Tag: agriculture
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Is agricultural intensification a growing health concern?
In response to the global demand for food, agricultural practices have been intensifying rapidly worldwide, and concurrently, the production of substantial amounts of livestock waste. Waste and waste by-products, such as excreta and wastewater, are commonly used in crop agriculture in many parts of Southeast Asia. While reusing waste prevents the application of chemical fertilizers,…
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Putting health first in agricultural production
With the world population predicted to reach nine billion by 2050, increasing agricultural production will be necessary to achieve global food security. Efforts to expand food production will likely include agricultural intensification – producing more from the same area of land – which has been a key factor in boosting global food production in the…
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A call for reflections in Ecohealth research
The 21st century presents us with some of the most profound global challenges including food insecurity, climate change, emerging diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. Agriculture can be considered a nexus between these challenges and is both parts of the problem and the solution. For instance, intensifying agricultural food production (i.e. increasing use of inputs for higher yields…
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Climate change impacts, and is impacted by, food production: a paradox
As emphasized in my previous post, there is growing scientific consensus that the world’s climate is changing (1). Though the timing and extent of such changes are likely to vary from one place to another, climate change undeniably impacts food production and health worldwide. With extreme temperatures, droughts, and floods, overall crop productivity decreases while…