Effects of Food Production and Consumption on Environment and Climate

Abstract

Our body needs food for nutritional support, energy, growth, and repair. A good balance diet of fresh food makes us healthy. People from different cultural and economic background consume different types of foods. The production, processing, distribution, and consumption of different types of food directly influence human health and our environment. We mainly depend on agriculture for food production. Due to high population, global food demand increases day by day and more food production is required to make up the food demand. For rapid production to make up the huge food demand, farmers use more pesticides and fertilizers that directly impact on our environment. Agriculture is one of the main important sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Excess use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in agricultural land wash away by rainwater into water bodies and create hazards to aquatic life. The different types of fertilizer and pesticides also cause the acidification of soils and accumulations of heavy metals on soil that affects the soil microbial biodiversity. Food production and consumption cause various types of environmental effects such as air, water, soil pollution and impacts on our health, aquatic flora and fauna, and soil microorganisms.