the food industry, water reconditioning and reuse in the food industry, and control of odors in the food industry. This book is a welcomed resource for food scientists and technologists, environmentalists, food and environmental engineers and academics. Addresses the interaction between the food industry and environment at all levels Focuses on the past decade’s advances in the field Provides a guide to optimize the current food industry’s performance Serves as a resource for anyone dealing with food and environmental science and technology Includes coverage of a variety of topics, including performance indicators, the correlation between the food industry, sustainable diets and the environment, environmental regulations, lifecycle assessments, green supply chain networks, and more

The many advances in food production made over the past century have made it possible to feed the whole of humanity. But food production and processing can have detrimental effects on the environment. Major challenges remain with industrial-scale Higher productivity and larger volumes should not come at the expense of product quality or animal suffering.. Food-related problems, in spite of their importance, have not been sufficiently well discussed in relation to their possible consequences. It is essential to understand the consequences of food production processes and demands of the rising standard of living can have on the food consumed daily by the world population. Of particular importance are the effects on human health and the well-being of the population, as well as the more general issues related to possible damage to the environment and ecology. This book includes contributions presented at athe first international conference convened to examine these challenges. Topics include Food processing issues; Contamination of food; Pharmaceuticals in food; Obesity-related issues; Pesticides and nutrients; Hormonal effects; Food and fecundity; Genetic engineering; Freezing and thawing; Heavy metals; Pathogens; Salination problems; Desertification; Transportation problems; Traceability; Threshold values; Modern farming; Changing climate; Laws and regulations; Epidemiological studies; Water resources problems; and Animal welfare. The book will be of interest to food scientists and nutritionists, as well as agricultural, ecological, and environmental health experts interested in all these challenges.

Food, Animals, and the Environment: An Ethical Approach examines some of the main impacts that agriculture has on humans, nonhumans, and the environment, as well as some of the main questions that these impacts raise for the ethics of food production, consumption, and activism. Agriculture is having a lasting effect on this planet. Some forms of agriculture are especially harmful. For example, industrial animal agriculture kills 100+ billion animals per year; consumes vast amounts of land, water, and energy; and produces vast amounts of waste, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Other forms, such as local, organic, and plant-based food, have many benefits, but they also have many costs, especially at scale. These impacts raise difficult ethical questions. What do we owe animals, plants, species, and ecosystems? What do we owe people in other nations and future generations? What are the ethics of risk, uncertainty, and collective harm? What is the meaning and value of natural food in a world reshaped by human activity? What are the ethics of supporting harmful industries when less harmful alternatives are available? What are the ethics of resisting harmful industries through activism, advocacy, and philanthropy? The discussion ranges over cutting-edge topics such as effective altruism, abolition and regulation, revolution and reform, individual and structural change, single-issue and multi-issue activism, and legal and illegal activism. This unique and accessible text is ideal for teachers, students, and anyone else interested in serious examination of one of the most complex and important moral problems of our time.

As population estimates for 2050 reach over 9 billion, issues of food security and nutrition have been dominating academic and policy debates. A total of 805 million people are undernourished worldwide and malnutrition affects nearly every country on the planet. Despite impressive productivity increases, there is growing evidence that conventional agricultural strategies fall short of eliminating global hunger, as well as having long-term ecological consequences. Forests can play an important role in complementing agricultural production to address the Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger. Forests and trees can be managed to provide better and more nutritionally-balanced diets, greater control over food inputs—particularly during lean seasons and periods of vulnerability (especially for marginalised groups)—and deliver ecosystem services for crop production. However forests are undergoing a rapid process of degradation, a complex process that governments are struggling to reverse. This volume provides important evidence and insights about the potential of forests to reducing global hunger and malnutrition, exploring the different roles of landscapes, and the governance approaches that are required for the equitable delivery of these benefits. Forests and Food is essential reading for researchers, students, NGOs and government departments responsible for agriculture, forestry, food security and poverty alleviation around the globe.

Overeating and obesity are on the rise. Despite public health warnings, availability of diet books and programs, and the stigma associated with obesity, many people find it difficult to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. While there are many books on the topic of caloric or need-based eating, obesity and overeating can also result from eating that is not driven by hunger. Recent research found that excess food intake is largely driven by the palatability of food and the pleasure derived from eating. Hedonic Eating: How the Pleasure of Food Affects Our Brains and Behavior discusses the pleasurable aspects of food intake that may cause and perpetuate overconsumption. Broad in its scope, this book examines the various behavioral, biological, and social rewards of food. The comprehensive chapters cover topics ranging from the neurochemistry of food reward to the hotly debated concept of 'food addiction,' while providing relevant and up-to-date information from the current body of scientific literature regarding food reward.

Agriculture and food systems, forestry, the marine and the bio-based sectors are at the very heart of the climate change crisis. Evidence on climate change reveals that it will affect farming first, through changes to rainfall regimes, rising temperatures, the variability and seasonality of the climate and the occurrence of more frequent extreme events (heatwaves, droughts, storms and floods). In addition to findings ways to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, farmers will need to develop farming systems resilient to fluctuating environmental and socioeconomic conditions. It is thus a great challenge to support ambitious climate targets while satisfying the needs for food, feed, bio-based products and energy for a global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2030. Few books on the market integrate environment studies and climate-smart food production. This book fills the knowledge gap by covering all the relevant aspects in one reference: starting with microclimate management, climate change and food systems, and resilience of mixed farming and agroforestry systems, chapters address agricultural soil management, integrated water management in small agricultural catchments, citizen-driven food system approaches in cities, and ICT-enabled agri-food systems. By focusing on the most recent advances in the field while analyzing the potential of already applied practices, this book can serve as a handbook for regulators and researchers looking to understand all aspects of food production and distribution in this changing environment.