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Essay / Food shortage and society today
- Today, with an ever-increasing population, food production has become a matter of concern. In order to be able to produce food for the world, some questionable practices have been adopted when it comes to producing our food. The main types of production are organic, conventional and biodynamic production. Unfortunately, conventional agriculture is how most of our food is produced. This refers to "agricultural systems that include the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other continuous inputs" (Appropedia, 2016), all things people generally don't want to hear in their diet. Only in the last 20 years have different forms of food production emerged as people no longer wanted harsh chemicals in their diet. Biodynamics is a “holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food and nutrition” (Biodynamics Association, 2016) that is very similar to organic food. Organic foods are governed by strict government standards, which require that products bearing the organic label be "produced without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides, synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic or engineered hormones genetics” (Haumann, nd). The biggest difference between organic and biodynamic is that biodynamic doesn't use anything off its farm. While organic farms can purchase organic food or seeds, biodynamic farms must produce everything on their premises. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay - Food insecurity in a household occurs "when one member does not have the resources they need to obtain adequate amounts of nutritious food." » (Blake, 2016, p. 601) When people are food insecure, they are at risk of undernutrition due to the lack of calories and nutrients in their diet. Although America is a wealthy country, it still has many families/citizens who are not able to provide enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources. Poverty is most often the cause of food insecurity in the United States. Along with this, households headed by single women, black, non-Hispanic, and Hispanic households are all more likely to experience food insecurity. Not only are people in the above categories at risk of food insecurity, but many families with one or more adults in the workforce and people who have good jobs but are laid off can all be victims of food insecurity at any given time. Along with external forces, health conditions such as chronic illness, disability, substance abuse, and mental illness can also increase food insecurity. Crop failure, natural disasters and wasteful agricultural practices are a significant factor that can increase food insecurity around the world. Some of the factors that contribute to food security may be beyond our control, but there are ways to help many people facing insecurity. Food-insecure children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, which are normally nutritious and filling. Many families can participate in WIC or vouchers..