Can We Feed the World Essay Example

approval of new technologies, resulting in untapped potential. Farmers also require assurance that they can sell their products in a broader market.

To tackle this issue, countries should reduce trade barriers and depend on imports if they have insufficient agricultural land to feed their populations. Interestingly, many countries prefer exporting rather than importing as food aid can negatively impact food prices by reducing demand. A world with fewer trade barriers would enable farmers to confidently sell their crops globally and benefit developing nations by stimulating income growth.Almost all of the world's population increase will come from developing countries experiencing population growth. The World Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute predict that Asia will remain the largest continent, with 60% of the world's population. India is expected to surpass China as the most populous country by 2040.

This population growth brings both threats and opportunities. Threats include potential issues with sustaining productivity growth and depleting natural resources. However, there are also opportunities to explore new technological advancements with the younger generation. Moreover, the growing number of senior citizens can contribute to increased tourism, medical care, and leisure activities.

Currently, there are about 75 million teenagers outnumbering seniors two to one. Analysts predict that this ratio will change to one to one by 2030.

In developing countries, poverty continues to rise, resulting in millions of preventable deaths annually. Approximately 130 million school-age children lack access to education, and one in ten children die before reaching five years old.

People living without assurance of a sustainable life tend to have more children in hopes of increasing chances of survival for at least some of them. Numerous studies have shown that confident

parents who believe in their children's future tend to opt for smaller family sizes.
Despite the impact of diseases like AIDS on populations, birth rates in developing nations remain double what is necessary for global population stability. As a result, there is an increasing number of young women entering their reproductive years. Some argue that controlling population is crucial for ensuring global food security, as certain women in these countries lack autonomy over marriage, sexual activity, and childbearing decisions. This lack of control also denies them access to contraception, education, employment opportunities, and gender equality. However, delaying the start of childbearing by 2 to 5 years could potentially reduce the world population by more than 7 billion individuals according to the Population Council. Personally, I believe it is not my place to interfere with others' natural ability to have children or not; nonetheless, I support comprehensive education on birth control and other preventive measures. It is imperative that we address issues such as education and healthcare including family planning for our planet's sake. The strain caused by population growth will heavily impact land quality, water resources availability, depletion of fish stocks along with current consumption and production patterns. In the 21st century ahead of us, farmers will face immense pressure to produce greater quantities of fibers fuel sources materials while being constrained by finite resources.Human-induced erosion and pesticide usage have led to significant degradation of vast land areas. Presently, developing nations are utilizing 760 million hectares of land for various purposes. However, pessimists argue that a population of 12 billion individuals would require more than 3 billion hectares of arable land for sustenance. Although there is

potential for a considerable amount of arable land, the expenses involved in making it usable are exorbitant. If soil losses can be halted within a century, approximately 2.8 billion hectares of usable arable land could potentially exist; nevertheless, this still falls short of the necessary 3.1 billion hectares.

Despite efforts to safeguard and preserve arable land, pessimistic viewpoints suggest that there will not be sufficient acreage to sustain the expanding human population. These perspectives emphasize the need to focus on enhancing output rather than expanding arable land when increasing food production. Furthermore, doubling the area dedicated to agriculture would entail clearing extensive forests and destroying habitats – raising environmental concerns.

Humans contribute significantly to deforestation by obliterating around 46,000 hectares of forest daily while also releasing roughly 2 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere through various transportation methods each day too. This hasty destruction and pollution put approximately 50 species at risk of extinction as well.It should be noted that the United States is a major consumer of global resources, accounting for 30% of consumption, while also generating nearly 20% of global waste. This makes it one of the fastest-growing industrialized nations with significant ecological impact. The American diet heavily relies on grain consumption, particularly as animal feed for meat and dairy production. With advancements in agricultural research and technology, it is possible to increase crop output. Lester Brown from the Worldwatch Institute predicts that global grain harvest will reach two billion tons, enough to feed 10 billion people at India's current nutritional level. However, if the world consumed like the United States or had Italy's nutritional standards, this yield would only satisfy less than half

or 5.7 billion people respectively. To achieve such high levels of production, farmers will need an extensive range of pest-control strategies. According to a study by the National Agricultural Chemical Association, eliminating farm chemicals would result in a one-third decrease in global food production due to losses from insects, rodents, disease, and weeds. It is estimated that approximately 45% of potential food production worldwide is lost - with 30% attributed to weeds and insects and an additional 15% lost after harvest. Nonetheless, conducting research can be expensive for biotechnology companies, presenting challenges for those who lack financial means to carry out studies.Unfortunately, the majority of the world's hungry population is too impoverished to afford conventionally bred crops or expensive biotechnology products. While some argue that there is still as much agricultural land available today as there was fifty years ago, I disagree due to the global expansion of urban areas. Additionally, accessible water for agricultural purposes is limited and preserving water in rivers is crucial for environmental protection, which limits the utilization of all water sources. Agricultural technology relies on irrigation and fertilizers to maintain soil moisture and ensure continuous food production. Irrigated agriculture accounts for 40% of global food production and has proven to be more productive than rain-fed agriculture. In regions like North Africa, sufficient water availability is necessary to support cities and promote a healthy population; however, Africa faces challenges due to being the driest continent with unpredictable rainfall patterns. The insufficient agricultural production in Africa has led to nutritional problems. On the other hand, Latin American countries have abundant water resources but struggle with low efficiency in water use and pollution

