回答下列各题 Waste Not, Want Not Feeding the 9 Billion: The Tragedy of Waste [A] By 2075,
the United Nations mid-range projection for global population is about 9.5 billion. Thismeans that there could be an extra three billion mouths to feed by the end of the century, a period inwhich substantial changes are anticipated in the wealth, calorie intake and dietary preferences ofpeople in developing countries across the world. Such a projection presents mankind with wide-ranging social, economic, environmental and political issues that need to be addressed today toensure a sustainable future for all. One key issue is how to produce more food in a world of finiteresources. [B] Today, we produce about four billion metric tonnes of food per year. Yet due to poor practices inharvesting, storage and transportation, as well as market and consumer wastage, it is estimated that30-50% of all food produced never reaches a human stomach. Furthermore, this figure does notreflect the fact that large amounts of land, energy, fertilisers and water have also been lost in theproduction of foodstuffs which simply end up as waste. This level of wastage is a tragedy that cannotcontinue if we are to succeed in the challenge of sustainably meeting our future food demands. Where Food Waste Happens [C] In 2010, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers identified throe principal emerging population groups acrossthe world, based on characteristics associated with their current and projected stage of economic development. ~ Fully developed, mature, post-industrial societies, such as those in Europe, characterised by stable ordeclining populations which are increasing in age. ~ Late-stage developing nations that are currently industrialising rapidly, for example China, which willexperience declining rates of population growth, coupled with increasing affluence (富裕)and age profile. ~ Newly developing countries that are beginning to industrialise, primarily in Africa, with high to very high population growth rates, and characterised by a predominantly young age profile. [D] Each group over the coming decades will need to address different issues surrounding food production, storage and transportation, as well as consumer expectations, if we are to continue to feed all our people. [E] In less-devel0ped countries, such as those of sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia, wastage tends to occurprimarily at the farmer-producer end of the supply chain. Inefficient harvesting, inadequate localtransportation and poor infrastructure (基础设施) mean that produce is frequently handled inappropriatelyand stored under unsuitable farm site conditions. [F] In mature, fully developed countries such as the UK, more,efficient farming practices and better transport,storage and processing facilities ensure that a larger proportion of the food produced reaches markets andconsumers. However, characteristics associated with modem consumer culture mean produce is often wastedthrough retail and customer behaviour. [G] Major supermarkets, in meeting consumer expectations, will often reject entire crops of perfectly edible fruitand vegetables at the farm because they do not meet exacting marketing standards for their physicalcharacteristics, such as size and appearance. [H] Of the produce that does appear in the supermarket, commonly used sales promotions frequently encouragecustomers to purchase excessive quantities which, in the case of perishable foodstuffs, inevitably generatewastage in the home. Overall between 30% and 50% of what has been bought in developed countries isthrown away by the purchaser. Better Use of Our Finite Resources [I] Wasting food means losing not only life-supporting nutrition but also precious resources, including land,water and energy. As a global society, therefore, tackling food waste will help contribute towards addressinga number of key resource issues. [J] Land Usage: Over the last five decades, improved farming techniques and technologies have helped tosignificantly increase crop yields along with a 12% expansion of farmed land use. However, a further increasein farming area without impacting unfavourably on what remains of the worlds natural ecosystems appearsunlikely. The challenge is that an increase in animal-based production will require more land and resources, aslivestock (牲畜) fanning demands extensive land use. [K] Water Usage: Over the past century, human use of fresh water has increased at more than double the rate ofpopulation growth. Currently about 3.8 trillion m3 of water is used by humans per year. About 70% of this isconsumed by the global agriculture sector, and the level of use will continue to rise over the coming decades. [L] Better irrigation can dram.atically improve crop yield and about 40% of the worlds food supply is currentlyderived from irrigated land. However, water used in irrigation is often sourced unsustainably. In processingfoods after the agricultural stage, there are large additional uses of water that need to be tackled in a world ofgrowing demand. This is particularly crucial in the case of meat production, where beef uses about 50 timesmore water than vegetables. In the future, more effective washing techniques, management procedures, andrecycling and purification of water will be needed to reduce wastage. [M] Energy Usage: Energy is an essential resource across the entire food production cycle, with estimates showingan average of 7-10 calories of input being required in the production of one calorie of food. This variesdramatically depending on crop, from three calories for plant crops to 35 calories in the production of beef.Since much of this energy comes from the utilisation of fossil fuels, wastage of food potentially contributes tounnecessary global warming as well as inefficient resource utilisation. [N] In the modern industrialised agricultural process--which developing nations are moving towards in order toincrease future yields--energy usage in the making and application of fertilisers and pesticides represents thesingle biggest component. Wheat production takes 50% of its energy input for these two items alone. Indeed,on a global scale, fertiliser manufacturing consumes about 3-5% of the worlds annual natural gas supply.With production anticipated to increase by 25% between now and 2030, sustainable energy sourcing willbecome an increasingly major issue. Energy to power machinery, both on the farm and in the storage andprocessing facilities, adds to the energy total, which currently represents about 3.1% of annual global energyconsumption. Recommendations [O] Rising population combined with improved nutrition standards and shifting dietary preferences will exertpressure for increases in global food supply. Engineers, scientists and agriculturalists have the knowledge, tools and systems that will assist in achieving productivity increases. However, pressure will grow on finiteresources of land, energy and water. The potential to provide 60-100% more food by simply eliminatinglosses, while simultaneously freeing up land, energy and water resources for other uses, is an:opportunity thatshould not be ignored. In order to begin tackling the challenge, the Institution recommends that: ~ The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation work with the international engineering community to ensuregovernments of developed nations put in place programmes that transfer engineering knowledge, designknow-how, and suitable technology to newly developing countries. This will help improve producehandling in the harvest, and immediate post-harvest stages of food production. ~ Governments of rapidly developing countries incorporate waste minimisation thinking into the transportinfrastructure and storage facilities currently being planned, engineered and built. ~ Governments in developed nations devise and implement policy that changes consumer expectations. Theseshould discourage retailers from wasteful practices that lead to the rejection of food on the basis of cosmeticcharacteristics, and losses in the home due to excessive purchasing by consumers. Elimination of waste alone can potentially provide over sixty percent more food for the growing world population.
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