The experts now estimate that humans need less land than in the past to feed the world. The peak was in fact 20-30 years ago. This has occured through increased fertiliser use, better water management and genetically modified crops (Remember when that used to be an evil term?).
And with cell based meat and Indoor farming just around the corner the line in this chart is going to fall dramatically very soon.
this is a fundamental civilisation achievement. Poverty will no longer be a function of lack of food.
we always talk about whats wrong with the world and how things are getting worse. Its important to acknowledge the achievements as well. We are now on the verge of ending world hunger. Yes there are transport and trade barrier issues to still deal with but these will only become less and less important with time. As they already are. We havent had a major famine since somalia and rwanda in the 1990s after all.
falling agriculture land requirements will also free up more land to return to the forests and wild species. This will help rejuvenate nature.
see the malthusians were wrong. human breeding was not sending us on a path of a mass hunger event that would eventually wipe out billions from famine.
And with cell based meat and Indoor farming just around the corner the line in this chart is going to fall dramatically very soon.
this is a fundamental civilisation achievement. Poverty will no longer be a function of lack of food.
we always talk about whats wrong with the world and how things are getting worse. Its important to acknowledge the achievements as well. We are now on the verge of ending world hunger. Yes there are transport and trade barrier issues to still deal with but these will only become less and less important with time. As they already are. We havent had a major famine since somalia and rwanda in the 1990s after all.
falling agriculture land requirements will also free up more land to return to the forests and wild species. This will help rejuvenate nature.
see the malthusians were wrong. human breeding was not sending us on a path of a mass hunger event that would eventually wipe out billions from famine.
After millennia of agricultural expansion, the world has passed ‘peak agricultural land’
The world produces more food than ever, but the amount of land we use is now falling. This means we can feed more people while restoring wild habitat.
ourworldindata.org
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