The threats to the world’s food supply are numerous and often interconnected, threatening food safety and security for decades to come. What follows is a list of the main threats, and an argument for why breastfeeding[1] is one of the measures needed to counter them.
[1] Breastfeeding, in this declaration, is defined as exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or more, concomitant with diversification with safe and nutritious complementary foods prepared from local, sustainably grown produce. Breastfeeding in the sense of greenfeeding means a diet that avoids all ultra-processed foods (UPF), whether infant formulas, artificial milks or other industrially produced baby foods.
1. Climate change
- Droughts, floods and extreme events: Extreme weather events impact agricultural yields, particularly in vulnerable regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- Global warming: Higher temperatures affect the productivity of crops (such as corn and wheat) and fishing grounds.
- Soil erosion and desertification: Intensive land use and unsustainable agricultural practices deplete arable land, reducing yields.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: No need to resort to ultra-processed artificial products such as infant formula, which require industrial manufacturing, water, packaging, plastics and transport that contribute to climate change.
2. Population growth and urbanization
- The world’s population is expected to reach around 10 billion by 2050, which will increase demand for food. This increased demand will put pressure on already limited resources (water, soil).
- Rapid urbanization is also reducing the amount of arable land available, as cities often sprawl into agricultural areas.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: Breastfeeding is a natural means of contraception, it contributes to the spacing of pregnancies, family planning and the good health of women and children, so it supports the good health of the population and this even in a context of urbanization.
3. Pressure on water resources
- Agriculture is responsible for almost 70% of the world’s freshwater consumption. Water scarcity is already a problem in some regions, and is set to worsen with global warming, prolonged droughts and competition between domestic, industrial and agricultural uses.
- Soil salinization (due to over-irrigation in some regions) also limits arable land.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: A child exclusively breastfed for 6 months consumes around (6 x 30 days x 800 ml) 1440 liters of breast milk. In comparison, 1 kg of powdered milk requires the equivalent of 7,000 liters of water for all purposes. Breastfeeding is a good use of the planet’s water resources.
4. Decline in biodiversity and pollinators
- Agricultural biodiversity, which includes the variety of plant and animal species, is crucial to the resilience of food systems. Yet it is threatened by intensive farming, deforestation and the excessive use of pesticides.
- Declining populations of pollinating insects (such as bees) directly affect the production of many crops, especially those that depend on pollination.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: A breast-fed baby does not need infant formula based on animal milk. As a result, there is no need for livestock to produce milk powder, less deforestation to plant soya to feed livestock, and fewer pesticides to increase crops to feed animals producing milk to be processed into artificial milks.
5. Economic challenges and unequal access
- In many regions, poor populations are already struggling to obtain food due to high costs. Inequalities in access to agricultural resources, technologies and markets exacerbate this precarious situation.
- The volatility of food prices, caused by factors such as financial speculation, trade wars and energy crises, also makes food less accessible, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: Breastfeeding provides a local, healthy and constantly renewable food source, accessible to all socio-economic strata, a product perfectly targeted to each baby individually by its mother. This alleviates dependence on costly resources such as artificial milk and bottled water. Breastmilk is a staple food, produced locally without the need for packaging, plastics, transport, and without the vagaries of availability, without stock-outs and without price increases.
6. Ecological degradation and pollution
- Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides pollutes soil and water, compromising the quality of drinking water and the health of aquatic ecosystems.
- Deforestation for agriculture, in particular for soy and cattle farming, leads to biodiversity loss and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: As with point 4, no need for livestock, no need for deforestation to plant soya to feed cattle, no need for pesticides to increase crop yields to feed dairy cows.
7. Changing eating habits and demand for animal proteins
- The growing demand for animal protein in developing countries is putting pressure on land and resources for livestock production. Intensive livestock farming is a major source of greenhouse gases and requires considerable quantities of water and cereals.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: Breastfeeding provides babies with a balanced and sufficient diet for the first 6 months, and will be supplemented with solid food after 6 months. Local foods and family traditions will enable the transition to an adequate, locally produced diet, based on the population’s ancestral knowledge of the country’s food resources.
8. Technology, globalization, dependence on international trade
- Globalization of the food chain means that disruptions (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) can affect world supplies.
- Reliance on GM crops, while beneficial for some yields, also raises concerns about resilience and long-term impact on the ecosystem and health.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: Low tech, breastfeeding doesn’t require research into quality. Thanks to the physiological processes that take place in the breastfeeding mother’s body, she produces the necessary ingredients for the child’s good health and reinforces her own health. No need for sophisticated technologies, the mother produces a high-value food, without dependence on the world market.
9. Pandemics and plant diseases
- Global warming facilitates the spread of diseases and parasites to new regions. This affects agricultural yields and requires increased use of pesticides.
- Pandemics can also disrupt supply chains and affect food production and distribution, especially industrial products such as baby milk powder.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: The more our diet is composed of highly processed foods, the more we expose ourselves to diseases, both transmissible (infectious) and non-transmissible (non-infectious). The state of human health is a reflection of the state of health of our environment and the products and animals we consume. According to the “One Health” concept, breastfeeding is the healthy diet intended for our species from the very start of life, and in harmony with our planet and its resources.
The more food is processed, the greater the risk of contamination. Artificial milks and other infant formulas are subject to contamination by bacteria (salmonella, Cronobacter sakazakii etc.), chemicals and toxic metals.
10. Food loss and waste
- Around a third of the world’s food production is lost or wasted every year. This waste puts unnecessary pressure on resources and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing waste would be an effective solution to improving food security.
Positive impact of breastfeeding: Consuming breast milk is more economical than artificial milk: no surplus to throw away, it’s the most ingenious food production, delivered as needed “just in time”.
Conclusion
To tackle these threats, measures such as adopting sustainable farming practices, promoting a balanced diet, reducing food waste and adapting to climate change are essential.
Given this awareness, it is clear that breastfeeding is an integral part of the measures to be taken to tackle the various threats to our environment.
GIFA Contact: info@gifa.org
Responsible for this document:
Britta Boutry-Stadelmann
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