Feeding the World in 2050

17 August 2009 - 10:00am

Growing populations and diminishing land will make feeding people a challenge in the near future. This piece from Popular Science looks at eight strategies to keep the world fed.

"Today’s crops crisscross the globe: Mexico’s tomatoes end up on your plate, our wheat heads to Africa. As a result, the challenge of growing twice as much food by 2050 to feed nine billion people—with less and less land—is everyone’s problem. But scientists are hard at work fomenting a second green revolution. Here’s how nitrogen-spewing microbes, underground soil sensors and fruit-picking robots will help keep food on our tables."

Source: Popular Science, August 7, 2009

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Feed the world

Haven't people been fretting about "feeding the world" for a century? Yet every year we have such food surpluses that governments artificially control production and prices.

Malthus Delayed is not Malthus Denied...

http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/food-crisis/

"A new rapid response assessment report released by UNEP warns that up to 25% of the world’s food production may become lost due to environmental breakdown by 2050 unless action is taken. Prepared by the Rapid Response Assessment Team at UNEP/GRID-Arendal and UNEP-WCMC, the report provides the first summary by the UN of how climate change, water stress, invasive pests and land degradation may impact world food security, food prices and life on the planet and how we may be able to feed the world in a more sustainable manner. The report concludes that we need to get smart and more creative about recycling food wastes and fish discards into animal feed. While major efforts have gone into increasing efficiency in the traditional energy sector, food energy efficiency has received too little attention."