hunger 09

Population & The World Food Supply

Can we grow enough food to feed ourselves?

Today in the world:

• A child dies of hunger-related causes every 5 seconds, 16,000 per day

• 1/3 of the world’s population is undernourished, 1/3 malnourished, 1/3 well fed

• Nearly 1 in 4 people live in abject poverty, surviving on <$1 per day

• Starvation is not the only cause of death for malnourished people.

Is there enough food?

• Worldwide?• Locally?

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Land and Agriculturelocation Land area population Crop area Crop land per

person% of land for crops

Asia 45,036,697 3,600,000,000

4,827,520 .13 11%

Africa 30,343,717 800,000,000 2,737,040 .34 9%

N. America

24,680,444 300,000,000 2,247,000 .75 9%

S. America 17,815,501 500,000,000 1,595,940 .32 9%

Europe 10,530,798 800,000,000 3,112,050 .39 30%

Australia 8,821,001 30,000,000 521,480 1.74 6%

World 137,228,159 6,030,000 15,041,030 .25 11%

What other factors affect the ability of an area to feed itself?

World Hunger Map

Other side of the coin: The Average American

• 126lbs of potatoes

• 95lbs of vegetables

• 92 lbs of fruit

• 112lbs of red meat

• 233 lbs milk cream

• Survival ~300lbs of grain

Will food be our limiting factor?

Is hunger a local or global issue?Is carrying capacity local or global?Will we neatly rise to our carrying capacity then stop?

Remember “Oh Deer”?

Predicting the future…

Thomas Malthus

Essay on the principle of population, 1798

Two postula:

Assumption:

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"The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race. The vices of mankind are active and able ministers of depopulation. They are the precursors in the great army of destruction, and often finish the dreadful work themselves. But should they fail in this war of extermination, sickly seasons, epidemics, pestilence, and plague advance in terrific array, and sweep off their thousands and tens of thousands. Should success be still incomplete, gigantic inevitable famine stalks in the rear, and with one mighty blow levels the population with the food of the world."

Malthusian Crisis

• Exponential vs linear

• Population growth --> faster and faster

• Increase in food supply --> slower and slower

• Role of technology?

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Modernizing

What can you do to grow more food in a community?

Use more land sacrifice biodiversity Use the same amount of land but …

Industrial Farming Innovations

• Fertilizer

• Mechanized farming

• Irrigation

• Genetic modification

What are the good and bad consequences of these practices?

What is the responsible choice?

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Modern Farming Organic Farming