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Film summary
As the world's population grows, how will we cope with the increasing demand for food? What would happen in a food crisis, and what can be done to prevent one?Key facts
- As the population of the world increases, so do the demands on food production.
- There are almost a billion people in the world who suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition, and this number is set to increase.
- Increasing productivity, improving food distribution and reducing food waste will all help to feed the planet.
- Changes in human consumption are vital so that food insecurity is controlled and everyone has enough to eat.
Transcript
Almost a billion people across the world suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition.
And this food insecurity is increasing.
Food insecurity – inadequate access to food
The growing population, climate change, scarcity of land and water, and changing consumption patterns, are all playing a part.
Food insecurity is affected by: Population growth. Limited land and water. Food consumption patterns. Climate change.
Dr Molly Brown, NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre – "As the world's population increases, the urgency with which we're going to have to increase the amount of food we produce will increase, and so we need to double the amount of food that we have available to us as soon as possible.
One of the things that all these different landscapes really show us is how we're using almost all the land that's available to us."
With limited agricultural land remaining, the answer lies in increasing productivity, and changing how we use the food available.
Increasing Productivity
Better crop and soil management can increase the amount of food each field produces.
And genetically modified crops could also help to increase yields.
They are more resistant to insects or disease, and can be designed to withstand changes in the climate.
Food Distribution
But increasing productivity alone is not enough.
At the moment the distribution of food around the world is very uneven.
Almost 1 billion people are malnourished, while 1 billion are overweight.
Food Waste
In more developed countries, as much as 50% of the food produced is wasted, while less developed countries struggle to feed their populations.
Global Diet
In more developed countries, as much as 50% of the food produced is wasted, while less developed countries struggle to feed their populations.
Much more energy, land and water are used to produce meat-based foods, than plant-based.
0.5 m3 of water = 1000kcal of plant-based food
4 m3 of water = 1000kcal of animal-based food
As developing countries prosper, an increasing number of people are eating meat.
Demand for meat could double by 2050
If we can reduce the amount of meat in our diet, more plant-based food could be produced from the same resources.
With the global population set to reach 9 billion by 2050, it's vital that we make the changes needed to ensure that food insecurity doesn't increase too.
