State of the World 2004

Watching What We Eat

Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg

Watching What We EatOverview:

1. A Revolution in Every Bite2. From Farm to Factory – and Back3. Food Without Pollution4. Eat Here5. The Rise of Food Democracy6. Policy Priorities

Watching What We Eat

The rise in international food trade and the proliferation of heavily processed and packaged foods has distanced most people from what they eat, both geographically and psychologically

Watching What We Eat

• Artificially low prices for food do not reflect true costsEx.: - Farmers often unable to make

a decent living

- Need to clean up environmental

problems caused by destructive forms of agriculture

Watching What We Eat• Many people in wealthier nations are not aware of

how food items reach their tablesFor example...

- From pâté-de-foie-gras to shark fin soup to caviar, many luxury foods are

produced under brutal and ecologically disastrous conditions

Luxury Foods

- Industrial fleets have fished out 90% of all large ocean predators in just the past 50 years

- Many species in sharp decline

Fishing Trawlers

A Revolution in Every Bite• Consumers are becoming increasingly

concerned and involved- Making a political statement with

their food choices- Refusing to support destructive

forms of agriculture• Growing demand for fair foods

Ex.: - certified organic fruits and vegetables- pasture-raised beef- sustainably caught fish- bird-friendly coffee and cocoa

• 25% of planet’s surface devoted to food production (more than the world’s forested area)

• Impossible to separate agricultural practices from the health of rivers, wetlands, forests, and the living environment

• Our food choices rival transportation as the human activity with the greatest impact on the environment

A Revolution in Every Bite

Most profound changes eaters can make:

1) re-evaluating their consumption of meat

2) selecting food produced without agrichemicals

3) buying locally grown food

A Revolution in Every Bite

A Growing Appetite for Meat

• Global meat production has increased more than fivefold since 1950

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

Mill

ion

Tons

World Meat Production, 1950-2002

Source: FAO

A Growing Appetite for Meat

If the trend continues…

Source: Delgado et al., 1998

Pound per

person per year

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 2

Developing countries

Industrial countries

100

220

1 side of beef

1 pig

50 chickens

equivalent to:

Projected Meat Consumption in 2020

Industrialized animal production is the most ecologically destructive sector of

global farming

From Farm to Factory – and Back

Inputs to Industrial MeatFeed - 1 calorie of beef, pork, or poultry

needs 11-17 calories of feed- 95% of soybean harvest eaten by

animals, not people- Feed containing meat and bone

meal can cause mad cow disease

Water

- Producing 8 ounces of beef requires over 6000 gallons of

water

Inputs to Industrial Meat

- Cows, pigs, and chickens get 70% of all antimicrobial drugs in the US

Additives

- 1 calorie of beef takes 33% more fossil fuel energy to produce

than a calorie of energy from potatoes would

Fossil Fuels

Outputs of Industrial Meat

- Manure from intensive pig operations stored in lagoons can leak into groundwater or pollute nearby surface water

Manure

- Belching, flatulent livestock emit 16% of the world’s annual production of methane, a

powerful greenhouse gas

Methane

Outputs of Industrial Meat- Eating animal products high in

saturated fat and cholesterol is linked to cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses

- Factory farm conditions can spread E. coli, Salmoella, and other food-borne pathogens

- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of mad cow

disease, has killed at least 100 people

- Outbreaks of avian flu in densely populated chicken farms can spread to humans

Disease

• Growing movement of farmers who choose to raise their animals outside

• Increasing consumer demand for pasture-fed or free-range meat

From Farm to Factory – and Back

Advantages of raising animals outside:• Nutritionists say that grass-fed meat is healthier

(no antibiotics, no hormones, higher in Omega 3 fatty acids that lower cholesterol, etc.)

• Animals raised on pasture require little, if any, grain, resulting in less pressure on farmland to raise monocultures of corn and soybeans to feed livestock

• Farmers enjoy lower costs: no antibiotics, no growth promotants, no pricey feed, no huge sheds to maintain

From Farm to Factory – and Back

Problems with Chemical-Intensive Agriculture

• Fertilizers and pesticides pollute surrounding environment– reducing biodiversity– contaminating groundwater and drinking

water supplies

• Health risks associated with exposure to pesticides that are known or suspected carcinogens

• Vicious cycle: pests develop resistance to pesticides, requiring heavier doses and more potent chemicals

Organic Farms Yield More Than Just Crops

Plants- 5 times as many wild plants, and

many more species

- 2 times as many birdsBirds

Soil Life- 2 to 5 times as many arthropods

(including butterflies and spiders) and soil life, like earthworms

Food Without Pollution• Other benefits of organic farming:

– No cost to public for removing chemical fertilizers and pesticides from drinking water supplies

– Emphasis on cover crops, compost, and manure increases organic matter in soils, reduces erosion, and increases productivity

– Organic produce is more nutritious, containing higher concentrations of antioxidants and other health-promoting compounds

Food Without Pollution• Growing demand for organic foods

Global Sales of Organic Foods, circa 2002

Canada ($850 mill.)Japan ($350 mill.)Rest of world ($825 mill.)Germany ($2.8 bill.)

United Kingdom ($1.6 bill.)Italy ($1.2 bill.)France ($1.2 bill.)Other Europe ($3.2 bill.)

Source: IFOAM

CanadaJapanRest of WorldGermanyUnited KingdomItalyFranceOther EuropeUnited States

United States ($11 bill.)

Total = $23 billion

Eat Here• Today, the average food item in

the U.S. travels 1,500–3,000 miles (25% farther than in 1980)• However, eating local foods

- preserves regional cuisines- keeps money within the community- saves energy (less hauling, packaging,

processing, and brokering required)- reduces greenhouse gas emissions (less

transport)

Eat Here

Source: Jones

A meal made from imported vs local ingredients in Britain generates 650 times more transport-related carbon emissions

Beef joint21,462 kmAUSTRALIA

Blueberries18,835 km

NEW ZEALAND

Broccoli8,780 kmGUATEMALA

Strawberries8,772 kmCALIFORNIA

Potatoes2,447 km

ITALY

Green beans9,532 kmTHAILAND

Carrots9,620 km

SOUTH AFRICA

All British48 km

All these food items can be grown in a British climate

Eat HereLocal foods are fresher, healthier, and less expensive

Food Democracy

• More farmers, consumers, chefs, and food businesses are resisting the temptation to eat blindly, and are instead eating deliberately

• They are part of a growing movement to re-establish our lost connection to food and the people who produce it

• Consumers seeking better food choices are the driving force behind change

Policy PrioritiesGovernment Action

• Shift the more than $300 billion spent on agricultural subsidies each year into support for ecological farming

• Consider taxing pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, factory farms, and other polluting inputs or farming practices

Policy PrioritiesGovernment Action

• Work with farming organizations to increase the share of their land under organic production to 10% over the next 10 years by:– improving organic certification programs

– boosting organic know-how at agricultural universities, research centers, and extension agencies

– providing subsidies or tax credits to farmers in the first few years of conversion

Policy PrioritiesGovernment Action

• Reform international trade agreements to eliminate export subsidies, food dumping, and other unfair trade practices that restrict the ability of nations to protect and build domestic farm economies

• From the national to the local level, use food procurement for schools, hospitals, government offices, etc. to support ecologically raised crops from local farmers

What Can You Do to Make a Difference?

About the Authors

Brian Halweil is a Senior Researcher at the Worldwatch Institute

Danielle Nierenberg is a Research Associate at the Institute

More information on State of the World 2004

at www.worldwatch.org