1. Yellow Bananas and Seedless Grapes can Reduce Biodiversity
Although In a perfect world we would never have to endure the sour feeling we get in our stomachs when biting into a rotten banana or a worm in our apple, the very chemicals we use to do so can reduce biodiversity, or a wide variety of life (In this case, plants and/or animals). What are the impacts of this, you may ask? Well, plants pollinate one another in uncontrollable ways, such as through pollination via strong winds. And, after extended amounts of time (we’re talking thousands of years, this lack of biodiversity may begin to destroy entire ecosystems, which would significantly reduce our diversity in choice! Personally, I would be concerned more about those with food allergies. After all, what if it becomes so that, for example, the only way to get naturally sourced vitamin C is through oranges? Even scarier a thought, it may begin to become more difficult to sufficiently distance contaminated crops from non-contaminated crops.
2. Overpopulation and Supply-and-Demand
And why is this, you may be asking? Because of you! (Only joking, really). Regardless, there is only so much to go around, and only so much of Earth. This may become more problematic in the future, because it takes time for vegetation to develop. And with little room left to separate the crops from one another, biodiversity loss may become inevitable.
The number of babies born each minute is only growing each year, and we can’t pretend that most humans don’t enjoy that process! Plants, however, do not have an innate desire to ‘reproduce’ as strong as ours.
3. It’s Hot, Yo!
Remember when I said there’s only so much space? Well, I have some more news for you: It’s Hot! Maybe I’m biased because I live in the hottest city in the United States, but it’s not only where I live. Maybe the weather doesn’t seem to relate to how much land we have on earth, but the melting ice in our very oceans may beg to differ. Unfortunately (not), evaporation through the warming of our planet is not enough to keep up with the melting ice that is slowly decreasing our landmass on Earth due to rising ocean levels. Scary thought, right? Sometimes as a kid I would imagine the Earth’s appearance if it were made of only water on its’ surface. Who’s going to tell the little ones that this could really happen?
4. Water scarcity (Huh? Didn’t you just say that we’re practically making more water?)
No, I am not contradicting myself. In fact, if we keep up with our production rates today (not even accounting for population growth), assuming our species were to survive in this scenario, even the ice would not be able to melt quickly enough to produce the needed water to feed everybody! Our water footprint (you can relate it to the term carbon footprint) reduces food security, especially in areas with limited access to freshwater; most of which is stored in the melting glaciers; mixing with the salt water in the surrounding oceans when it melts. Practically everything requires unbelievable amounts of water to produce: Everything from my treasured morning cup of coffee to the winter coat shoved into the very back of my closet. But, that’s not even the worst part. One of the biggest water footprint offenders in the food industry is chocolate. But, will there be enough water for our precious plants?
5. Of Course, MONEY! $$$
We cannot simply just put everything on pause. To be honest, I’m not sure I’d know what to do if I simultaneously lost my job, had to grow all of my food, abandon the luxury of having a place to live, and have to completely switch my brain off from its previous ways of thinking. We say we care for our future generations; for the planet, but how many of us would truly be willing to sacrifice everything? And, who is to say that we can’t use our brainpower for innovative solutions? Life is constantly changing, and there are already some great ideas being put in the works (anddd some rather disturbing ones…)
6. GMOs are Scary!
If our ancestors aren’t alive in generations to come, then of course they’ll be foodless, even if the Earth happens to, very generously, grow food. Although this possible ”fate of humanity” situation has definite consequences, it can be compared to you or I not hearing a tree that, nevertheless, still fell in the woods. Such a situation is likely to happen much sooner if we continue to invent new chemical ‘concoctions’, stronger chemical concoctions (through the process of genetic engineering), it may be too late for us to determine the long-lasting impacts.
7. ‘Real’ Food Alternatives are Already in the Works
It sometimes seems as though I simply can’t keep up with the innovation of today’s world. It’s a beautiful thought, although it would be nearly impossible to keep up with all of it. On that note, did you know that scientists have determined how to grow meat in a LAB? Not only that, but this discovery was made so long ago, that those scientists would’ve given me funny looks if I tried to describe to them what has been going on in the world recently. All jokes aside, we have been making some serious progress.