Hey there!
Previously on Attention all foodie (Part 1), I have talked about how agriculture will cause air pollution. In this post, we will learn what are some effects that air pollution has on agriculture. 

Here is another infographic that I have put together.

So how does air pollution affect agriculture? 

Farm Stage
Sun et al., (2017) indicates that air pollution affects plant growth by obstructing photosynthesis and changing of organizational structure and function thus affecting crop yield. As for animals, their health and performance are at risk which in turn might influence livestock production (Sun et al., 2017). Now let’s look at some elements that are affected by air pollution and how it in turn causes food insecurity. 

1. Land/Soil
   Air pollution affects the suitability of land used for growing crops and reduces the soil quality. With lesser available land use for crop plantation, there will be a reduction of food supply which might cause food insecurity.
2. Human labor
   With increased air pollution, the health of the workers are greatly affected. This reduces the productivity of the workers and thus the production of the crops. Furthermore, the pollutants in the air contribute to the GHGs emission causing climate change. With global warming, it will be harder for workers to work under the hot sun, decreasing their efficiency.
3. Machinery
   Air pollution indirectly affects the agricultural sector by accelerating the depreciation of machinery and by reducing machine operation efficiency. Thus resulting in the lowering of crop yield and indirectly affecting the security of our food.
4. Agrochemicals 
   Air pollution reduces agrochemical use efficiency and consequently influences agricultural outputs. Lower crop yield would equate to an increase in food insecurity. 

Processing & Distribution
Air pollution mainly affects the workers in the factories by causing physical discomfort. Thus reducing their productivity, potentially causing a delay in the food supply chain and reducing the amount of supply available. 

Retail & Consumer
As mentioned, air pollution has an impact on the growth of plants and animals and their quality. In the long run, it will disrupt the food supply chain as food supply reduces due to lower yield. With the lower food supply and increased demand, food prices will certainly soar. 

In conclusion, the 2 short infographics really illustrate to us how highly correlated air pollution is with the food system. Our every action makes a huge impact and eventually causes us problems. Let’s not take our food for granted and waste them because we are using all our precious resources to produce them, even at the expense of our own bodies! 😖

Enjoy your week ahead! Till next time 😉

Your environmental buddy,
Jeanice

References:
Feifei Sun, DAI Yun, & Xiaohua Yu. (2017). Air pollution, food production and food security： A review from the perspective of food system. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 16(12), 2945-2962. doi:10.1016/S2095-3119(17)61814-8

Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2020, January 15). Environmental impacts of food production. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impacts-of-food