Agriculture and Population Growth Essay - 846 Words

Agriculture and Population Growth The earth is increasing its population by 90 million people per year, and yet we still have 5.9 billion people left to feed and to give shelter (Mitchell, 1998). Along with the increase in the population, there are also more people on Earth who are living longer lives. The global population boom has coincided with the improvement of health, and of productivity, around the world. On average, the human population today lives longer, eats better, produces more, and consumes more than at any other time period in the past (Eberstadt, 1995). Agriculture feeds people, but will it be able to feed the expanding global population, especially with its exponential increase? One way for the population of today and†¦show more content†¦Minimizing agricultural areas through intensification would seem like a great idea for preserving more land. Technology has been a viable part of higher productivity in agriculture. Innovations such as tractors, seeds, chemicals, irrigation measures, fertilizers, pesticides, and genetic engineering have played a major part in raising yields without having to clear more fields. But is technology the key to ensuring sustainable agriculture for a growing population. Many countries have tripled or even quadrupled the amount of grain they produce. Unfortunately, yields have been decreasing while population continues to increase. Grain yields per hectare have been slowing since 1990, rising only 3 percent from 1990-1996 or 0.5 percent per year. This does not keep pace with population growth which is at 1.6 percent per year (Brown, 1997). Along with population growth, there is a growing demand for a more calorie-filled diet, especially with the unprecedented rise in affluence in Asia. Meat is becoming the food of choice rather than low calorie wheat or vegetables. Since it takes more grain and water to produce animal protein than vegetable protein, added pressure is placed on the environment. From 1990 to 1995, China’s grain consumption increased by 40 million tons; 33 million tons were consumed as animal feeds (Brown, 1997). As economiesShow MoreRelatedCultural Evolution And Population Growth1372 Words   |  6 PagesWorldwide, the origin of agriculture has been a controversial subject among scholars not only due to the variety of proposals about where it was originated but also because of the different possible factors that triggered the early domestication of plants. 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