Question

Explain the role of the consumer in fostering environmentally supportive agricultural practices.

Your response must be a minimum of 75 words.

Answer 1

Answer- Consumers play a very significant role in fostering environmentally supportive agricultural practices as explained below:

1. Shifting of dietary preferences of consumers from meat based (livestock farming) to plant based (food crops' production) reduces the ecological footprint of agriculture.

Animal-based protein (especially meat) is a main component of menus in the developed economies. Meat production has heavy carbon footprint. Animal rearing involves release of great amounts of methane gas which is a greenhouse gas in itself.

Livestock convert plant protein (fodder etc) to animal protein by a process that is inefficient. Since past few decades cultivation of corn and soybean dominated agriculture because it was considered a cheaper source of plant protein for meat production in developed economies. But today in the era of climate change and global warming we should not fulfil the dietary needs of our population through such an energy inefficient process especially when we estimate that an additional 2 billion (or 30% more) people will inhabit the earth in the next 3 decades.

Rather we should divert land and resources currently used in animal feed and meat production towards cultivating crops that produce protein and nutrient dense foods sustainably and are suitable for direct human consumption like seeds, nuts, pulses, etc.

This transformation of our farms and food supplies are not without its challenges. Subsidies, or crop protection policies for certain commodity crops, may hinder farmers from cultivating crops for direct human consumption. Erratic weather patterns may also affect crop health and yields of food pulses, cereals and grains. Not all consumers may gravitate towards plant-based or alternative foods. However, in order to provide food for 10 billion people by 2050, fundamental changes in our eating habits towards a more plant-based diet are essential. Consumer’s demand for sustainable food products and future dietary choices can directly influence the next generation of foods produced and the crops that will be cultivated.

2. Increased demands of Organic Farm products by consumers will lead to less use of synthetic and chemical fertilisers and pesticides, fungicides, herbicides etc on  farms. This will reduce emission of green house gases like NH3,  N2O , SO2  and hence reduce ecological footprint.

3. Promotion of vegetarianism and vegan diets automatically reduce emissions from animal rearing because of low demands of meat and other animal products. It also fosters environmentally supportive agricultural practices.

4. Awareness in Consumers about relationship between food and health and environmental issues like global warming, climate change, desertification etc has led to consumption of more plant-based foods. It has caused a positive push in demand-supply chain, However, a change in our existing agricultural landscape and practices is essential with a concurrent consumer demand towards Environmentally supportive agricultural practices.

So, consumers play a pivotal role in fostering environmentally supportive agricultural practices.