Land sharing vs land sparing: How to reduce Food waste.

As the total human population of earth increases, there are more people to feed but less space for farmland. The land sharing versus land sparing debate aims to determine what is better for sustainable agriculture; high-yield farming on small areas of land (land sparing), or low yield farming across a larger area that allows biodiversity to be preserved on the agricultural land (land sharing).

This debate is a hot topic among conservation research - there has been a lot of discord into which type of farming is better overall for the environment, and each has its pros and cons. On one hand, high intensity farms are likely to use more pesticides and fertilizers, and cost soil degradation through heavy planting in small areas. On the other hand, low intensity farms are likely to negatively impact a wider range of wildlife communities gradually over a large area. In terms of a positive impact, land sharing farms are most likely to have insect and birdlife, due to the reduced use of pesticides and having hedge ground dividing fields. More insects means greater pollination on farms, and more birds means less pests on crops. Land sparing farms allow for more land that has not been changed by agriculture. Different researchers have drawn different conclusions about what is better long-term depending on the types of farms that have been researched. Both sides have positives and negatives; some research suggests that the most environmentally conscious farms should be a combination of both, and then both land sparing and land sharing techniques can be used in combination to provide the best outlook for the local environment.

African elephants are a vulnerable species, threatened by poachers of the illegal ivory trade, but also due to the expansion of human life destroying their habitats. It’s quite common that they are viewed negatively by locals, mostly because they can destroy farm land and it’s hard to “elephant proof” land with sufficient boundaries. Fortunately, recent conservation efforts have meant that African elephant population is on the rise. Elephants that live in national parks are now protected from poaching and hunting, and many African countries have introduced humane ways of preventing elephants from damaging farmland. One method is to build a “beehive fence” elephants are extremely afraid of bees and will avoid areas containing them.

In a nutshell, either we increase the area of land that we use for agriculture with land sharing, or we intensify production on the land that we already use with land sparing. In real life terms, it might seem straightforward, but there’s a number of issues. Firstly, we’re already using much of the land most suitable for agriculture. If we convert more land to farming, then we are likely to be talking about rain forests, wetlands and other high biodiversity areas. However, intensifying the land that we already use is not easy. We might have to explore new technologies like genetically modified crops or new pesticides. What we can’t choose to do is nothing, because the population is growing and the demand for resources along with it.

I personally don’t believe the problem that we are facing is with whether or not we have enough land to produce more food. we already grow enough food to feed a world of more than 10 billion people. The problem is that a third of harvested food crops are thrown away an eaten, and a further third is fed to livestock, and in efficient method of feeding the world. Reductions in waste and less livestock intense diets are what we need, not more food. we have a distribution problem not a production problem. Here are five simple ways to avoid wasting food at home:

1. Buy what you need: it’s only a bargain if we can use the food in time! Buy one get one free and other bulk deals lead to buy more than we need, shifting the waste from the store to our homes. In food waste terms, it’s wise not to buy more than we need

• make a meal plan for the week

• Use a shopping list, noting the amount you need

• factor in if you’ll be eating out

2. Understand “use by” versus “best before” dates: The “use by” date on a package for you tells us when it is still safe to eat the product. “Best before” dates are more flexible than use by dates. After this date food such as dried beans, lentils, and pasta, can be consumed safely, although their quality may have decreased.

3. Use what you have: check was in the fridge and cupboards regularly and use of food nearing their expiration dates. Combine any vegetables left into “a clean out the fridge” pot of pasta, soup, omelette, or stirfry. freeze foods before its date. Frozen fruits can make a nice addition to smoothies.

4. Avoid serving too much: serve small portions and come back for seconds, rather than scraping excess food from our plates into the bin. Use leftovers for lunch the next day. Freeze for later. For tastiest results, frozen leftover should be used within three months. Not enough leftovers for a whole meal? Mix and match different meals, add some salad or bread, and you can have a whole meal.

5. Share extra food with others: if the food is still safe, our nature and social beings can play part in the solution. Ask around, friends or colleagues could make use of what we don’t. Check if there are food banks around that accept donations and distribute them to people in need. Invite neighbors over for a meal, it’s not only a nice way to gain new friends.