Despite having 14,000 edible and nutritious plant species to choose from, 75% of the food we eat comes from just 12 plants and five animal species.
According to Modi Mwatsama (Head of Interventions, Climate & Health), the limited selection of food – that is produced in mass – means that we’re missing out on vital minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that come from a truly diverse diet.
Furthermore, a global #food system that relies on and produces only a few types of food is vulnerable to disruption by killer crop, animal diseases and pests.
“Food system emissions stem from land use change (such as deforestation) for industrial farming, rearing livestock for animal-sourced foods, and excessive use of artificial fertilisers on poor quality soils in order to grow a small selection of crops to feed livestock and people.”
The adoption of Vertical Farming in certain parts of the food system has the power to reduce these emissions significantly.
To read the full article, click the following link: https://wellcome.org/news/homogenised-global-food-system-puts-people-planet-risk