To meet these major challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recommends, among other things, “to develop a production on a large scale which is more environmentally responsible and more intelligent in the face of the climate”.
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The finding is alarming. The planet’s land and water resources are deteriorating sharply as a result of human activities, to the point that some systems are “on the verge of breaking up”, warned, Thursday, December 9, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In a voluminous report on “The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture”, FAO highlights the difficulties this may create in feeding a world population that is expected to reach nearly 10 billion people in 2050.
Due to rapid urbanization and a growing world population, the demand for food has increased. The number of undernourished people has started to rise again, from 604 million people in 2014 to 768 million in 2020.
In addition, land degradation linked to human activity, water scarcity and climate change increase risk levels for agricultural production. “in places where economic growth is needed most”, notes the report. Without a change of course, producing the 50% more food the world should need could lead to an increase in water withdrawals for agriculture of up to 35%. What “could lead to ecological disasters, accentuate competition for resources and encourage the emergence of new social problems and conflicts”, estimates the FAO.
To meet these major challenges, FAO recommends, among other things, “develop production on a large scale that is more environmentally responsible and more climate-smart”.