Title: The Top 5 Problems with the Global Food System - AMP Global Youth
Headings: The Top 5 Problems with the Global Food System
The Top 5 Problems with the Global Food System
1. Increased Biofuel Production
2. Limited Food Access
3. Unsustainable Agricultural Practices
4. Lack of Farmer and Workers’ Rights
5. Food Waste

Content: 8] This problem has only been exacerbated by the farm policy incentives that drive an excess production of sweets, fats, and meats, and producers choosing to cut costs through extensive food processing and use of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soy oil to increase product self-life and convenience. [ 9], [10]
Globally, consumers and farmers alike are unable to access the market or afford the costs of consumption or production. In developing countries, about 16% of the rural population lacks convenient access to the market, and, at most, only 40% of any crop is marketed with only one-third of farmers selling to the market. [ 11] International efforts must be made to develop local and regional markets, improve infrastructure to ease transportation, and increase agricultural investment in smallholder farmers. 3. Unsustainable Agricultural Practices
According to the FAO, agricultural production is a huge driver of climate change, producing one-fifth of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. [ 12] Intensive farming methods use fertilizers and pesticides that contaminate streams and rivers that can create downstream “dead zones,” and deforestation for agricultural use accounts for an estimated 10-11% of global GHG emissions. [ 13], [14] Big agribusinesses utilize poor agricultural practices to cut production costs, and, due to these practices, 5-10 million hectares of arable farmland become unusable every year, with an additional 0.3-1.5 million becoming unproductive as a result of salinization and water logging. [ 15] To protect our environment, our health, and our food, we must implement climate-sensitive production methods such as reduced tillage, crop rotations, soil enrichment, the encouragement of natural pest predators, and the incorporation of agroforestry. [ 16], [17] Agriculture can be shifted to degraded lands, rather than clearing new lands, with a focus on practices that boost productivity and enhance resilience. [