control. Efforts should be made to develop new water sources and improve current supplies as demand for water continues to increase over time. It's important to acknowledge that irrigation can have negative effects such as fertilizer run-offs, salinization, and environmental pollution.Developing water resources for food production is still essential for improving food security. It is estimated that by 2020, two-thirds of the global population will live in urban areas, with rural land being converted into urban spaces at a rate three times higher than urban population growth. In my childhood, I used to believe that farmers only operated in rural areas while city residents relied on grocery stores and farms for their food. However, the emergence of "city gardens" in Canada has made me realize that I had always separated the source of my food from where I live. The World Bank predicts that towns and cities may provide half of the necessary food for the population by 2020. Urban agriculture currently yields significantly more per hectare compared to traditional rural methods due to higher organic content found in urban waste - which surpasses rural waste by seventy percent. By utilizing this waste resourcefully, pollution can be reduced and soil nourished, leading to conservation of natural resources. Moreover, close proximity among urban dwellings fosters cooperation among neighbors in successful urban farming endeavors, creating connected communities and a stronger bond with nature. However, meeting the demands of urbanization presents challenges as the current urban population of 1 billion is projected to reach 4 billion by 2025, resulting in increased demand for wheat and meat products.The text emphasizes the importance of considering various aspects related to food

needs, conservation, and sustainability. It acknowledges that while grains are important, fish and seafood also play a significant role in providing protein for 60% of the global population. The depletion of resources due to overfishing highlights the crucial need for their conservation in order to sustain growth and contribute to biotechnology, as explained by evolutionary biologist Niles Eldridge. He states that the issue lies in a population/ecology problem rather than a food/population problem. Disruption and deterioration of ecosystems pose threats to food supplies.

Eldridge uses termites as an example to highlight our dependence on them for recycling biotic material. Without proper recycling, there is a risk to life sustainability and food resources. Furthermore, coastal cities may face erosion issues if resource depletion continues, while non-coastal cities will have to rely on importing their food unless they adopt local farming practices.

The significance of pollination should not be overlooked when considering these factors. Lastly, energy conservation is essential for ensuring population sustainability. While individuals can adopt energy-saving practices, it is crucial for countries to prioritize this issue instead of solely focusing on obtaining coal, oil or similar resources.

Overall, it is important to recognize that what people truly desire are the services provided by these sources of energy productionIn order to address concerns related to energy conservation, a collective effort is necessary at both individual and national levels. This is particularly important in affluent nations that have been least effective in their conservation efforts. While there is enough food available to sustain the global population, the question remains on how people will earn money to buy this food.

In the United States, subsidized groceries and access to fertile soil, abundant

water, and energy supply have led to a mindset of entitlement among Americans. Americans spend approximately 15 percent of their disposable income on food expenses. On the other hand, impoverished individuals in the U.S. allocate about one third of their income towards food expenditures.

I firmly believe that we have the capability to produce enough food for everyone; however, achieving this goal requires collective efforts from every individual and country involved. Education plays a crucial role in raising awareness and knowledge about birth control methods that can help regulate population growth through means other than reduction.

By educating young people, we can promote research advancements and improve agricultural technology. It is important to urge our leaders to improve import and export conditions in order to increase production. Additionally, education on protecting our natural resources and ecosystem is vital.
The challenge of feeding the global population in the 21st Century can be overcome if each person actively contributes towards shaping our future processes. The following sources were used for the bibliography and are listed with their corresponding and contents:

1. http://www.rgs.vt.edu/resmag/feed_abstract.html
2. http://www.oecd.org/dac/htm/stc/a-chall.htm
3. http://www.cesc.montreat.edu/GSI/GSI-Conf/discussion/Hessel-Hash.htm
4. http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC31/ToBreed.htm
5. http://www.efima.org/food/index.asp
6. http:// www.ecouncil.ac.cr /rio/focus/report/english/ENERGY21.html
7. < ahref = " http: // www.labornet.org/millenium/g2000r/">land.html
8.http: // www.cgiar .org/ifpri /pressrel /061495b .htm
9.< ahref = " http: // www.nrdc .org/bkgrd /pogrow .html "> http: // www.nrdc .org/bkgrd /pogrow .html