With a rising world population and declining soil fertility, we could soon be facing a very real food crisis. There are alternatives to the current industrial food system - here's a few to ponder.

1. In the last six decades our ability to grow food has become ever
more sophisticated.

2. Global crop yields have grown 85% since 1961.
(FAO; Zhang, Jiang and Ou, 2011)
1961 PRESENT

3. We discovered that the more we put in, the more we get out.
(FAO; Zhang, Jiang and Ou, 2011)
1961
1961
1961
PRESENT
...4x more
...38x more
...2x more
PRESENT
PRESENT
PESTICIDE
FERTILISER
IRRIGATED
LAND SURFACE

4. However, modern agriculture can also be seen as a throughput
system that is rapidly reaching its limits because of
associated downsides...

5. The quality of our soil has degraded...and there are 950 million to 1.1 billion acres of
deserted farmland globally.
(International Soil Reference and Information Centre, Oregon State University,
Resource Conversation and Food Security, Project Drawdown)

6. Modern methods of farming often cause problems for the
whole system:

7. Agricultural fertiliser run-offs can lead to the development of ‘dead
zones’ in waterways where fish cannot survive...

8. (...and, incidentally, we need to rethink how we fish. Currently 8% of
catches become discards)

9. ...and intensive crop monocultures and heavy use of pesticides
contribute to the erosion of ecosystem services.

10. By 2030, demand for the top four agricultural products—rice, wheat,
soy and maize—is expected to rise significantly.
(FAOSTAT)
20302010
...40-50% more

11. How do we marry rising demand with declining soil fertility? Let’s look
at 4 ideas…
RISING DEMAND

12. IDEA 1:
Urban farming

13. With rising urban populations, surely it makes sense to investigate
how we can grow food within the city?
RISING POPULATION

14. Imagine urban clusters of polytunnels and greenhouses. They could
grow food in and around the city on rich and fertile soil.

15. Now imagine a greenhouse more than one story tall - that’s the basic idea
behind vertical farming.
According to Dickson Despommier, 1 indoor hectare can produce as much
food as 10 hectares of outdoor farmland (DIF 2015)

16. And because the food is grown in the city, distribution costs to
people are kept low.
STORE

17. We could also expand rooftop farming. As well as growing food in
the city, this has the added benefit of attracting wildlife and boosting
the wellbeing of urban citizens...
(BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22214070)

18. ...and because plants absorb CO2, the air quality improves as well.

19. IDEA 2:
Reconnecting biological nutrient loops

20. Cities are aggregators of resources, including nutrients from food
grown on farms. The problem is most biological nutrients in cities end
their life in sewage or as food waste in landfill.

21. We should be finding ways to make these nutrients more productive.
For example,

22. we can harvest vital nutrients from wastewater...

23. ...and compost or anaerobically digest food waste...
BIOGAS
FLUID ZONE
SLUDGE ZONE
INFLOW
EFFLUENT
GAS
EFFLUENT
SUBSTRATE
MIXING ZONE

24. ...producing economic value as well as returning nutrients to the soil
for the next cycle.
FARMING/
COLLECTION
BIOCHEMICAL
FEEDSTOCK
BIOGAS CASCADES
COLLECTION
BIOSPHERE
6 2803 00069
CONSUMER
ANAEROBIC
DIGESTION
EXTRACTION OF
BIOCHEMICAL
FEEDSTOCK
NATURAL CAPITAL REGENERATION
(INCLUDING SOIL)
MINIMISE SYSTEM
LEAKAGE AND NEGATIVE
EXTERNALITIES

25. IDEA 3:
Regenerative agriculture

26. Regenerative agriculture practices restore degraded land and help

27. Practices include no tillage, the use of diverse cover crops, no
pesticides or synthetic fertilisers, and multiple crop rotations.

28. One practice is to stop tilling the soil. When soil is exposed to the air,
the life within it can decay, and carbon is emitted.
(Source: Project Drawdown, 2017)

29. Another practice in regenerative agriculture is to use cover crops.
These help shade the soil from damaging temperatures, fix nutrients
in the soil, protect against pests and encourage greater biodiversity.

30. Finally, multiple crop rotations and intercropping help keep the soil
healthy, and breathe life back into it.

31. IDEA 4:
Managed grazing

32. When farmers leave too many cattle in a field, overgrazing causes soil
degradation and erosion. But managed grazing changes the game.

33. First, we need to understand that ruminants co-created some of the
most successful soils on the planet. Here’s how:

34. They cluster together to protect themselves from predators, they
disturb the soil with their hooves...

35. ...they graze perennial and annual grasses, and their urine and faeces
mix into the soil...

36. ...and then they move along, perhaps because of a predator, and don’t
return for some time. Subsequently the grassland regrows.

37. Managed grazing by domestic livestock mimics and recreates this
predator-prey relationship by swiftly moving cattle and sheep
ruminants from field to field.

38. We have looked at four ideas that can help us produce more food,
while restoring soil fertility.

39. This is by no means an exhaustive list of ideas. The good news is that
ideas like those in this story have a great potential to help us meet
our needs.

40. By restoring soils, optimising yields and providing additional benefits
to the system as a whole, they all contribute to a circular economy.
The long-term health of our agricultural systems is paramount in a
regenerative economic system.

41. This slideshow was produced by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Find out more about their work on the circular economy
at ellenmacarthurfoundation.org