By the middle of the century the world will have nearly 10 billion mouths to feed. A range of innovations and practical solutions will be required to meet the demand.
Technologies will of course play a major role – and they already are. Mobile phone technology is currently being used to gauge if refugees are getting enough food, via calls and texts, for example.
More traditional sources also offer potential answers to questions of food security. Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (#IndigenousDay) and a day to recognise what can be learned from these communities.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) published an article today outlining six ways indigenous peoples are playing their part in helping the world achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal number 2 – to zero hunger.
“Indigenous peoples have adapted their lifestyles to fit into and respect their environments. In mountains, indigenous peoples’ systems preserve soil, reduce erosion, conserve water and reduce the risk of disasters. In rangelands, indigenous pastoralist communities manage cattle grazing and cropping in sustainable ways that preserve rangeland biodiversity. In the Amazon, ecosystems improve when indigenous people inhabit them.
“FAO considers indigenous peoples as invaluable partners in eradicating hunger and in providing solutions to climate change. We will never achieve long-term solutions to climate change and food security and nutrition without seeking help from and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples,” the FAO said.
