According to a report by the United Nations, climate change and poor management practices threaten the world’s farmlands and food security.
Deforestation and loss of peatlands, mangroves and grasslands for large-scale agriculture are degrading life-giving soils, cutting yields, threatening food supplies for millions and raising the risk of mass migration.
The land also becomes more vulnerable to risks from more extreme weather which, in turn, is fuelling more severe temperature and rainfall changes locally in a vicious circle.
Climate change risks are growing in a world where the population is heading for 10 billion people by mid-century, threatening to place even greater strain on the planet’s limited resources.
The way the earth’s land is used is a key part of the solution to reducing the risks from climate change.
The land soaks up large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide. Large-scale burning of fossil fuels and the clearing and burning of forests is fueling a warming world.
The report found that there are many ways to reduce the impact on farmlands, including switching to less intensive cropping practices.
It also highlights the changes in diets in recent decades, where production of meat and vegetable oils releases a lot of carbon.
In addition, it also highlights food waste. At present, between 25% to 30% of total food produced is lost or wasted.
In Singapore, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and National Environment Agency have strategies to reduce food waste, including exploring Good Samaritan laws for Singapore to ease business concerns over the donation of excess food.
An SFA spokesman noted that it is also important to ensure that any food donated is fit for consumption, by ensuring due care and good hygiene practices when distributing donated food.
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Source: The Straits Times, 9 August 2019