9 Billion mouths to feed

Davis Rainey

Have you ever considered the world’s rapidly growing population, and the world’s decreasing food supply? Do you think we will ever run out of food? The author of “How to feed a hungry world” says that the current population of 6.8 billion is expected to grow to 9.1 billion in 2050. This raises a concerning question: how will all these extra mouths be fed? The author of “How to feed a hungry world” claimed that when the world’s population went from 3 billion to more than 6 billion from 1961 to 2007, the agricultural output managed to keep pace. Current projections show that it should continue to do so (“How to feed a hungry world”). Though enough food can be provided, there are many discoveries and technologies will still need for better food productivity. These steps must be taken for our world to prosper.

Beth Adler, author of “How to Feed the World in 2050”, reported on the FAO’s (UN Food Security and Agriculture Organization) forum held in October. Adler claimed it stated the groundwork for conversation at the World Food Summit to be held in mid-November. Like the author of “How to feed a hungry world”, Adler reports that there was a general consensus from the meeting that we should be able to provide enough food to feed to growing population. In fact, the official at the FAO of the United Nations said that the task of feeding the world’s population in 2050 in itself seems “easily possible” (“How to feed a hungry world”).

These two authors agree, with the rest of the world, that enough food can be provided, but different factors will come in to play. The author of “How to feed a hungry world” says that what is really needed to become agriculturally wealthy is a second green revolution, what Britain’s Royal Society describes as the “sustainable intensification of global agriculture” (“How to feed a hungry world”). The uncertainty of external shocks, such as climate change, brings difficulty to the projections of agricultural output (“How to feed a hungry world”). These uncertainties show that there is a need for new crop varieties. As the author of “How to feed a hungry world” relies on help from mother nature, Adler says that in order to achieve this growth, investments in research, technology; infrastructure, and sustainable resource management are essential.
Adler states that achieving food security will not only depend on whether the world can produce enough food (“How to Feed the World in 2050”). She says that policies are needed to enhance the access and usage of food so that people can sustain well nourished lives. “How to Feed the World in 2050” also states that well functioned markets, and easier opportunities for market access are critical components for good food security.

As Adler states the priorities of the people, the author of “How to feed a hungry world” brings up an important point in world hunger. Today, the world currently has enough food, but some 1 billion people go hungry because they cannot afford it (“How to feed a hungry world”). The author believes poverty is the root of world hunger, not lack of food production. The food crisis in 2008, which put around 100 million people into hunger, was caused more so from the unpredictability of the market than from the food shortage. Prices soared through the roof and many people became unable to meet the inflation.

Whether more personnel in scientific research is the key to bringing us new technologies, or the root of the crisis is people itself, the population is growing rapidly. While the authors may disagree on how to provide for a hungry world, both can agree that changes must be made in productivity and efficiency for the world to prosper. The FAO claims that the task of feeding so many mouths will be easy, but there will be challenges. So next time you bite into a juicy Big-Mac, pray that it isn’t your last.


“How to feed a hungry world.” Nature (2010). Article: Nature. 28 July 2010. Web

Adler, Beth. "How to Feed the World in 2050." (2009): n. pag. Web. 7 Sep 2010.