No Bread Today

The future of food production is under serious threat. Rising temperatures, soil erosion, overfishing and other factors mean our ability to feed ourselves will soon be at risk¹.

As the planet heats up, droughts, soil degradation, salinated water supplies and extreme weather events will become more frequent; putting severe pressure on crop production². As you can imagine, the worst-hit areas will initially be poorer countries that are already struggling to sustain themselves³.

But the problem isn’t limited to just impoverished regions of the world, the West will also be affected. In 2018, droughts caused a significant decline in food production in Brandenburg, with more expected this year⁴. To make matters worse, insects are being wiped out at an alarming rate – and their populations are already threatened with collapse⁵. These losses, particularly of vital pollinators, will further undermine the complex biological systems that we all rely on⁶.

As if that wasn’t enough, global fish stocks are also threatened by overfishing⁷. This problem will intensify as rising CO₂ levels acidify the oceans. Add to this the collapse of coral reef systems and the threat from algal blooms, and we’re facing barren seas. Freshwater systems, such as lakes and rivers, will be affected too⁸. Put simply, the fish that millions of people rely on won’t be there anymore.

If we can’t feed ourselves, we’re in deep trouble. Without radical, immediate action, our capacity to support the world’s population will be seriously undermined – and starving people are desperate people indeed. At this rate, we’re staring into a very hungry future.