OpenFields

1512: Economics of benefits for the environment – food

This paper is taken from the section on provisioning services in the Natural England Research Report

Year of Publication2012

“The low value of food is caused by its abundance”. The danger is that pursuing maximum yields of high intensity crops now may undermine longer term food-security by degrading the ecosystems that agricultural production ultimately depends on. So the costs (and benefits) for the environment from food production should be internalized within the food system. Reducing food waste and changing diets would support population health and provide nutrition more efficiently – 30% to 50% of food is wasted worldwide.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Wildlife & biodiversity
• Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Managing land for environmental benefit
• Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Wastes management & pollution control
• Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Climate change
• Subject Collection > Environmental impact > Landscape

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