UN Puts Figure on Future Food Demand

Agriculture must increase by 70% if the world is to have enough food to meet production targets for feeding the world in 2050, according to the UN.

To reach such targets, conventional crops would have to be favoured over organic, the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation said, and new advances in science and technology would have to find better ways to produce larger, more sustainable crops.

UN Food and Agricultural Organisation director-general Jacques Diouf said figures show the world population will rise to 9.1 billion in 2050 from 6.7 billion now.

Strong income growth and urbanisation will also place increased pressure on crops and produce levels.