GEF

Unit 3  |  Primary Sustainability Issues 66 In order for renewable energy to make a significant contribu- tion to energy production, governments, economic systems, and communities will need to aggressively pursue energy efficiency . Renewable energy will need to be understood in a systems thinking context that ties together economics, ecol- ogy, agriculture, and energy production into a unified whole. Given the current global growth in energy demand and fossil fuel consumption, the widespread adoption of sustainable energy systems will require a continuous international and intergenerational effort. 3.3  Sustainable Agriculture The development of sustainable food production methods for a large and growing human population is a pressing con- cern. Globally, 795 million people are chronically hungry and another billion lack critical nutrients in their diet. Between 2007 and 2017, there were food shortages, record-high food prices, and food riots across the world, destabilizing govern- ments and leading to political revolutions. This instability in the food system is not simply due to too many people and not enough food, but rather results from inefficiency, inequality, and waste in production and distribution. It is a testament to technology and development efforts that despite a 70 percent population increase, agriculture is producing 17 percent more calories per person today than it did thirty years ago. This is more than enough to provide everyone in the world with the 2,100 daily calories that the United Nations World Food Programme recommends. Nevertheless, economic inequality, political corruption, and a global economic system that orients agriculture towards meat production and export to wealthy nations helps to create food scarcity in the midst of plenty. ENERGY EFFICIENCY Using less energy to achieve the same level of goods or services. SYSTEMS THINKING A way of looking at parts in relation to the whole; for example, how economics relates to energy. UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME The world’s largest organiza- tion dedicated to addressing global hunger.