Shifting the Global Food Narrative

Today I stumbled upon an excellent piece published yesterday by Jonathan Foley about the future of food demand. In the next 40 years, food production needs to double to feed the growing population. However, global population is predicted to rise by 2 billion (about 28% increase from today). So how come do we need twice as much food? Foley suggests, with the help of a few others, that the nature of our diets is the main factor behind the increased demand, not the population growth itself. As more people in China and India are growing richer, their diets are becoming more meat and dairy intensive. Changing diets of the already wealthy North Americans and Europeans will go a long way in easing the pressure on global food systems. In addition, we need to make better use of the crops that we already grow, looking at both the supply and demand side. He also stresses the importance of improved soil nutrition and water availability in order to increase global crop yields. Instead of being obsessed with the 'Grow, Baby, Grow' mentality, we should be looking at another direction where we make more out of what we already have.

(Illustration by Glen Lowry at http://ensia.com/voices/changing-the-global-food-narrative/)

Foley writes: 'The new narrative might sound something like this: The world faces tremendous challenges to feeding a growing, richer world population — especially to doing so sustainably, without degrading our planet’s resources and the environment. To address these challenges, we will need to deliver more food to the world through a balanced mix of growing more food (while reducing the environmental impact of agricultural practices) and using the food we already have more effectively. Key strategies include reducing food waste, rethinking our diets and biofuel choices, curbing population growth, and growing more food at the base of the agricultural pyramid with low-tech agronomic innovations. Only through a balanced approach of supply-side and demand-side solutions can we address this difficult challenge.'

It is an excellent read and certainly an eye-opening view on the problem we are facing the global food system. You can read the article here:

http://ensia.com/voices/changing-the-global-food-narrative/

Till next time, 
Laura