The Growing Food Crisis

John Xenakis of the site Generational Dynamics has provided a new article on the food shortage situation that we are now facing on a global basis. The following excerpt from the article was an important insight for me:

My own rough estimate is that food production grows by 0.96% per year, while population growth exceeds 1.72% per year (since 1950), and is 2-4% in some countries. (However, the United States population has been growing around 0.92% per year.)

To bring the amount of food per capita back to 1950 levels would require the elimination of some two billion people. That's why I've been using the figure two billion as the estimated number of deaths that will occur in the coming Clash of Civilizations world war. This result is mathematically unstoppable, despite the protestations of politicians and college professors who seek money, in the name of fighting starvation and poverty, for their committees, their pet projects, and their personal bank accounts.

At present, the possibility of food shortages has not entered into the mainstream consciousness of Singaporean society. While we can all help to raise awareness at the individual level by talking to our family members, friends and colleagues, it is also important that we start working on steps like food storage and urban agriculture so as to increase our available food supplies.

Also important is to be conscious that we as a country waste a lot of food, judging from the amount of uneaten food that I have observed at food courts. A big step in helping to improve the food shortage situation would be to waste less, which is far more energy-efficient than to try to convert waste food into usable fuel for cars!