SUMMARY
The surge in food prices in the last years, following a century of decline, has been the
most marked of the past century in its magnitude, duration and the number of commod-
ity groups whose prices have increased. The ensuing crisis has resulted in a 50–200%
increase in selected commodity prices, driven 110 million people into poverty and added
44 million more to the undernourished. Elevated food prices have had dramatic impacts
on the lives and livelihoods, including increased infant and child mortality, of those al-
ready undernourished or living in poverty and spending 70–80% of their daily income
on food. Key causes of the current food crisis are the combined effects of speculation in
food stocks, extreme weather events, low cereal stocks, growth in biofuels competing for
cropland and high oil prices. Although prices have fallen sharply since the peak in July
2008, they are still high above those in 2004 for many key commodities. The underlying
supply and demand tensions are little changed from those that existed just a few months
ago when these prices were close to all-time highs.
The demand for food will continue to increase towards 2050 as growing food demand. Furthermore, current projections of a
a result of population growth by an additional 2.7 billion people, required 50% increase in food production by 2050 to sustain
increased incomes and growing consumption of meat. World demand have not taken into account the losses in yield and
food production also rose substantially in the past century, land area as a result of environmental degradation.
primarily as a result of increasing yields due to irrigation and
fertilizer use as well as agricultural expansion into new lands, The natural environment comprises the entire basis for food
with little consideration of food energy efficiency. In the past production through water, nutrients, soils, climate, weath-
decade, however, yields have nearly stabilized for cereals and er and insects for pollination and controlling infestations.
declined for fisheries. Aquaculture production to just maintain Land degradation, urban expansion and conversion of crops
the current dietary proportion of fish by 2050 will require a and cropland for non-food production, such as biofuels,
56% increase as well as new alternatives to wild fisheries for may reduce the required cropland by 8–20% by 2050, if not
the supply of aquaculture feed. compensated for in other ways. In addition, climate change
will increasingly take effect by 2050 and may cause large
Lack of investments in agricultural development has played a portions of the Himalayan glaciers to melt, disturb mon-
crucial role in this levelling of yield increase. It is uncertain soon patterns, and result in increased floods and seasonal
whether yield increases can be achieved to keep pace with the drought on irrigated croplands in Asia, which accounts for
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104