The future of the global food system (original) (raw)
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A projection of global food demand to 2050, with assumptions on population growth, dietary shifts and biofuel expansion, provides an estimate of the amount of additional food needed over the next 40 years to satisfy human needs. This additional food demand, expressed in kilocalories, represents a "megawedge" akin to the carbon stabilisation wedges of . This food demand challenge consists of three component "food wedges" classed according to their target pathways: i.e. pathways that target reducing food demand; pathways that target increasing food production; and pathways that target sustaining the productive capacity of food systems. In this paper we examine these wedges in terms of prospective pathways through which food supply and demand can stay in balance over the next 40 years. Within these wedge classes, we nominate 14 pathways that are likely to make up the food security 'solution space'. These prospective pathways are tested through a survey of 86 food security researchers who provided their views on the likely significance of each pathway to satisfy projected global food demand to 2050. The targeting of pathways that contribute to filling the production gap was ranked as the most important strategy by surveyed experts; they nominated that 46% of the required additional food demand is likely to be achieved through pathways that increase food production. Pathways that contribute to sustaining the productive capacity are nominated to account for 34% of the challenge and 20% might be met by better food demand management. However, not one of the 14 pathways was overwhelmingly ranked higher than other pathways. This paper contributes a simple and comprehensive framing of the "solution space" to the future food demand challenge and a portfolio of investment pathways proposed to meet this challenge.
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Sustainable Food Security in the Era of Local and Global Environmental Chang, 2013
Addressing the challenge of global food security in our era is strongly linked with other global issues, most notably climate change, population growth and the need to sustainably manage the world’s rapidly growing demand for energy, land, and water. Our progress in ensuring a sustainable and equitable food supply chain will be determined by how coherently these long-term challenges are tackled. This will also determine our progress in reducing global poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The challenge is to deliver nutritious, safe and affordable food to a global population of over nine billion in the coming decades, using less land, fewer inputs, with less waste and a lower environmental impact. All this has to be done in ways that are socially and economically sustainable. In this paper, we try to analyze the different challenges affecting the global capacity to build a food system with the potential to enhance a sustainable food security. Actions needed to make such a paradigm and policy shift, in both developed and developing countries, have been demonstrated.
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Global food scenario has been under heavy odds. This has been due to spiraling food prices and scarcity of food grains world over. The result is that the specter of a hungry world that stood at 800 million, roiled into unrest and political upheavals. One of the contributory factors is more population and lesser output of food grains. It is also assumed that that the Asian Economies and the US have also contributed towards global food crisis. A lot of efforts have been made out both at international level and national levels. However there is improvement in trends and situation and it is hoped that the worst may be over. The need, therefore, is to take more effective measures to tackle this alarming and burning issue that the world is facing. The present paper reviews emerging issues and trends in respect of global food situation and crisis.