RE: [pf] Fork in the evolution road

by Stan King

21 December 2000 17:40 UTC

--- David A <davidnh@visto.com> wrote: 
> But if the land for cultivation remains the same (or
> decreases slightly 
> due to population pressures), and the population
> increases by another 3 
> billion by 2050 (even the UN's low-fertility
> scenario has it increasing 
> by 1.3B over that time), then food productivity has
> to increase or some 
> people, somewhere, will have to eat less.
> 
> David

We could feed more people with existing food
productivity if we changed our diets to be more
plant-based. It takes something like 10 pounds of
grain to make one pound of meat. While much of the
world is eating a plant-based diet if even a small
percentage of first world people started shifted their
diets in that direction we would free up more food
(and water).  I'm not suggesting this would be easy
given our cultural proclivity toward animal flesh but
it is another scenario worth keeping in mind.

Peace,

Stan