Food Sustainability

Abstract

Food is inseparably connected to humans’ lives. The accelerated growth of the global population is systematically depleting all renewable natural resources on the planet. Water scarcity and pollution are becoming serious challenges for current food production systems. Changes in the global economy, climate, crop and animal production, consumer behaviours, and governmental policies have all affected food systems. In this context, sustainability is becoming a key issue for the production of foods. This chapter will define food sustainability and describe the effects of food production systems on the environment and society. Topics such as food waste, local food movements, carbon/water footprints and pollution will be discussed. Besides, the importance of coordinated efforts among governments, industries, and consumers will be highlighted to adopt sustainable food production systems.