Plant-based diets recently gained further popularity. Today, multinational fast-food restaurants offer meatless burgers and local coffee shops serve oat milk lattes. Our societal adoption of eco-friendly consumption patterns is beneficial everywhere on Earth.

Since the Paris Agreement, humanity developed a global shift toward sustainability and away from resource exploitation. Both greenhouse gas emissions and water scarcity are significant concerns in the environmental sector. As we adopt renewable energy sources, the issue of water conservation remains.

Environmental scientists and engineers may develop exploitation reduction methods for the agricultural industry, preserving global water sources. We can decrease world hunger and improve our clean drinking water accessibility by increasing sustainability efforts and perfecting existing technologies.

Environmental Issues in the Industry

The agricultural industry developed a poor reputation over the years as farmers worked to meet growing consumer demands. With a growing global population, food production practices must shift to decrease and eliminate world hunger. Additionally, farmers must alter their growing procedures because of climate change’s adverse effects on conditions.

As greenhouse gases invade the atmosphere, the global temperature rises. The climate shift causes extended drought periods, heatwaves and increased hurricane frequencies. All climate change impacts affect the agricultural sector, especially an increase in evaporation rates.

As temperatures rise, the global water cycle speeds up. Higher evaporation rates cause water displacement. Some regions experience more rain in response and others face severe drought. Without adequate access to water sources, farmers suffer from crop loss and financial hardship. Additionally, it drives soil depletion.

Both increased evaporation and monocropping cause soil nutrient depletion. Farmers must utilize synthetic additives to generate agriculturally supportive soil. Unfortunately, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers fuel additional water degradation issues.

When it rains, stormwater carries soil additives off a farm and into significant water sources. In lakes and the ocean, the nitrogen-heavy solution generates algae blooms. As algae grows, it depletes aquatic oxygen sources, producing uninhabitable dead zones.

Environmental scientists and engineers must develop technology and sustainable methods for agricultural water conservation. Fortunately, since the Paris Agreement’s establishment, various companies began researching ways to instill sustainability into the food production industry.

Evaporation Prevention

Scientists recently developed ways to reduce evaporation while generating renewable energy. California produces a significant quantity of America’s produce. But the state is drought-ridden, making agricultural growth challenging.

California sources its water from the north through a canal system. As evaporation rates increased, they started losing large quantities of water. Scientists discovered an evaporation reduction method involving covering the canals with solar panels.

The system limits algae blooms by reducing sun exposure and conserves the water supply. Additionally, the system generates clean energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and temperature fluctuations. If all water sources adopted the conservation method, we could preserve enough water to reduce global hunger.

Increased Efficiency

Scientists must conduct further development on drought-resistant crops. Rather than exploiting freshwater sources, farmers may utilize low-precipitation agriculture. Researchers either obtain the produce from genetic mutation or traditional sources.

Farmers may also increase their water efficiency by installing smart sprinklers. The devices connect to the internet, read the local weather and adjust for optimal watering practices. They also calculate sun exposure and evaporation.

Supply Reliability

We need a reliable water source to maintain crop yields and reduce global hunger. Nearly 70% of freshwater consumption supports food production. Conserving this resource is essential to humanity’s well-being and longevity.

Farmers must adopt reliable and sustainable distribution techniques. Drip irrigation provides a greener solution to unreliable water dispersal throughout an agricultural region. The system uses subsurface tubing, feeding water to the plants’ roots.

Unlike a sprinkler, which delivers large quantities of water in a short period, drip irrigation slowly releases water over time, closer to the ground, so it won’t evaporate immediately.

How Eco-Consumerism Helps

As consumers, we can promote water conservation rather than waiting for the agricultural industry to change. Residents may measure their water footprint, evaluating which behaviors utilize the most resources. From there, you can adopt sustainable alternatives and decrease your reliance on fresh sources.

Additionally, you may grow your own food. Planting native crops and replacing grass with xeriscaping in low-precipitation regions significantly shrinks your water footprint. When you purchase from grocery stores, research the products in your shopping cart and ensure their low environmental impact before checking out.