Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warns that land we use to grow our food is contaminated with large quantities of plastic pollution. Agricultural value chains use 12.5 million tonnes of plastic products each year, a further 37.3 million tonnes are used in food packaging. Asia is the largest user of plastics in agricultural production, accounting for almost half of global usage. While there are gaps in the data, they shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to act, FAO warned. Mulch films, tunnel and greenhouse films and nets protect and boost plant growth, extend cropping seasons and increase yields.
Of the estimated 6.3 billion tonnes of plastics produced up to 2015, almost 80% has not been disposed of properly. FAO experts found that agricultural soils are thought to receive far greater quantities of microplastics than the oceans.
