Abstract
Continuing population and consumption growth will mean that the global demand for food will increase for at least another 40 years. Growing competition for land, water, and energy, in addition to the overexploitation of fisheries, will affect our ability to produce food, as will the urgent requirement to reduce the impact of the food system on the environment. The effects of climate change are a further threat. But the world can produce more food and can ensure that it is used more efficiently and equitably. A multifaceted and linked global strategy is needed to ensure sustainable and equitable food security, different components of which are explored here.
Generated Summary
This review article examines the complex challenges of food security in the face of a growing global population, increased consumption, and environmental pressures. It explores the multifaceted issues impacting food production, distribution, and access, emphasizing the need for sustainable and equitable solutions. The authors analyze the effects of climate change, competition for resources (land, water, energy), and the overexploitation of fisheries, all of which threaten the ability to produce sufficient food. The article underscores the urgency of reducing the environmental impact of the food system while ensuring that the world’s poorest people are no longer hungry. The study takes a multifaceted approach by exploring various strategies and technologies, including sustainable intensification, closing the yield gap, and reducing waste, to address the food security challenges. It also emphasizes the importance of global cooperation and innovative policies. The authors present evidence of how advancements in breeding technologies, sustainable agricultural practices, and waste reduction strategies can contribute to increasing crop production and enhancing food security. The article highlights the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic factors in achieving a sustainable food system.
Key Findings & Statistics
- More than one in seven people globally do not have access to sufficient protein and energy from their diet.
- The global population is projected to plateau at around 9 billion people by the middle of the century.
- Over the past century, food prices have generally fallen, with prices leveling off in the past three decades.
- Grain production has more than doubled in the past 5 decades, with the amount of land devoted to arable agriculture increasing by only approximately 9%.
- Studies suggest that the world will need 70 to 100% more food by 2050.
- In Southeast Asia, where irrigation is available, average maximum climate-adjusted rice yields are 8.5 metric tons per hectare, but the average achieved yields are 60% of this figure.
- In China, per capita food production has increased approximately twofold over the past 50 years. In Latin America, it has increased 1.6-fold. In Africa, per capita production fell back from the mid-1970s and has only just reached the same level as in 1961.
- One study of 286 agricultural sustainability projects in developing countries, involving 12.6 million small-holder farmers on 37 million hectares, found an average yield increase of 79% across a variety of systems and crop types.
- One-quarter of the projects reported a doubling of yield.
- The conversion efficiency of plant into animal matter is ~10%.
- About one-third of global cereal production is fed to animals.
- Over the past 50 years, there has been a ~1.5-fold increase in the global numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats, with equivalent increases of ~2.5- and ~4.5-fold for pigs and chickens, respectively.
- Aquatic products provide nearly 3 billion people with at least 15% of their animal protein intake.
- Roughly 30 to 40% of food in both developed and developing worlds is lost to waste.
- In India, it is estimated that 35 to 40% of fresh produce is lost because neither wholesale nor retail outlets have cold storage.
Other Important Findings
- The article discusses the challenges of meeting the rapidly changing demand for food due to population and consumption growth.
- It highlights the importance of sustainable and equitable food security, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted global strategy.
- The study explores the role of technological advancements, particularly in breeding and crop improvement, in increasing production.
- The review emphasizes the need to address the negative environmental impacts of food production, including greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and water shortages.
- The article discusses the significance of closing the yield gap, which is the difference between potential and realized crop and livestock productivity.
- The study touches upon the challenges related to food waste and the need for different strategies in developed and developing countries to reduce it.
- The review discusses the implications of changing dietary patterns, particularly the increasing demand for meat and dairy products, and its impact on land use and environmental sustainability.
- The importance of expanding aquaculture as a sustainable source of food is examined, along with the need for efficient resource use and reduction of negative environmental impacts.
- The review emphasizes the need for international cooperation and the development of innovative institutional and governance mechanisms to address food security challenges.
Limitations Noted in the Document
- The article notes a scarcity of data, especially regarding the causes of food waste in developing countries.
- The complexity of the food system makes it challenging to measure and compare the sustainability of different strategies accurately.
- The study recognizes the difficulty in making sustainability operational and the challenges of setting appropriate spatial scales for sustainability goals.
- The impacts of certain interventions, such as the effects of different agronomic practices on greenhouse gases, require more research for a better understanding.
- The long-term effects and full implications of climate change on food production are subject to uncertainty.
- The article acknowledges that there is a need for better models to predict the complex interactions within the food system.
Conclusion
The article concludes by emphasizing the interconnectedness of food security with environmental, social, and economic factors, and the necessity of pursuing multifaceted solutions. The authors highlight the need for a revolution in the social and natural sciences to address these challenges. They stress that the goal is no longer simply to maximize productivity but to optimize across a more complex landscape of production, environmental, and social justice outcomes. Key takeaways from the article include:
- The pressing need to increase food production sustainably to feed a growing global population.
- The importance of addressing environmental concerns, such as climate change, resource depletion, and food waste, within the food system.
- The role of technological innovation, particularly in breeding and crop improvement, in enhancing food production.
- The need for a comprehensive approach that involves changes in production, distribution, and consumption patterns.
- The requirement for international cooperation and the development of innovative policies and governance mechanisms.