Ten billion people.
That’s the United Nation’s projection for population increases in the next century. It’s also a number used by alarmists to scare people, convincing them the earth doesn’t have enough resources to support that much human life and we will all eventually starve to death. This is completely untrue; the agricultural sector of the earth already produces enough cereals and oil seeds to feed ten billion people a well-balanced, healthy vegetarian diet according to Mark Sagoff in his article, “Feeding Ten Billion People.”
I agree with Sagoff; the citizens of the world are not in danger of starving. Between 1961 and 1994, global production of food nearly doubled. Increases in wheat, corn and rice of 50%-100% have been seen in developing countries between 1974 and 1994. The Worldwatch Institute has reported “The generation of farmers on the land in 1950 was the first in history to double the production of food. By 1984, they had outstripped population growth enough to raise per capita grain output an unprecedented 40%.” Farmers and other in the agricultural business have already begun to step up to the plate in providing for the coming population boom; but there’s more that can be done.
Genetically engineered crops could also improve crop yields drastically. Mexican researchers have developed drought-resistant corn, which could easily raise corn production by a third. Scientists are also beginning to convert annual crops into perennials to eliminate the need of replanting. Already farmers in the US are using genetically altered corn, tomatoes and potatoes that are disease and pest resistant. Sagoff points out in his article “Novartis Seeds has announced a program to develop water-efficient and salt-tolerant crops.” This advancement would be a major help to poorer countries and farmers without ready access to important fertilizers and very poor irrigation.
As the world’ population grows, so do the intellectual advances in agriculture. These advances will allow future generations to capitalize on the earth’s resources and provide enough food to feed ten billion people. Historian Paul Kennedy says that we are entering into “an entirely new stage in humankind’s attempts to produce more crops and plants. Clearly, we have nothing to worry about as we enter a technologically savvy era of agriculture.
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NOT to farm. They did my grandpa and our neighbors, who have hundreds if not thousands of acres. We will always make it, there will always be death and disease as well...No worries.
If there really was a problem with famine, there's millions of acres that are unfarmed in the US. I don't think that there will ever be that big of a problem due to overpopulation.
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/bamers