Editorial | Redaksie
T
he global food security challenge is
straightforward: by 2050, the world
must feed 9 billion people. The
demand for food will be 60% greater
than it is today. The United Nations has set
ending hunger, achieving food security and
improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable
agriculture as the second of its 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030.
Om hierdie doelwitte te bereik vereis egter dat
‘n hele reeks aspekte aangespreek sal moet
word vanaf, geslagsgelykheid, ‘n verouderende
demografie tot vaardigheidsontwikkeling
en aardverwarming. Landbousektore
sal toenemend meer produktief moet
word deur die benutting van effektiewe
besigheidsmodelle en die smee van publiek-
privaat vennootskappe. Voorts sal hul
toenemend volhoubaar moet raak deur
kweekhuis gasvrystellings, waterbenutting
en afval aan te spreek. Die alternatiewe:
wanvoeding, hongersnood en selfs konflik.
Food security is a major global challenge
because it’s not just about food and feeding
people but also about practically all aspects of
an economy and society.
It is caused by issues such as: Population
growth and increased urbanization which
varies considerably across countries. Africa is
expected to double its population from 1 to 2
billion by 2050.
Not only is the population growing, but
diets and tastes are changing too. As people
become more affluent, their diet becomes
richer in processed foods, meat and dairy. But
to produce more meat means growing more
grain.
Another impending crisis which we are
quite familiar with is water scarcity - 28% of
agriculture lies in water-stressed regions. It
takes roughly 1,500 litres of water to produce
a kilogram of wheat, and about 16,000 litres to
produce a kilogram of beef. Which implies that
in 2050, we will need twice as much water to
produce enough food.
Fewer and fewer people are choosing farming
as an occupation. Meanwhile, food prices
are rising, arable land continues to be lost to
sprawl and soil is being degraded by over-
farming.
Hierdie feite skilder ‘n donker prentjie en dit
is noodsaaklik dat gemeenskappe en politici
wêreldwyd hierdie probleme ernstig moet
opneem. Die uitdagings is HIER en NOU en
DRINGEND.
Dit is tog vir my, ten spyte van die donker
vooruitsigte, goed om te sien wat soveel van
ons boere daagliks insit om te sorg dat ons
nageslag genoeg sal hê om te eet. In hierdie
maand se uitgawe berig ons oor ‘n aantal
sulke jongboere in die Wes-Kaap wat hulle
staal wys in hierdie verband - jongmanne
en dames wat bereid en gereed is om die
uitdagings van voedselsekerheid die hoof te
bied.
Lekker lees
Chris
Currently, 40% of the world’s landmass is arid,
and rising temperatures due to climate change
will turn yet more of it into desert. At current
rates, the amount of food we’re growing today
will feed only half of the population by 2050.
AgriKultuur |AgriCulture
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