Ag Community Stresses Importance of Keeping Up With Growing Population

Whether the growth is 50% or in some estimates as high as 70%, there needs to be a significant increase in food production to feed the world's growing population, which is projected to reach roughly ten billion people by the year 2050.  That was agreed upon by speakers in USDA's Ag outlook forum, but what will that future look like?

"We would need 100-million more tons of chicken by 2050," said Bill Lovette of Pilgrim's.  "Just to satisfy demand. Much more beef, much more pork."

Another way to put it, global food production must increase 50% annually to feed the global population by the middle of this century.  Lovette added that if meeting the word demand for food by 2050 falls short, there is potential it could become a geopolitical issue, much like oil, water or other resources.

"If we allow the supply of food to not keep up with demand around the world, it is certainly something that we all have to deal with."