That is very true it is far deeper than just changing farming practices but that is a start. From my standpoint the only way to really start fixing things is to first build the paradigms that will support an clean future.
Don't we need to build programs that fix the problem? That requires an approach built by both optimists and "back of the envelope thinkers".
Its about solution seeking through the means that are at our disposal. As an environmental scientist I am sure you do loads of things to that end. My point is that it is very possible to start crowdfunded projects that at least help change the paradigms of waste that we have as a "developed culture".
From an experts point of view what would be a realistic solution?
I agree. The current farming practices will have to be changed and you got to start somewhere. Crowdfunding is certainly a great way for small people to have a meaningful impact on the planet. But when I see how people throw their money at campaigns like solar roadways and self-refilling water bottles that suck moisture out of the air, it does make me wonder what could have been funded with that amount of money instead. (I'm not joking. Those are real things. If you're interested, I highly recommend watching the YouTube videos Thunderf00t and EEVblog made on those topics!)
I wish I had a realistic solution. There are promising experiments with growing algae to create fuel. Those algae could just as well be eaten by humans. They could be genetically modified to provide everything the human body needs, but I don't see earths population switching to an algae diet anytime soon...
Then there are of course insects which are already eaten in some parts of the world. They sound quite promising but they need to be fed with food that could have already been eaten by us in the first place. Probably the best solution, and the most controversial one, is restricting the amount of children people are allowed to have. I don't even want to go into the moral and social questions of that but fact is that the human race is the root of the problem and it could be an option to grab the problem by its roots before our environment grabs it by its roots and reduces the population in its own way.
I see your point crowdsourcing does have its pitfalls (mainly the ridiculous ideas that get supported and trust). You also make a good point on population control which is very do able. I read a UN article that did some surveys on the correlation between female education and the amount of children they have. It was pretty promising, in the aspect that it showed a clear correlation between the decline of the # of kids a woman has when her educational opportunities increase.
Shucks just having this conversation is a start to making a better world.
I appreciate you taking the time to Rap !