Political Ecology of the World Food System

Political Ecology

One of the biggest challenges facing the world is controlling the natural resources of the planet. This is because population growth has been leading to increases in demand on available land (in an effort to produce food). The problem is that the world is using more of these resources at an alarming rate and global warming has been impacting weather patterns. In many cases, there are different nitrogen and ammonia substitutes that are designed to reduce this effect. This was utilized as an alternative source in fertilizing the soil and controlling pests.

However, after embracing this strategy for several years, it is obvious that some kind of changes need to take place in dealing with these challenges. As a result, new reforms must be introduced that will transform how the government is working with farmers to control agricultural resources. The best way that this can be achieved is through utilizing an all-encompassing approach that will focus on: conservation, efficient land utilization, improving crop yield production and protecting food products against adverse changes from weather patterns.

Evidence of this can be seen with observations from Jackson (n.d.), he believes that a fifty year plan should be developed that will take into account different aspects of conservation and renewal. As he observed, "Our fifty year farm bill would protect against soil erosion, cut wasteful use of water, cut fossil fuel dependence, eliminate toxic chemicals, manage nitrogen, reduce dead zones and restore an agrarian way of life. It would do this largely by shifting the makeup of U.S. agriculture from being 80% annuals, as it is today to 80 perennials in fifty years. In the short run we need to change the subsidies so that we can increase the amount of perennials and rotations gradually, and then in about 20 years our perennial grains are available. This is significant in showing how some kind of shift must occur in the policies are enacted in protecting natural resources. (Jackson, n.d., pg. 137)

If this can happen, it will help to create a stable environment for food production that keeps up with increases in population and changes from the weather conditions. Moreover, it will ensure that all available land and water is utilized to effectively increase food production. The combination of these factors will create a sustainable strategy that is addressing these challenges in the future. This is in line with some of the more popular ecology theories that are discussing production.