How should we eat to stop global warming?

 

 

By Science Columnist Ho-Gwan Ko

 

 

Our ancestors said that farming depends on the sky. This means that agriculture is a climate-dependent industry. Although we can reduce agricultural damage caused by natural disasters such as drought and pests thanks to technology more advanced than before, the climate still determines the fate of crops.

Of course, climate change also brings about change in farming. Once the northern limits of crop production rise, the types of growable crops in each region change.

Similar things happen in the sea as well. As the water temperature rises, different fish that used to live in warmer places are being caught. It’s inevitable that the types of farmed fish are also changed.

The problem is not just about what we get to eat. Growing crops itself can become difficult when abnormal temperatures and natural disasters such as droughts and floods happen more frequently. People in other parts of the world including Africa and Southeast Asia are already leaving their homes because they can’t raise crops there anymore.

Even if we can farm, we may not be able to consume proper nutrients. Scientists have found that global warming has a negative impact on the nutrients of crops. Research on major staple crops such as wheat, rice, soybeans, and corn found that the more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the less protein and essential minerals such as zinc and iron. This is not just about a change in our food; we may face difficulties in survival.

However, is agriculture really a victim of climate change? Agriculture is commonly considered eco-friendly, but not necessarily. In order to raise crops and livestock, we need to destroy nature, and greenhouse gases that cause global warming are released during the process.

Although chemical fertilizers are the greatest contributor to the improvement and mass production of crops, they release nitrogen monoxide that causes the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases are released when making agricultural equipment, processing agricultural products, transporting them around the world, and packaging them for sale.

Livestock that provides meat causes a bigger problem. Most of all, meat is less energy efficient than plants. A single cow eats thousands of kilograms of corn and soybeans throughout its life and produces only hundreds of kilograms of meat. Methane from livestock flatulence is also a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The livestock industry accounts for about 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. This is more than that from all of the transportation means we use.

In fact, we should also be held accountable for this issue. First, we eat too much.

Second, too much food goes to waste. A large amount of food is discarded meaninglessly, contributing only to the emission of greenhouse gases: leftovers, expired food, and produce decided not marketable. 

▲ Whenever you have leftovers, think about greenhouse gases produced when it was produced.

Another problem is that some produce is not sold just because it’s ugly. This may be because of our high standards for food. However, it should be treated differently for the resources used to produce these agricultural products and greenhouse gases generated during the process. It seems like global warming is the price we pay for having the most prosperous time in human history.

A range of countermeasures against global warming and environmental problems caused by food production have constantly emerged and evolved. They include indoor farming that uses artificial lighting and computers to grow crops with less resources and plant-based meat substitutes. What can we do as individuals? The easiest thing will be not wasting food. We can also reduce our meat consumption or try a vegetarian diet. Let's start from small steps.