Research Summary
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 9.7 billion—and if economic growth continues at its current pace, per capita incomes will double. As incomes rise, people tend to consume more resource-intensive products, such as meat and dairy, which produce higher greenhouse gas emissions and require more land and water. Food production is already a key driver of biodiversity loss, deforestation, water scarcity and pollution. As Canada Research Chair in Economic and Environmental Interactions, Dr. Frederik Noack is searching for ways to reduce the environmental impact of food production.
He and his research team are exploring the impact of aquaculture on wild fish stocks and how technological innovations in agriculture affect the environment. They are also studying the consequences of biodiversity loss for agricultural and forest production and the impact of conservation policies on economic and environmental outcomes. Ultimately, their findings will lead to a new understanding of the economic and environmental interactions around food production.