Food Supply and Population Growth - August 2000

Food Supply and Population Growth - August 2000

According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global food supply is expected to exceed the population growth rate by 2030. In particular, regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are seeing improvements in irrigation technology and the adoption of genetically modified crops, which are expanding the amount of arable land. For example, in India, government-supported efforts to improve rice and wheat varieties have led to a significant increase in crop yields. By 2030, global corn production is expected to increase by 1.5 times, while rice production will grow by 1.4 times.

While the global population growth rate is projected to decrease from 1.2% annually by 2015 to 0.8% by 2030, the food supply growth rate is expected to reach 1.6%. This suggests that developing countries will have more opportunities to secure food supplies for their populations. Companies like Monsanto and Syngenta are also increasing their investments in biotechnology to enhance agricultural productivity in response to these trends.