CONTENTS
HIGHLIGHTS
Population Reports is published by the Population Information Program, Center for Communication Programs, The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland 21202-4012, USA
Fall 2000
Series M, Number 15 |
What Can Be Done?Achieving food security means addressing several related issues: slowing population growth, increasing food production, and safeguarding the environment. Since, of course, not every country can be self-sufficient in food production, international trade will become increasingly important in the future to achieve food security worldwide. In low-income food-deficit countries slower population growth would allow time to achieve food security. To provide food security for all of the 8 billion people projected by 2025, the world would have to double food production over current levels (73, 75). Achieving this goal would require a second "Green Revolution" in agriculture, like the one in the 1960s that boosted food production in the face of population increases. Recent years have brought some promising developments. These include a new strain of super rice capable of boosting yields by 25% (160, 175), improved varieties of corn that could increase yields perhaps by 40% and that could be grown on marginal land (93), and a new blight-resistant potato (174). To achieve food security, the food-deficit countries must reverse the current course of land degradation and begin to manage soil and water resources on a sustainable basis. There are many ways to protect agricultural land. In many areas, for example, irrigated land could be managed better by using hand pumps and traditional water harvesting techniques rather than relying on large-scale automated sprinkler systems (5) (See Population Reports, Winning the Food Race, Series M, No. 13, December 1997). Specific solutions will vary from one area to another. Virtually everywhere, however, protecting the environment will help produce more food to feed more people (73, 178, 186). |