Environmental problems impose threats on human health
Expanding human population and its activities, such as agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization, have driven some ecological changes [1]. Some examples are listed here [1]:
Higher temperature may increase the growth of pathogenic agents and the animals carrying the diseases,
Rising sea level may cause flood which reduces crop yields,
Climate change and drought would reduce water supplies needed for food production,
Ozone depletion allows higher UV radiation which may increase the risk of e.g., skin cancer,
Water acidification due to increased CO2 may disturb coral reef and aquatic ecosystem,
Land acidification due to excessive use of fertilizers would disrupt agricultural and forest ecosystem,
Pollution of air, water, soil by electricity generation, fossil-fueled vehicles, industry, mining, and industrial agriculture, which is responsible for 16% of all deaths worldwide [2],
Depletion of both renewable and non-renewable resources including nitrogen, phosphorus, fossil fuels, and freshwater,
Land degradation or changes in land function which destruct the ecosystems,
Stresses and contamination due to food production, e.g., antibiotic abuse in animal husbandry and livestock production increases antibiotic resistance,
The problems seem massive, highly-interconnected, and have imposed threats to human health and food security [1]. Therefore, efforts to alleviate the environmental stresses require a joint effort of many stakeholders simultaneously to offer a holistic solution to improve the health of not only the human population but also the planet.
Any significant change starts with small steps
On the other hand, we realize that always go for the ideals may not be practical at times. The seven-generation principle of native Americans has taught us to always consider every single decision we make daily to have a sustainable impact on the next seven generations. Here we discuss some examples of behavioral changes that can be incorporated to minimize the carbon footprint, the impact of our daily lives on the environment, and at the same time, improve the welfare of farmers and animals as well as our quality of life in general.
First, we are all responsible for preventing pollution [2] and easing the environmental burden. Although we, as consumers, may not be necessarily involved in the food production or supply chain, we all eat at least three times a day, so eating a sustainable diet would be something that everyone can do. The sustainable diet was defined as “a diet that contributes to the good nutritional status and long term good health of the individual/community, and that contributes to, and is enabled by, sustainable food systems, thus contributing to long term food security and nutrition” [3]. It carries two dimensions that will improve nutrition status and health on one arm as well as a sustainable food system and food security on the other [3]. World Resources Institute (https://www.wri.org/) showed how red meat (beef, sheep, and goat meat) production (Figure 1) requires the most resources besides releases the highest greenhouse gases to the atmosphere compared to other food products [4]. Therefore, cutting down meat consumption becomes one reasonable solution.
Springmann and colleagues [5] compared four different plant-rich dietary options with energy-balanced benchmark diet:
Flexitarian: no processed meat, one serving of red meat per week, a moderate amount of other animal-source foods
Pescatarian: substituting meat by two-thirds of fish and seafood and a third fruits and vegetables
Vegetarian: substituting meat by two-thirds of legumes and a third fruits and vegetables
Vegan: replacing all animal-source foods with two-thirds of legumes and a third fruits and vegetables
Based on that study, replacing animal-source diet by any of the plant-rich diets seemed promising to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, resource usage, premature mortality, as well as improve nutrient levels [5]. Even the adoption of a flexitarian diet carried similar benefits, although lower than the vegan diet [5]. If a flexitarian diet still seems too hard, committing one day without meat, e.g., Meatless Monday, would be a good start. Once it feels easier, the meat proportion in the diet can be reduced and replaced by a plant-richer diet. Of course, aiming for non-processed fruit, vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, and whole-grains would utilize fewer resources and bring greater health benefits than relying on highly-processed plant-based foods.
Food production, processing, and logistics require a lot of resources. When a portion of food is not consumed, all of the resources involved along the production and supply chain go to waste. Conrad and colleagues [6] showed that an American disposes of 422 g of food waste daily, which equals 30% of available daily calorie intake. This amount requires 12 million hectares of cropland and over 15 million cubic meter water to produce this food annually [6]. World Resources Institute estimated that reducing food loss and waste could affect 24% of global calorie production [4]. Preventing food waste at each stage becomes another promising solution. In the consumers’ level, fruits and vegetables, like fruit peel or other food scraps, account for almost 40% of the food waste [6]. The consumers can prevent food waste by buying food in an adequate amount for household consumption, composting the organic waste for later use as fertilizer, or getting some information on how to prepare and store the fruits and vegetables that can get spoiled quickly [6]. Additionally, some food preservation techniques, such as drying, salting, smoking, fermentation, pasteurization, etc., can be done at home to ensure a continuous diversity of diet throughout the year [7]. We will share some tips to prevent food waste and give second life for your food in our upcoming series.
Access to clean water is an integral aspect not only to food production, but also household consumption of drinking water, food preparation, hygiene, and domestic usage. Although Indonesia has a lot of terrestrial water, most of them do not meet the criteria of potable water or, at least, clean water for household consumption. Some areas do not even have access to clean water for hygiene and drinking purposes. Therefore, responsible utilization of clean water directly in household consumption or indirectly by reducing consumption of water-intensive food components, e.g., meat, would make clean water available for other purposes. Optimization of water usage, e.g., rainwater to water the plants or domestic cleaning as well as wastewater to flush the toilet, would be feasible to do in the household context. Also, ensuring proper water recycle, e.g., planting fruit trees or edible plants in the yard, could help to restore groundwater supply, carbon cycle, and complement the food supply without extensive land usage.
The usage of fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources constitutes a big chunk of unsustainable practices, not to mention the pollution. The travel restriction due to COVID-19 pandemic situation has been shown to reduce pollution and improve the quality of air and water in several parts of the globe [8]. Therefore, it is essential to limit the consumption of such fuel and replace it with a more environmental-friendly alternative. For example, instead of riding a motorcycle or taking the motorbike taxi (ojek) to catch the next bus stop or visit the minimarket in the neighborhood, we can walk or ride a bicycle. Plus, these alternatives keep us physically active and hence, provide more health benefits. Taking trains instead of airplanes is also more environmental-friendly, besides providing a more dynamic view outside the trains and less waiting time at the airport. If a long-haul flight is inevitable, compensating the carbon emission with replanting the trees, contributing to the forest conservation, or opting for airlines with biofuel or low-carbon emission would be feasible alternatives to counteract the carbon emission.
Eating locally-sourced food could reduce the carbon footprint of each food that we consume. Also, whenever possible, opt for organic and sustainable farming products. Although food with such claims is still limited and will hardly transform the whole agricultural system, our support will encourage the farmers and producers to develop mutual trust and continuously produce sustainable products [7] without being swift away by the financial pressure. We will elaborate on several aspects and examples for this solution in the next series.
After getting such examples, of course, everyone can creatively take sustainable steps that deemed suitable for one. The list of things one can do is unlimited: installing solar panels at home to charge the cellphone’s battery, installing a rainwater collection and filtration system for household consumption, installing a washing basin on top of the toilet for flushing, creating a new plant-based menu to make a fancy meal, being involved in or starting NGOs supporting the cause you believe in, etc. You can check the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations as the guidelines. You can be creative in choosing the ways which are easily adapted to your own lifestyle. Unfortunately, when it comes to sustainability, people like to judge, tick off the lists, and compare the score sheets. It is important to bear in mind, that whatever we do, don’t do it just because of the pressure, but do it because we care.
S.A.D Team
References
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