Food Glorious Food

How much food does Australia produce, and what does this mean for food security in Australia? Together Team Archie watched this clip and uncovered the factors that influence food production and crop yields in Australia. The BIG question: How will future population growth affect global food production and security?

Through our research we discovered,
existing and emerging threats to our ability to feed ourselves
including:

·      Vulnerability to climate change and climate variability. Climate change will affect the world’s ability to grow food. By 2050, it’s predicted that Climate Change could reduce food production in Australia by over 15%!

·      Increasing land degradation and soil fertility decline coupled with loss of productive land in peri-urban regions due to urban encroachment. A third of all land that grows crops in Australia is effected by declining soil fertility.

·      A finely tuned and ‘just in time’ food transport and distribution system that presents risks of rapid spread of contaminated food and is vulnerable to events such as pandemics.

·      Poor nutritional intake leading to an increasing burden of diet-related diseases in the population.

So much of what we’re researching is linked! With a growing population and the challenge of climate change and climate variability we need to make sure that the safe, affordable, and nutritious food we have access to NOW is ensured for years to come.

In Australia we produce enough food to feed 60 MILLION PEOPLE, yet 2.2 MILLION Australians live in poverty and we throw out 4 million tonnes of food every year!

What can a DIVA do?

This infographic is pretty comprehensive. We LOVE it! Such good ideas à

But our Number 1  DIVA tip:

Reduce Food Waste!

Food Waste Facts - OzHarvest: Want to know how food waste impacts our environment? Have a look at these facts from OzHarvest, complete with references, so you too can comprehend the effect of our wastage on our planet.

So, before you throw out your share of the 4 million tonnes of food wasted in Australia each year,

consider the farmer

who tended to the soil,
grew the vegetables,
fed and watered the livestock...
and what they’d think if they saw your garbage bin filled 35% full of their hard work!