Ecological Services in the Environment

In 2004, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimated that about 852 million people lacked access to the food needed for healthy, productive lives. The availability of food and one’s access to it is a critical concept in today’s society. Food security is the condition where all or most of the population of a country have daily access to enough food for healthy and active lives. Currently enough food is produced to meet the nutritional needs of the whole planet, but some people suffer from food insecurity, living without easy access to food on a daily basis. Food insecurity may lead to undernutrition (hunger), a serious under-consumption of calories that leaves the body weakened and susceptible to disease. Most undernourished individuals live in low-income, less-developed countries. People might receive enough calories in their diets but still be malnourished because they do not receive enough essential nutrients like proteins, vitamin A, iodine, or iron. Adults suffering from malnutrition are more susceptible to disease and have less strength to function productively than those who are well-fed. The most comment vitamins lacking are vitamin A (causes blindness), iron (causes anemia), and iodine (can affect function of thyroid gland). On the other hand, overnutrition can be an issue in developed countries. Overnutrition occurs when food energy intake is greater than energy use. Individuals that are underfed or overfed suffer from similar health problems, such as lower life expectancy, lower productivity, and life quality.

Food Production

Food is produced in three systems: croplands, rangelands, and fisheries. Croplands produce most of the grains used in food systems, rangelands/feedlots produce all the meat and meat products, and fisheries/aquaculture produce all the fish consumed. Only a few species of mammals and fish produce most of the meat consumed in the world. This limitation to a few species makes food production vulnerable...