
How to transform food systems to more sustainable?
– transformation of food systems should happen on multiple levels. It is not only the production of food, but also the distribution of food, processing, consumption. Transitioning from the diet, which prefers meat, animal protein, to plant protein would both improve the health of consumers, and at the same time relieve the burden on the planet, even by reducing the consumption of water, because producing a kilogram of meat requires fold more water than a kilogram of plant protein. These systems, though they have achieved success, lead to large losses and burden the environment and therefore there is a change, that will relieve our planet.
“Crossing the barriers of our planet”
The pursuit of increasing production has lead to this, that we are crossing the barriers of our planet – says Newseria dr Jerzy Plewa, expert Team Europe, a team of specialists informing about the functioning and policy of the European Union.
As emphasizes, maintaining the food system in the form as present will further destroy the planet and resources, influencing
negatively the climate. Progressive climate changes are responsible for anomalies of weather, which from the course to a high impact
on agriculture.
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The whole truth about polish reduction CO2. How will this affect payments ETS?
From data reported by the GUS in the publication “Statistics of climate change in Poland on the tle of Europe” shows, that agriculture globally responsible for 15 percent. track carbon footprint. Cited in this report JRC “GHG emissions of all world countries” indicates, that the emissions of greenhouse gases in this sector have increased globally by 20 percent. between 1990 a 2023 year, with which between 2022 a 2023 year has already stopped growing. For comparison in the EU27 it fell in over 33 years by 27 proc, a in Poland by 25 percent, at which between 2005 a 2023 year it recorded a 2-p% increase,
– these changes,Which already is becoming in some countries, in some slower, in some quicker, before all they are getting to that, to reduce emissions CO2. This is proposed by the European Green Agreement, which in Poland has been strongly criticized and is very slowly implemented – emphasizes an expert.
We have very much to win, if this system will be more rational and directed to protect the environment. There is now awareness of the need for such changes, but they need to be implemented.
Flood: Half of transmitted gas emitted by the agriculture sector in Poland is one of the major agricultural producers in the EU: it is one of three largest producers of basic cereals and crops and of hope crops, it is also the largest supplier of apples and meat of poultry. Agricultural land occupies 60 proc. surface area of the country, a their cultivation is not indifferent to the environment – over half of the gas emitted by the agriculture sector in Poland is the effect of fertilization of soils. Fertilizers increase planting, and their some types are desirable for improving the properties of soils (so is in the case of calcium fertilizers, which normalize their level of acidification). From the other side used in excess mineral fertilizers (containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) cause among other things. eutrophication of water, that is the excessive enrichment of minerals and nutrients, which cause excessive growth of algae. This process can cause the depletion of oxygen in the water reservoir. In Poland fertilizers of this type are used in the most quantity, a their overall use increased from 120 kg in counting per 1 ha of agricultural use in 2010 year to 131 kg in 2020 year.
This transformation requires also innovation. There are lots of new technologies – there we have great advances, e.g. precision agriculture, which allows to reduce use of chemicals. To change the food system, that must change consumers, farmers, producers, and before all politicians must also be inclined to this, to change the system of support from public resources for activities, that serve the environment and human health for the longer term- says dr Jerzy Plewa.
This transformation requires also innovation. There are lots of new technologies – there we have great advances, e.g. precision agriculture, which allows to reduce use of chemicals. To change the food system, that must change consumers, farmers, producers, and before all politicians must also be inclined to this, to change the system of support from public resources for activities, that serve the environment and human health for the longer term- says dr Jerzy Plewa.
From data quoted by Water Footprint Network shows, that to produce 1 kg of beef, it takes over 15 tys. l water, 1 kg of pork it is nearly6 thousand l, a
1 kg of poultry requires about 4300 l. In the case of 1 kg of fruit this is less than
1 thousand l of water, a vegetable – 300 l. At the same time according to the General Statistical Office
“Poland on the road of sustainable development” we are classified at 24. place in the European Union under the recoverable resources of sweet water per capita just before the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Malta. The water resources in Poland are relatively small, comparable to Egypt, a additional characterized by its seasonal variability and diversity of area.
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These two factors may bury the Polish poultry industry. The branch’s concerns are growing
– We should go to do that, to make more reasonable and sustainable use of resources. Therefore agriculture should shift to methods of production, which do not affect so destructively the environment. Hence the concept of carbon farming, of ecological farming, in which we are slowly making progress, and other varieties of agricultural practices, which are supported now also in the agricultural policy – explains expert Team Europe.
But this support is not sufficient and incentives do not act strongly on farmers, although it must be acknowledged, that ecoschemes in the last year have been very successful, and this is the first year of new support.
Ecoschemes Promote practices environmental
Ecoschemes is a new environmental element of the practices adapted to conditions and national needs, but subject
to evaluation by the European Commission for implementation of environmental and climatic objectives of the new Common Agricultural Policy –
to protect soil resources, water, climate, welfare of animals, biodiversity in agricultural production. In Poland the ecoschemes have been
designed so that promote practices, that translate into agricultural income by increasing fertility of soil, reasonablyFertilization, improving quality of crops. Serving this primarily is the ecoscheme of agriculture, in the framework that farmers from eight available practices can choose those that best respond to their needs. In the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy for the years 2023-2027 there are a total of five area schemes and the Welfare of animals.
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On land excluded from production it is possible to obtain payment for other ecoschemicals. What
-EUagriculturalpolicytriestorespondtothesechallengesinaholistic manner.HencehascometheconceptofEuropeanGreenLand,inwhichagricultureplaysakeyrole,becausewithoutititcannotachieveclimate neutrality.Agriculturein additiontothat,thatemitsgasfluids,thisisinthecapacitytoabsorbitfromtheatmosphereandinrelationtothismustberunrationalagriculture-summarizesdrJerzyPlewa.-Theseactivitieswereplannedasthesocalledstrategy”Fromthefieldtothetable.”No doubtsomeelementsinthisstrategycanbeimproved,butitshouldnotberejectedinwhole,onlyimprovedandimplementedalongwithappropriatefinancialsupportfromtheEUandnational budgets.
Source: Newseria
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