How Will We Feed a World of Nine Billion People?
There’s no surprises here, but it’s important to remind yourself of the coming problem, and some of the solutions. 2040 is only 25 years away.
By 2040, the world’s population is predicted to rise to nine billion. That means two billion more mouths to feed. Even now, the earth groans under the weight of those numbers. More than 800 million people are malnourished. Another two billion are short of essential micronutrients, which affect health. A billion more consume too many calories and are obese.
What can be done? In his new book, The End of Plenty: The Race To Feed A Crowded World, Joel K. Bourne Jr., a former senior editor for National Geographic, travels from India to China and Africa to find answers.
Speaking from his home in North Carolina, he explains how biofuels distort food prices; how Iran offers an unlikely model for reducing population; and why the world needs a Pink Revolution. (Read more about how to feed our growing planet.)