This is the concluding essay within the series "What to Eat on a Burning Planet," which delves into bold concepts aimed at safeguarding our food supply. Eliza Barclay, the Opinion's climate editor, provides more insights on this significant project.

Uncover the Vital Role of Industrial Agriculture in a Changing World

Industrial Agriculture: A Double-Edged Sword

The term "industrial agriculture" often brings to mind negative connotations. It evokes images of toxic chemicals, monoculture crops, and confined animals. Environmentalists, documentarians, animal rights activists, and even some politicians have targeted factory farms. Even Joe Rogan, a manosphere podcaster, has called for their ban, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump's pick for health secretary, has blamed them for making us sick and fat. The United Nations has also highlighted their significant environmental damage, amounting to $3 trillion per year.Agriculture in general does have its environmental downsides. It is the leading cause of water pollution and shortages, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. It contributes one-fourth of the greenhouse gases that warm the planet. And it is steadily encroaching on the earth, already occupying about two out of every five acres and set to clear an additional dozen Californias' worth of forest by 2050. This would be a catastrophe for nature and the climate as the carbon dioxide released during the conversion of wild landscapes into farms and pastures is the most damaging source of agricultural emissions, surpassing methane from cow burps and nitrous oxide from fertilizer.

The Upside of Industrial Agriculture

However, industrial agriculture does have a significant upside. It produces an enormous amount of food on relatively small amounts of land. This will be crucial in the coming decades as the world will need even more food by 2050. Approximately 50 percent more calories will be required to adequately feed nearly 10 billion people. The uncomfortable truth is that factory farms offer the best hope for meeting this food demand without destroying the remaining natural treasures and releasing their carbon into the atmosphere.

Balancing Act for Agriculture

While industrial agriculture has its benefits, it is essential to address its environmental impacts. We need to find ways to reduce its negative effects while still ensuring an adequate food supply. This may involve implementing sustainable farming practices, such as precision agriculture and regenerative agriculture. These practices can help minimize water usage, reduce soil erosion, and enhance biodiversity. By finding a balance between productivity and environmental sustainability, we can ensure a sustainable food future.