World Food Crisis
By Sasha Blay
There is an increasing demand with an ever-growing population. Will we be able to sustain ourselves?
“20 percent more people (200 million) will be at risk of hunger by 2050 due to the changing climate” (BIS)
What is the predicted situation?
The population will increase to 8-10 billion (depending on how many apocalypses happen by then). To feed everyone, food production must increase by 50-80% to deal with the 40% increase in global population.
Annual production of _____ must increase to ______:
· Cereal: increase from 2.1 billion tonnes to 3 billion tonnes
· Meat: increase by 200 million tonnes to 470 million tonnes
· Soybean (for livestock): increase 140% to 515 million tonnes
· Cattle population: increase from 1.5 billion to 2.6 billion
· Goat/sheep population: increase from 1.7 billion to 2.7 billion
Projected Growth in Food Consumption
Infographic: climate change impacts
Projected production
Projected price changes
Projected consumption in developing/developed countries
Projected changes in meat demand
What factors are contributing to the World Food Crisis?
Agricultural practices and methods
Climate change
Waste
As much as half of food produced is lost/wasted!
“The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service found that annual US supermarket losses for 2005 and 2006 averaged 11.4% for fresh fruit, 9.7% for fresh vegetables, and 4.5% for fresh meat, poultry and seafood” http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/food-and-farming/synthesis/11-627-c7-reducing-waste.pdf
Examples of how food is wasted
Types of food wasted
Avoid-ability of food waste
Demand & Accessibility
Other uses for food (biomass/fuel, livestock feed)
This has an impact on how much food is available, meaning increased prices.
Cereal prices increase 10-27% and the production area increases up to 59 million ha.Changing patterns of international trade
Urbanisation
Increases distance of people from their food sources, which promotes unhealthy/processed diets
Competition for land & land degradation
Livestock systems use 30% of the planet's land surface area, and 3 billion ha are used for crop production, half of which is cultivated.
35% of the world’s mangroves have been lost to agricultural use.
Global division of areas of irrigated crops
Distribution of GMO crops
Growth in land used for agricultural activities
Moral/ethical decisions
Competition for water
Is there ANYTHING we can do about this?
Solutions to a future food shortage:
There are many difference factors (as discussed above) that are contributing to the world food situation, and we need to tackle each one of them to make a complete change.
Specific examples:
- Using available land - 2.4 billion ha of land is suitable for wheat/rice/grain maize cultivation & 1,600 million ha for agricultural expansion
Issues: this is not environmental and would destroy ecosystems and homes. Many people would oppose this.
- Government aid, getting countries to work together
Issues: if countries are at war or do not agree, they will not want to work together.
- Subsidies, and giving farmers improved access to improved seeds, water, gasoline, and fertilizer
Issues: there is only so much the government can do or give.
- Integrated farming systems (where livestock and crop production are combined)
- Better control and prediction of biotic stressors (diseases, pests, etc.)
Issues: this takes research and research money... as well as a lot of trial & error
- Improved breeding and genetic improvements
Issues: this borders on morals and requires experimenting
- Decreasing waste by maximizing efficiency (ex: better storage and transport)
(Many of these initiatives will have to be thought out & enacted by the government, although we can encourage them by signing petitions and writing letters to support the causes we believe in.)
There’s a balance between the environment, the economy, and the people. There are going to have to be sacrifices on all sides, and luckily many possible solutions are available, meaning more room for errors, dead-ends, and changes in direction.
All of these differences will mean that enough food will be produced to support all.
Small changes can be made by anybody by supporting groups that are researching into a sustainable future, and by providing support for food-aid organizations.What about giving people access to food?
(Quantities of food aid delivered in metric tonnes. http://www.wfp.org/fais/reports/quantities-delivered-two-dimensional-report/chart/year/All/cat/All/recipient/All/donor/All/code/All/mode/All/basis/0/order/0 )
What can be done to provide access? Who is already taking the initiative?
foodaid.org
World Food Program
Food Aid Convention
- The Food Aid Convention is dedicated to providing “food aid to developing countries with the greatest needs, irrespective of fluctuations in world food prices and supplies”.
- As of 2009 they had delivered 7.9 million tonnes of food, increasing their amount from the previous year.
- The US started this, which chooses countries and then develops strategies to accomplish things like invest in female empowerment, diet quality, agricultural infrastructure, etc.
Anyone can fundraise & bring awareness to support these organizations.
Sources
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjtIl5B1zXI&feature=youtu.be
http://www.wfp.org/about/mission-statement
http://www.worldwatch.org/global-food-prices-continue-rise-0
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/14663/1/18020221.pdf
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/esag/docs/AT2050_revision_summary.pdf
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/food-and-farming/synthesis/11-627-c7-reducing-waste.pdf
http://www.fcrn.org.uk/sites/default/files/fpr30_0.pdf