There are two tools in the management of climate change, mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation means reducing the activities and actions that cause climate change. Adaptation is referring to the development of new technologies and measures to reduce losses in case of problems that arise. There is something everyone can do in every field for global climate change. Just as it is necessary to reduce the carbon footprint and water footprint, it is also necessary to reduce the nitrogen footprint and garbage footprint. Frankly, it is necessary to consume less and not waste. Another important approach is not to produce unnecessarily. Disagreeing with the proposition that needs in economics are endless and the thesis that economies must constantly grow is the greatest intellectual support that can be given to climate change. Because our world has limits, our resources are not infinite, therefore it is not possible for our needs and demands to be infinite, and for economies to grow indefinitely on a planet with no possibility of growth.
In fact, there is no need for growth today, especially when food is taken into account. Because 4.9.5 billion tons of agricultural products are produced annually in the world. This production can meet the food needs of 9 billion people and the raw material needs of the industry. However, unfortunately, approximately 1/3 of this production is lost or wasted. Most importantly, 1.3 billion tons of 4.5 billion tons of agricultural products for food purposes are lost due to poor processing, storage and transportation conditions or are wasted because they are not eaten after reaching the plate. Despite this much production, the reason why around 750 million people in the world go hungry and almost 10 million people die of hunger every year is not due to lack of food. The reason for these losses is that the global system of food sharing, food distribution and food safety does not work. The reason for food deprivation is not the lack of production but the global security and justice crisis.
Another important issue is overconsumption. While the daily amount of energy per person required in a normal diet is around 2000 kcal, this rate is 4000 kcal in the USA and the world average is 3000 kcal. In our country, the energy intake per person per day through food is around 3600kcal. When this high-calorie diet is accompanied by inactivity, a serious obesity problem arises. While one in every eight people in the world is obese, that is, 12.5% of the world’s population, this rate has almost tripled in our country. According to these data, Türkiye has become the country with the most obese people in Europe. In short, food demand and obesity are increasing as a result of malnutrition or over nutrition. The solution is not to produce more, but perhaps to produce better and consume more accurately.
