According to research by the Center for Food Integrity, in 1950, the U.S. population was 154 million, there were 5.6 million farms and one farmer produced enough to feed 30 people. In 2010, the U.S. population was 308 million, there were only 2 million farms and one farmer produced enough to feed 155 people.
Global population increases by 75.4 million annually. In 40 years, the world will need 100 percent more food than we produce today. So how do we feed all 9.3 billion people in the world by 2050? According to Hartwig de Haen/UN FAO, 80 percent of future production growth must come from increased yields or the responsible use of innovation and technology.
“…The world has the technology to feed, on a sustainable basis, 10 billion people. The pertinent question today is whether farmers and ranchers will be permitted to use this technology.”
— Norman Borlaug, 2000
In order to keep up with this growing world, advancements have been made to give farmers and ranchers the technology they need to be sustainable, make a living AND feed the world. Ag Leader Technology is helping farmers use precision farming equipment to boost crop yields, reduce waste and have better seed and production applications, all-the-while leaving a smaller environmental footprint.
Some are suggesting we turn back the clock … that we produce food using farming methods from the “good old days.” But is this the ethical choice? If the U.S. today relied on the farmers of 1950 to produce their food, 151 million people would go hungry. That is the combined populations of the nine largest states in the U.S. (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Georgia).
By the time tomorrow rolls around, global population will have increased the size of another Philadelphia – 206,500 people. Are we really willing to NOT utilize the technology we have in order to feed the world?
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2 Comments on “Feeding an Ever-Expanding World”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the population of Philadelphia greater than “206,500 people”? I have read that China alone is growing at a daily rate of the population of Philadelphia.. as an agronomist, accuracy of information is vital, I agree precision applications will help make for a more efficient farming system – even on organic farms, where the tools to maximize per acre production are much more scarce due to organic industry regulations!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the population of Philadelphia greater than “206,500 people”? I have read that China alone is growing at a daily rate of the population of Philadelphia.. as an agronomist, accuracy of information is vital, I agree precision applications will help make for a more efficient farming system – even on organic farms, where the tools to maximize per acre production are much more scarce due to organic industry regulations!