255_Food Scarcity and the Urban Diet Pressure Loop Part Two

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 255

Food Scarcity and the Urban Diet Pressure Loop

Part Two

One of the things that humanity does best is to go about our daily business despite warnings that we should change. The reason for this is that we are better at responding to emergencies than we are about planning for the future. As long as life seems good we just keep doing what we are doing and all warnings that we are headed for a cliff are just noise in the background.

Climate change is a perfect example. The first seminal paper about climate change was published in 1896. We are now seeing the obvious effects of climate change. But, there is another, more subtile looming problem that most of us do not even know it exist.

So join me for part two of Food Scarcity and the Urban Diet Pressure Loop. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E255 Food Scarcity and the Urban Diet Pressure Loop Part Two. 

In last week’s episode I explained this concept of the urban diet pressure loop and why that contributes to food scarcity. In this week’s episode I am going to go into a little more detail about that and explain what we can do now in order to avoid global food scarcity.

But before we dive into that, as always let’s talk about the good news story of the week.

Eighty-year old grandmother makes history

If you ever feel as if you are too old to accomplish something, get a lot of this.

An 80 year old grandmother from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, named Natalie Grabow, made history by becoming the oldest woman to ever finish the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Hawaii.

Natalie did not even learn to swim until she was almost 60 years old. Despite that, she swam 2.4 miles, pedaled 112 miles on a bicycle and then ran the 26.2 mile marathon. About 60 other competitors quit before finishing the race but Natalie kept going.

What is even more amazing about this accomplishment is that Natalie grew up in an era when women were not allowed to participate in sports. Furthermore, she is already looking at new challenges.

So, the next time you think you are too old to do something, think of Natalie.

Now let’s move on to this week’s episode.

It always amazes me how we have known about the possibility of climate change for over 125 years and we still have world leaders that publicly state it’s just a fraud. But despite that, there are a lot of very smart people out there coming up with some solutions to this global issue. But the bottom line is there is a lot we can do as individuals to have a significant impact on climate change. However, it will require significant changes to our lifestyle. So the question is whether or not we are willing to do it.

But the same hold true about food scarcity.

🌍 1. Population Growth Outpacing Food Production

The global population is expected to reach around 9.7 billion by 2050. That means the world will need to produce roughly 60% more food than it does today. Yet, the amount of arable land, water, and other natural resources available for agriculture is not increasing—many are actually shrinking.

So, the next question is…………..

Do we produce enough food to feed the entire planet? 

Yes — we already produce enough food to feed everyone on Earth, and then some.

In fact, global agriculture currently produces about 1.5 times more food than is needed to feed the world’s population. Yet, hundreds of millions of people still go hungry every day. The problem is not a lack of food, but how that food is distributed, used, and wasted.

So why do we have this paradox? 👇

🌾 1. We Overproduce Food — But Unevenly

•  The world produces enough calories to feed 10 billion people, even though the population is about 8.1 billion.
•  However, production is concentrated in wealthier regions (North America, Europe, parts of Asia), while others (Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South Asia) lack access or infrastructure to grow or import enough food.
•  Some crops are grown primarily for animal feed, biofuels, or export, not for direct human consumption.

👉 Example: About 36% of global grain is used to feed livestock, not people.

🚫 2. Food Waste and Loss

•  Roughly one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted every year.
•  In rich countries, waste happens at the consumer level (throwing away leftovers, oversized portions, expired food).
•  In poorer countries, waste happens earlier in the chain (poor storage, lack of refrigeration, spoilage during transport).
•  This wasted food could feed billions of people if handled efficiently.

💰 3. Poverty and Inequality

•  Many people go hungry not because food doesn’t exist, but because they can’t afford it.
•  Rising food prices, low wages, and lack of access to land or credit keep nutritious food out of reach for millions.
•  Even within wealthy nations, food insecurity affects low-income households due to inequality, not scarcity.

🌍 4. Conflict, Corruption, and Supply Disruptions

•  Wars, political instability, and trade barriers interrupt food delivery.
•  Corruption or weak governance can divert aid and food supplies away from those who need them most.
•  In 2024 alone, conflicts in parts of Africa and the Middle East left millions in acute hunger despite available global surpluses.

🌾 5. Climate and Environmental Challenges

•  Droughts, floods, and soil degradation reduce yields in vulnerable regions, worsening local shortages even when global supplies are ample.
•  This means food abundance in one area doesn’t always translate to food security everywhere.

