Food production will have to nearly double to feed the growing population over the next forty years.
Food production and population growth have always been important factors in the survival of any group of people. The current population growth is reaching ever greater numbers. However, there is concern among population researchers that food production will not be able to keep pace with the demand. Environmental issues like erosion and desertification factor into the probability of producing enough food for a rapidly growing population.
Population Growth
The global population is currently seeing an increase of 1 billion people every 12 years, according to the Population Reference Bureau's 2009 World Population Data Sheet. The majority of the population growth is occurring in Asia and Africa. Niger has the highest fertility rate, with an average of more than seven children being born per woman. The world's population is expected to reach 7 billion in 2011.
Food Production
Supplying the world's population with food may require farmers to produce twice the amount of food in 2050 as they do now, according to Samuel Myers, a teacher for Harvard Medical School, in the Feb. 24, 2010, Harvard Gazette article "Time to Change the Menu," by Alvin Powell. This is partially due to the increasing desire for Western-style food across the world. However, global food production is already failing to meet the needs of 1 billion hungry people despite the agricultural advances in fertilizers and farming equipment during the last century.
Environmental Factors
Food production causes environmental degradation that limits the sustainability of farmland. The amount of usable farmland is decreasing each year due to farming practices that cause desertification, increased soil salinity and erosion. Currently, almost half of the world's land that is not covered in sand or ice, is being used to grow food for humans. New techniques in farming and raising livestock may help to increase agricultural yield and farmland, according to Myers.
Fresh Water
Crops need copious amounts of fresh water to grow. Unfortunately, much of the fresh water currently used is drained from aquifers and melting glaciers. These sources of water are nonrenewable and depleting them may lead to an inadequate water supply for billions of people. Fresh water is also being contaminated by agricultural pollutants like pesticides and fertilizers.
Climate Change
Changes in climate can greatly affect agricultural production. In 2003, a heat wave in Europe reduced food production more than 35 percent in some areas. Other factors of climate change that potentially could affect food production include melting glaciers, severe storms, drought and changes in rainfall. Climate change may limit the amount of food produced for the increasing global population.
Tags: population growth, amount food, fresh water, global population, growing population, melting glaciers, more than