This submission describes our initial concepts, based on creating a greater global responsibility for engineers when it comes to sustainability and ethical obligation which we will develop and improve over the coming weeks.
Engineering practice
Currently, a staggering 50% of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture yet we are still constantly hearing about billions of people across the world starving every single day and as the human population increases exponentially, this will only become more of a problem the longer we do nothing to combat it [1]. The concept we have come up with is to introduce a new law which benefits those who farm sustainably and morally: the less farming land used per kg of food produce from that land, the more tax breaks for that farmer. This concept would encourage farmers to farm more sustainably because animal farming is the most detrimental form of farming to climate change today as it accounts for 77% of the global farming land but only provides 18% of the world calories [1]. Less animal farming and more crop farming would also aid in tackling the obesity crisis that also affects our planet.
As for promoting better engineering practice however, there is no doubt some farmers and/or people will want to take advantage of this new law and grow their own crops to sell therefore there will be demand for the most efficient farming methods possible and engineers will deliver. There are already vertical farms which allow food production to be as efficient as possible with our current technology, providing year-round crop production that traditional farms are unable to provide and with minimal water usage [2]. Also, no chemicals or pesticides are used in vertical farms allowing the growth of far healthier foods with none of the occupational hazards [2].
Even entire skyscrapers dedicated to vertical farming have been proposed such as one by architecture firm Sasaki which would join Shanghai’s skyline as a magnificent building that helps tackle climate change while helping to feed the world’s most populated country [3]. References:
Hi folks,
My name is Stuart and I have been appointed as your mentor for the Designathon. I work in the construction sector as a design manager for a civil engineering firm in Scotland and I am excited to be able to help you develop your proposal.
I have been vegetarian for environmental reasons for several years so the problem you have focused on is one which I have a keen interest in. I have read your proposal above and will provide some initial comments below which I would be happy to discuss further throughout the course of the week.
The concept of a tax/subsidy system that promotes sustainable agricultural land use is a very good one and it clearly makes a lot of sense. You set the scene really well with some good stats about land use but beware hyperbole - how many people are starving worldwide today?
The EU's Common Agricultural Policy has come in for a lot of criticism for the way it incentivises unsustainable land use practices, particularly in the context of its 2050 net zero carbon ambitions. Following Brexit, the UK has announced its intention to phase out the current model of agricultural land subsidies and replace it with a regime which incentivises sustainable land use practices such as tree planting.
Some questions:
Have a think about the current land use tax and subsidy regimes that are in operation around the world. What are the key flaws in regimes already operation in areas such as the EU?
Do policies like the EU's CAP get anything right? What aspects would you retain?
How would the tax breaks for sustainable land users be funded? Are you proposing an increase in tax for the unsustainable land users?
How would you win political support for the changes you are proposing?
How would you ensure the system doesn't create perverse incentives i.e. more trees being cleared to more sustainable food crops? (rather than simply converting existing agricultural land.
In the second part of your proposal you touch on some of the really interesting ways that engineers are collaborating with the agriculture sector to incorporate more sustainable food production into urban areas. A few more questions that spring to mind:
5. How would you proposals affect urban land use?
6. Should all modern cities be incorporating vertical farming? Are there reasons it might not work everywhere?
7. Have a think about the criticisms of vertical farming - Enough with the vertical farming fantasies: There are still too many unanswered questions about the trendy practice | Salon.com - is vertical farming a real solution or is it a distraction from the real changes that need to be made to combat the issues in food production practices today?
I think you need to delve a bit deeper into the different interactions between the engineering and agriculture sectors and try and pinpoint the areas where engineers can play a role in promoting sustainable food production practices:
8. Vertical or indoor farming - how big a role can it play?
9. How can engineers help optimise existing farming practices to deliver more kg of food per acre? Think about the design of irrigation systems etc.
10. How can engineers help reduce emissions in outdoor farming
What role could automation play in agriculture? What are the opportunities/risks
Hopefully that gives you a few things to think about as you work towards your final submission this week.
I will check back each day for any updates - please feel free to throw any questions back at me and I will try my very best to help!
Thanks,
Stuart