💡 In Summary

✅ Yes, humanity produces enough food to feed everyone.
❌ But hunger persists due to waste, inequality, poor infrastructure, and political and economic barriers.

To truly “feed the world,” we need to:

•  Reduce food waste at every stage of the chain.
•  Support small farmers and sustainable production.
•  Improve storage, transport, and distribution systems.
•  Make food access equitable and affordable for all.

So, as you see, things are quite different in wealthy, developed nations versus developing nations. Unfortunately most of us are oblivious to these problems. It is an out-of-sight out-of-mind issue. Furthermore, we are oblivious to the fact that our daily choices contribute to the problem due to what is called the Urban Diet Pressure Loop.

Now, let’s just do a quick review:

The Self-Reinforcing “Urban Diet Pressure Loop”

Here’s how the cycle perpetuates itself:

1.  Urbanization → more people concentrated in cities.
2.  Rising incomes → demand for meat, dairy, and processed foods.
3.  Industrial agriculture expansion → monocultures, deforestation, high resources inputs because we are now more dependent on imported products.
4.  Long, global supply chains → higher emissions, more loss and waste.
5.  Environmental degradation & climate change → less resilient production.
6.  Food price shocks & inequality → urban demand for cheap, processed foods grows even more.
7.  Back to Step 1: Urban growth and consumption rise again, amplifying the loop.

Dual Food System

Another concept that most of us are oblivious to is that fact that urbanization and the urban diet pressure loop creates a dual food system.

🏙️ 1. What a “Dual Food System” Means

A dual food system develops when a country’s food supply splits into two unequal sectors:

•  The formal, industrialized sector: supermarkets, fast food, processed and imported products — convenient but expensive.
•  The informal or traditional sector: street vendors, local markets, small farmers, and low-cost staples — affordable but often limited in variety, nutrition, and safety.

These systems serve different income groups and often coexist in cities — but with growing inequality between them.

💰 2. Urbanization Increases Income Gaps

Urbanization brings economic growth and rising incomes — but not evenly.

•  A wealthy minority gains access to higher-paying jobs and modern amenities.
•  A large low-income population works in informal sectors (construction, transport, domestic work) with unstable earnings.

👉 This income gap produces unequal food access:

•  The wealthy can afford imported meats, dairy, and processed foods.
•  The poor rely on cheap, energy-dense staples or street food for survival.

🏬 3. Modern Retail Expands for the Wealthy

As cities grow, multinational food corporations and supermarkets target the urban middle and upper classes with:

•  Imported goods
•  Packaged convenience foods
•  Fast-food chains and restaurants

These outlets offer status and convenience, but they exclude lower-income families who can’t afford them.
Meanwhile, traditional markets — which once fed entire cities — decline or are displaced.

👉 The result: Parallel food economies within the same city.

🥖 4. Informal Food Markets Serve the Urban Poor

Low-income urban residents buy most of their food from:

•  Street vendors and local markets
•  Small shops or open-air stalls
•  Food sold on credit or in small daily quantities

These informal systems are vital for food security, but often lack:

•  Proper sanitation or cold storage
•  Consistent pricing and food safety
•  Access to diverse, nutritious foods (like fresh produce or protein)

This creates a situation where the urban poor have food access but not nutrition — cheap calories without vitamins or variety.

🍟 5. Processed Foods Flood Urban Markets

Urbanization changes lifestyles — more people working long hours, less time for cooking.

•  Processed and fast foods become attractive: they’re convenient, tasty, and aggressively marketed.
•  Even low-income households buy cheap processed foods (instant noodles, snacks, sugary drinks) because they’re filling and easy to prepare.

👉 This contributes to “double malnutrition”:

•  Undernutrition among those who can’t afford enough food
•  Over nutrition (obesity, diabetes) among those relying on cheap, unhealthy processed foods

Thus, both ends of the dual system suffer in different ways.

🚚 6. Dependence on Imports and Corporate Food Chains

As cities modernize, governments often prioritize food imports and corporate retail over small farmers.

•  Imported foods fill supermarket shelves, displacing local produce.
•  Local farmers lose access to urban markets and income.
•  Over time, cities depend more on global food supply chains and less on nearby rural production.

This makes urban food systems fragile, especially when global prices rise or trade is disrupted.

🏗️ 7. Rural–Urban Divide Deepens

Urbanization draws workers away from agriculture, reducing rural food production.

