Can we feed ourselves without devouring the planet?
We moan about the footprint left by cities, but in reality, it’s farming that’s the leading cause of land use, occupying 38% of the available space and responsible for 80% of deforestation. And here’s another paradox: organic farming takes up the most space.
So-called “industrial” agriculture is the main cause of the damage inflicted on the planet: deforestation, the reduced number of species, water pollution, etc. And, as though the outlook wasn’t bleak enough already, corporate monopolies have devised a system that is likely to implode on the slightest impact – a geopolitical shock, for example.
Although new innovative techniques can be used to boost the grain yield and minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides, they’re not enough to guarantee the planet’s food security or free up land.
But what if the solution were to come from… industry? A company based in Finland has fermented a soil bacterium and turned it into protein-rich flour. This replaces traditional flour and animal or vegetable proteins, requires very little space and consumes very few resources. It’s a process that releases land and restores original environments as far as possible. In addition, it means that food can be produced where it is consumed, thereby limiting our exposure to a food crisis.
Now it’s up to us all to embrace this approach!
To go further
«Can we feed ourselves without devouring the planet ?»
by Georges Monbiot (TED Countdown London, October 2022)
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