This chapter discusses the past, present, and future of the human population and its relationship to food production. In the past, the uncertainties of food production too often have led to food insecurity, and the future holds further uncertainties posed by climate change. Rapid urbanization in developing countries is changing where vegetables are grown and how they are made available to consumers. The depopulation of the land means that farming will have to become more efficient and less labour intensive. There is agreement among agricultural scientists that the way forward is to increase the productivity of farmland everywhere and to do this sustainably, reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment. The chapter then looks at how government policies play pivotal roles in global food production, as well as the importance of agricultural research and biotechnology.
Chapter
The Human Population and Its Food Supply in the 21st Century
Maarten J. Chrispeels and Hanya E. Chrispeels
Chapter
A Changing Global Food System
One Hundred Centuries of Agriculture
H. Maelor Davies and Paul Gepts
This chapter examines the changes that have occurred in farming over the past 10,000 years and which continue today. Agriculture and food play an important role in the economic systems of all countries and regions. Indeed, crop and animal domestication — integral to the practices of farming — were essential for the development of human civilizations. Agricultural systems in different regions of the world differ in their productivity, and in the modern world, scientific and technological discoveries are responsible for many of those differences. Whereas modern science-driven agriculture is highly productive, especially in developed countries, a billion smallholder farmers in developing countries are confined to small farms where productivity is low and where they produce just enough food to supply themselves with the bare essentials of life.
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Challenges and Solutions for Subsistence Farmers
Manish N. Raizada
This chapter studies the challenges and solutions for subsistence farmers. Subsistence farmers in the subtropics suffer from low food production and malnutrition in the dry season. In order to increase their resiliency, subsistence farmers often cultivate a diversity of crops. Opportunities exist to improve crop yields through breeding and agronomic improvements to the cropping system, leading to agricultural intensification. Other crucial constraints on smallhold farmers include lack of precipitation, infertile or degraded soils, and soil erosion. The chapter then looks at weed and pest control, as well as postharvest food processing. Ultimately, lessons may be learned from the success of agriculture in developed nations which transformed from subsistence farming to wealth through a partnership between the private sector that sold a menu of innovative products and publicly funded agricultural extension to train farmers on a menu of best practices.