•  Rural communities lose labor and investment.
•  Cities must import more food — sometimes from abroad.
•  This dependency widens the urban–rural inequality loop, reinforcing the dual system.

📈 8. Policy and Infrastructure Bias

Governments often invest in urban infrastructure and modern retail — roads, supermarkets, industrial zones — while neglecting:

•  Rural storage and transport systems
•  Local food processing
•  Smallholder farmer support

As a result, formal food systems thrive in cities, while traditional systems struggle in rural and low-income areas.

⚖️ 9. Consequences of the Dual Food System

Group

Access to Food

Type of Food

Nutrition Impact

Wealthy & Middle Class

High

Imported, processed, supermarket-based

Overconsumption, diet-related diseases

Urban Poor

Limited

Cheap staples, street food, small vendors

Undernutrition or poor diet quality

Rural Farmers

Decreasing

Produce sold at low prices, few market opportunities

Income insecurity

•  ➡️Result: Both systems are unsustainable — one overuses resources, the other undernourishes people. Cities have food abundance for some — and scarcity or malnutrition for others. The divide is not about food quantity, but who can access healthy, affordable, and sustainable food.

The “urban diet pressure loop” describes how the growing demand for resource-intensive, processed, and imported foods in cites and urban areas creates a self-reinforcing cycle that makes food systems more resource-intensive, wasteful, and fragile over time.

On top of that throw in climate change and extreme weather events, water scarcity, widespread soil degradation, biodiversity loss, over fishing, ocean pollution, political, economic and social disruption and we end up with a train wreck on top of a train wreck. Furthermore, most of us are not even aware that this problem exists.

And of course the million dollar question is……….

How Do We Break the Loop?

The bottom line is that the answer is simple but not easy because it is going to require that each us change many of our daily choices.

In essence:

Modern urban diets drive production systems that over consume resources, generate waste, and weaken resilience — creating a cycle of unsustainable demand and environmental strain.

🌱 To address food scarcity linked to urbanization and shifting diets, we must tackle both supply and demand sides of the food system — how food is produced, distributed, and consumed — while restoring balance between cities, rural areas, and the environment.

🌍 1. Reconnect Cities with Sustainable Food Production

Urbanization has distanced people from where their food comes from. Rebuilding that connection strengthens resilience.

✅ Actions:

•  Promote urban and peri-urban agriculture — rooftop gardens, vertical farms, hydroponics, and community gardens can supply cities with fresh produce and reduce transport costs.
•  Protect farmland near cities (“green belts”) to secure local food supplies and prevent sprawl.
•  Encourage city–rural partnerships so urban markets support nearby farmers rather than depending entirely on imports.

👉 Impact: Less dependence on long global supply chains, fresher food, lower emissions, and more local jobs.

🥦 2. Shift Diets Toward Plant-Forward, Resource-Efficient Eating

Dietary choices are powerful levers for reducing food scarcity and environmental stress.

✅ Actions:

•  Promote plant-based proteins (beans, lentils, peas, soy, nuts) to reduce demand for land- and water-intensive meat and dairy.
•  Encourage “planet-friendly diets” that are balanced, local, and seasonal.
•  Educate consumers about the environmental impact of food choices — e.g., carbon and water footprints of common meals.

👉 Impact: Less pressure on agricultural land and water, more food available for direct human consumption.

🗑️ 3. Reduce Food Waste Across the Urban Chain

Cities are where most food waste occurs — in homes, supermarkets, and restaurants.

✅ Actions:

•  Implement food waste prevention programs — “ugly produce” campaigns, smaller portion sizes, and better storage education.
•  Expand food recovery and redistribution systems (e.g., food banks, surplus-sharing apps).
•  Develop composting and anaerobic digestion systems to turn unavoidable waste into soil nutrients and energy.

👉 Impact: Cutting food waste by just 50% could feed an additional billion people worldwide.

🚜 4. Support Regenerative and Climate-Resilient Agriculture

Sustainable production is key to feeding growing urban populations without exhausting ecosystems.

✅ Actions:

•  Invest in regenerative agriculture (no-till, cover crops, crop rotation) to restore soil health and increase yields naturally.
•  Expand agroforestry and integrated farming — combining trees, crops, and livestock for efficient land use.
•  Support smallholder farmers with training, fair markets, and infrastructure to supply cities sustainably.

👉 Impact: Healthier soils, stable yields, and long-term resilience to climate change.

🏙️ 5. Build Fair, Localized Food Distribution Networks

Urban food scarcity often comes from inequality and poor access, not actual shortages.

✅ Actions:

•  Establish urban food hubs, farmers’ markets, and cooperatives to make local food accessible and affordable.
•  Improve cold storage, transport, and logistics to reduce losses and stabilize prices.
•  Use digital tools (like mobile apps or urban food maps) to connect consumers directly to local producers.

👉 Impact: Fairer prices for farmers and more affordable, nutritious food for urban residents.

💸 6. Address Economic Inequality and Food Access

Urban food insecurity is often tied to poverty, not lack of food.

✅ Actions:

•  Introduce or strengthen food assistance and subsidy programs for low-income households.
•  Encourage livable wages and fair employment to ensure families can afford healthy food.
•  Support social enterprises that bring affordable, nutritious foods to underserved neighborhoods.

👉 Impact: Reduces hunger in cities and ensures that economic growth translates into real food security.

🧠 7. Foster Food Education and Cultural Shifts

Sustainable diets depend on informed, motivated consumers.

✅ Actions:

•  Integrate food literacy and sustainability education into schools and public campaigns.
•  Promote awareness about seasonal, local eating and how it supports both health and the planet.
•  Revitalize traditional food cultures that emphasize whole grains, legumes, and community meals.

👉 Impact: Healthier populations, reduced waste, and greater appreciation for food’s true value.

⚙️ 8. Encourage Policy Alignment and Urban Food Planning

Governments play a crucial role in shaping sustainable food systems.

✅ Actions:

•  Develop urban food policies and resilience plans that integrate food security, land use, health, and climate goals.
•  Set targets for reducing food waste and emissions in the food sector.
•  Incentivize sustainable diets and local supply chains through taxes, subsidies, and public procurement (e.g., schools, hospitals).

👉 Impact: Systemic change from top-down, ensuring sustainable food is the easiest choice for consumers and producers alike.

🌱 9. Promote Circular Food Systems

Cities can redesign their food systems to minimize waste and close resource loops.

✅ Actions:

•  Recycle organic waste into compost for local agriculture.
•  Capture food processing byproducts for animal feed or biogas.
•  Develop urban “food circularity” networks linking producers, distributors, and waste managers.

👉 Impact: Reduces emissions, conserves resources, and creates jobs in sustainable waste management.

🔁 10. The Integrated Vision: The Sustainable Urban Food Loop

A sustainable path replaces the current “urban diet pressure loop” with a regenerative food cycle:

From:

•  Long supply chains → Waste, inequality, and lack of resilience

To:

•  Local-regional networks → Efficiency, inclusion, and resilience

From:

•  Resource-heavy diets → Meat, processed, imported foods

To:

•  Resource-light diets → Plant-based, local, fresh foods

From:

•  Linear system (“produce–consume–discard”)

To:

•  Circular system (“produce–consume–recover–renew”)

✅ In Summary

To address food scarcity linked to urbanization and diet shifts, we must:

•  🌾 Rebuild connections between cities and sustainable farms
•  🥗 Shift to plant-forward, less wasteful diets
•  🏙️ Strengthen local markets and food access
•  🔄 Reduce waste and close resource loops
•  ⚖️ Align policies for equity, resilience, and sustainability

Goal:
A food system that feeds everyone fairly, efficiently, and sustainably — one that supports both people and planet, even as cities grow.

Okay, all that being said, the second million dollar question is………….

What can you do today?

I know you have heard me say before that our choices make changes but it is a point worth emphasizing. Our consumer choices drive the marketplace. Making different choices means that over time agricultural practices, food production and packaging will change. Awareness of climate change continues to grow, plant based alternatives to meat are becoming more available and younger generations want diet choices that are more sustainable.

But, on a personal level, I have done several things to change my diet. First I embraced this concept of “meatless Mondays.” Then I expanded that to going vegetarian three days a week. I reduced my beef consumption by 75% by shifting my choices to pork, chicken and fish. I switch between regular cow’s milk and a plant based alternative. Every other time I purchase milk I choose a plant based alternative instead. I purchase local organic produce from local farms when it is available.

By doing all of this I estimate that I have reduced the environmental impact of my diet by at least 30%. Additionally, making these changes has barely even altered my lifestyle. So…..it is possible.

Well folks I think that is about it for this week. Be sure to join me again next week for another episode as I continue my series regarding some of the greatest environmental challenges of our time and what we can do about it.

Until then, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.